Hedgehog Welfare: Avoiding Common Garden Hazards

UK hedgehogs face numerous garden hazards beyond slug pellets, including netting, ponds, strimmers, and bonfires — understanding these risks enables meaningful welfare improvements.

Key Facts

Garden netting set at ground level is a significant hedgehog welfare risk — they become entangled and can die from injuries or starvation
Ponds without escape ramps are a drowning risk — hedgehogs can swim but tire quickly without an exit point
Bonfires built in advance and left to stand are prime hedgehog nesting sites — countless hedgehogs die in unscreened bonfire lighting
Strimmers and rotary mowers can cause horrific injuries to hedgehogs resting under vegetation

Welfare Considerations

Garden-related hedgehog welfare harms are collectively responsible for thousands of preventable deaths and injuries annually in the UK. Unlike habitat loss (which requires systemic change), garden hazards are addressable through individual behaviour change at zero cost. Netting injuries cause lingering deaths from strangulation or starvation. Pond drowning is sudden but preventable with simple ramp installation. Bonfire and strimmer injuries represent some of the most severe trauma cases in wildlife rehabilitation centres.

What You Can Do

Raise garden netting to 30cm height and clear away debris netting after use
Install a wildlife ramp (plank or chicken wire) in any pond to allow hedgehog escape
Build bonfires only on the day of lighting — never let built bonfire piles stand overnight
Walk slowly through long grass before strimming and check for hedgehogs before starting rotary mowers