Wildlife

Wild Hedgehog Population Monitoring Welfare

Hedgehog population monitoring through citizen science and transect surveys provides essential data for conservation management that supports individual and population welfare.

Key Facts

The Peoples Trust for Endangered Species coordinates the Big Hedgehog Map citizen science programme
Hedgehog populations have declined by 30-50% since 2000 in many areas
Transect surveys provide more robust population trend data than casual records alone
Garden surveys show that hedgehog populations respond to habitat management within 2-3 years
Tracking tunnels using footprint ink pads provide presence/absence data without handling animals

Welfare Considerations

Population monitoring is essential to understanding hedgehog welfare at landscape scale. Citizen science provides data that would be impossible to collect professionally and empowers community conservation action.

What You Can Do

Submit hedgehog sightings to the People's Trust for Endangered Species Big Hedgehog Map
Install tracking tunnels in your garden as part of local hedgehog monitoring
Participate in organised transect surveys through your local wildlife trust