Wildlife Gardening

Backyard Pond and Garden Wildlife Welfare

Garden ponds provide critical habitat for amphibians invertebrates and birds while being accessible welfare improvements any homeowner can make.

Key Facts

The UK has lost over 50 percent of its ponds since 1900 reducing breeding habitat for frogs newts and toads
A small garden pond can support dozens of species within its first year of establishment
Garden ponds provide drinking and bathing water for birds and mammals during dry periods
Steep-sided ponds can be death traps for hedgehogs and other wildlife unable to escape after falling in

Welfare Considerations

Garden ponds represent one of the most accessible and impactful wildlife welfare improvements available to homeowners. Providing water for drinking, bathing, and breeding benefits enormous numbers of animals. However, improperly designed ponds with steep sides or no exit ramps can trap and drown mammals including hedgehogs. Simple design considerations maximize welfare benefits while preventing unintended harms.

What You Can Do

Install a wildlife pond with sloped edges or a ramp to allow animal escape
Avoid introducing fish to wildlife ponds as they eat amphibian spawn and invertebrates
Never introduce non-native pond plants that can become invasive
Leave fallen leaves around pond edges as overwintering habitat for frogs and invertebrates