Wildlife

Wild Hedgehog Habitat Connectivity

Hedgehogs require connectivity between garden and countryside habitats for foraging and breeding, making garden design and boundary management critical.

Key Facts

Hedgehogs travel up to 2km per night in search of food and mates
Solid fencing creates barriers that isolate garden habitats and fragment hedgehog territories
A 13cm hole at the base of fences enables hedgehog movement between gardens
Hedgehog populations have declined by 50% in rural areas since the 1990s
Wildlife-friendly garden design including log piles, meadow areas and ponds supports hedgehog habitat

Welfare Considerations

Habitat fragmentation through solid garden fencing is a significant driver of hedgehog population decline and reduces connectivity essential for healthy populations. Simple hedgehog highways in garden boundaries cost nothing and immediately improve connectivity for local populations.

What You Can Do

Make a 13cm hedgehog highway hole in garden boundaries and ask neighbours to do the same
Register your hedgehog highway on Big Hedgehog Map to support population monitoring
Create hedgehog-friendly garden habitat with log piles, wild corners and a pond