The State of Britain’s Hedgehogs 2015

The hedgehog population across the UK has halved over the past 15 years. The findings of study carried out in 1995 put hedgehog numbers at 1.55 million. There are now believed to be less than 1,000,000 hedgehogs left in the UK.

A recently published report by the British Hedgehog Preservation Society and the People’s Trust for Endangered Species concludes that the rate of decline has continued in rural and urban areas since its last report in 2011.

Gardeners can help by:

Not using slug pellets in the garden. Read our members’ information page on slug pellets and slug control.

Taking care when clearing piles of leaves or loose twigs and litter. Hedgehogs love to use these areas as nesting places because they keep them dry and warm. Leave log piles or large broken pots around the garden to be used as nesting places.

If it is practical replace walls and fences with hedges. If you have a fence cut a 12.ccms/5 inch hole in the bottom to let hedgehogs get through. If you have a solid wall remove a brick or stone from the base.

Leaving out fresh meaty cat or dog food for them. Always clean up old or unused food daily.

Avoiding treating lawns with herbicides and try to reduce the size of paved areas in the garden.