Urban Hedgehog Welfare: Helping Garden Hedgehogs Thrive

Urban hedgehogs face a unique set of welfare challenges from roads, garden hazards, and habitat fragmentation that garden owners can help address.

Key Facts

• UK hedgehog populations have declined by over 50% since the 1990s, with urban populations relatively stable
• Roads kill an estimated 100,000-300,000 hedgehogs annually in the UK
• Garden hazards including strimmers, pond edges, and bonfires cause direct welfare harm
• Hedgehog highways (15cm holes in fences) allow hedgehogs to access multiple gardens for food
• Supplementary feeding supports hedgehog welfare during dry summers and before hibernation

Welfare Considerations

Urban hedgehogs face a distinctive set of welfare challenges created by human environments. Road mortality is the leading cause of death — hedgehogs rely on their defensive curl response, which is lethal when used against vehicles. Garden hazards cause direct welfare harm: strimmers lacerate hedgehogs sheltering in rough vegetation, ponds without exit ramps drown hedgehogs that fall in, and bonfires left overnight trap hibernating individuals. Netting for garden protection entangles hedgehogs causing limb entanglement injuries. Welfare-positive garden management — hedgehog highways, pond ramps, strimmer checks, and supplementary feeding — directly improves the quality of life of individual hedgehogs navigating urban environments.

What You Can Do

• Install a 13x13cm hole in garden fences to create hedgehog highways between gardens
• Check bonfire heaps immediately before lighting, and ideally rebuild them on the day
• Check rough vegetation by hand before strimming between March and October
• Install a ramp or pile of stones in ponds to allow hedgehogs to climb out if they fall in
• Provide water and cat food or specialist hedgehog food (not milk or bread) in shallow dishes