Hedgehog Decline 2025: Welfare of a Flagship Garden Species

UK hedgehog populations have declined by approximately 50% since 2000. Understanding the causes and welfare impacts of decline drives conservation action.

Key Facts

UK hedgehog population has fallen from approximately 1.5 million to under 1 million since 2000
Road traffic kills an estimated 100,000 hedgehogs annually in the UK
Badger predation is an increasing factor in some rural areas, correlated with badger population growth
Garden pesticide use reduces invertebrate prey availability, causing nutritional stress in urban hedgehogs

Welfare Considerations

Individual hedgehog welfare is affected by multiple stressors. Road traffic casualties cause severe trauma — many survive initial impact and experience prolonged suffering before dying or reaching care. Lungworm and ringworm infections cause welfare impacts in populations under nutritional stress. Garden netting (fruit cage, pond, and vegetable garden netting) causes entanglement deaths. Hedgehog hospitals treat thousands of injured and underweight individuals annually, with recovery and release providing direct welfare benefit.

What You Can Do

Create hedgehog highways by cutting 13cm square holes in garden fence panels to allow safe movement
Install pond ramps and remove garden netting to prevent entanglement deaths
Reduce or eliminate slug pellet use — metaldehyde and methiocarb pellets are toxic to hedgehogs
Support local hedgehog rescue groups and the British Hedgehog Preservation Society through donations