Wildlife

Wild Hedgehog Garden Connectivity

Garden connectivity through hedgehog highways is essential for hedgehog survival in fragmented suburban landscapes.

Key Facts

Hedgehogs need home ranges of 10 to 30 hectares requiring access across multiple gardens
Solid fence panels and brick walls completely prevent hedgehog movement between properties
A single 13 cm square gap in a fence allows hedgehog passage while excluding most other wildlife
Connected garden networks allow hedgehogs to find sufficient food, mates, and hibernation sites
Hedgehog Street campaign has connected over 100,000 gardens across the UK

Welfare Considerations

Hedgehogs trapped in isolated gardens without connectivity face nutritional stress from limited foraging range and reproductive failure from inability to find mates. Garden connectivity directly supports individual hedgehog welfare and population survival.

What You Can Do

Cut a 13 cm square hole in fence panels to create a hedgehog highway with neighbors
Register your hedgehog highway on the Big Hedgehog Map to build connected habitat networks
Encourage neighbors to participate in creating connected garden networks for hedgehogs