Hedgehogs are one of the few wild mammals we sometimes encounter up close and are a firm favourite of the British public. Sadly, we’re seeing concerning population declines across the UK. Between 2000 – 2014 hedgehog populations declined by over half in our countryside and nearly a third in our cities and suburbs.

In recent years, evidence has pointed towards a decline in abundance in many areas, particularly in rural environments (Hubert et al. 2011; van de Poel et al. 2015, Williams et al. 2018, Wembridge et al. 2022). Scaled to a 10-year period and primarily using data gathered from long-term citizen-science programmes, estimates of national-level declines span 19% in Great Britain (applying the data and protocol used in the British Red List of Terrestrial Mammals to a 10-year period.

They’re now considered “vulnerable to extinction” in Great Britain and “at risk” in the rest of Europe according to the IUCN.

Despite covering just 6% of land, urban landscapes are increasingly important for hedgehogs. The matrix of gardens and green spaces in towns and cities can support the highest densities of hedgehogs and may act as a refuge from agricultural practices and high predator density.

Habitat loss from new developments, in-filling of gardens with housing, roads, impermeable boundaries and ‘over-management’ of green-spaces and gardens are all, however, threats.

There are a variety of factors contributing to hedgehogs’ decline, including:

• • The destruction of their habitats
  • Increased road traffic
    Use of pesticides which makes it harder for them to find food
  • Garden hazards like netting and ponds cause further casualties as hedgehogs can become easily trapped in them

Wildlife rehabilitation centres such as ours provide a vital service caring for wild animals in the UK but rely upon the generosity of donors to keep us running, along with a small army of volunteers.