Hedgehog population plummets in UK countryside, research suggests

Image source, Hedgehog Street

According to research, the population of hedgehogs in rural Britain is continuing to decline.

According to the State of Britain's Hedgehogs report, numbers are down in rural areas by between 30% and 75%.

It is a contrast in towns and cities where the data shows that the population of the hedgehog may be starting to recover.

The decline of prickly mammals could be caused by the loss of field margins.

The data gathered between 1981 and 2020 was used in the report. This showed that there are differences between urban and rural populations, despite the fact that there has been a decline in the number of hedgehogs.

Image source, Jo Carr

"Urgent action is needed to understand why rural areas no longer provide suitable hedgehog habitat," said the chief executive of the company.

She said that they have lived here for at least half a million years.

The charities say that the picture in cities, towns and villages is more positive.

Image source, Sean Hill

Wildlife-friendly gardens and parks can provide refuges for the animals, as road mortality is highest around urban areas.

• Make sure your garden is connected - with gaps in any fences - so hedgehogs can move between green spaces
• Leave a corner of your garden "wild"
• Check hedges and undergrowth before strimming or clipping
• Make a home for hedgehogs to hibernate

Grace Johnson runs a campaign to help people make sure their gardens provide a connected network of habitat in the city. She said that mammals can travel about one mile every night through gardens and parks in search of food and mates.

Garden boundaries can be used to let in and out hedgehogs, but only if there are gaps in the boundaries.

The Hedgehog highway is a 13 cm 5in square gap that will allow hedgehogs to roam between gardens and green spaces which is vital to their survival.