Photo credit: British Hedgehog Preservation Society
The hedgehog is the UK’s only prickly mammal, but it’s in trouble. Despite being voted Britain’s Favourite Wild Mammal, hedgehog numbers have been declining for many years. Research published recently in the State of Britain’s Hedgehogs 2022 by the British Hedgehog Preservation Society and People’s Trust for Endangered Species shows that the decline in rural areas is much greater than in urban areas. Although many of you may have spotted hedgehogs in your gardens, parks and burial grounds, these sightings are becoming rarer and rarer! So rare in fact that hedgehogs have now been classified as “Vulnerable to Extinction”. So we all need to work together to reverse this decline before it’s too late. Hopefully this classification will be the wake-up call to give hedgehogs and their habitats better protection and consideration.
The main problems are that hedgehogs are finding it harder to track down a good place to live and enough food. In the countryside, there are fewer hedges than there used to be, meaning fewer nesting sites for hedgehogs; crops are sprayed with pesticides killing the hedgehogs’ food – bugs, worms and grubs. Country churchyards which are managed to help wildlife can be a great help in the rural landscape. In towns people have often fenced off all their gardens, blocking access for hedgehogs, and cemeteries and burial grounds can be impermeable and sterile as well. Because hedgehogs travel around a mile in a night, it’s important that they have lots of joined up green land to use. Car pads, decking and slabs take away natural foraging areas for hedgehogs, so there’s less food there too.
Hedgehog-like creatures have roamed the earth for around 20 million years, outliving sabre-toothed tigers and mammoths! They are found over most of mainland Britain and do surprisingly well in our towns, so long as they have enough joined up areas to roam around. They are one of our most recognisable animals with their coat of spines (which are actually modified hairs) and the ability to roll into a ball at a second’s notice.
Hedgehogs are a good ‘indicator’ species. If hedgehogs are in trouble, then lots of other species are probably struggling too. If we take action to improve the environment for hedgehogs we will be helping lots of other wildlife as well.
And there are lots of ways we can help! Why not try some of the following ideas:
Photo credit: British Hedgehog Preservation Society
Create 13cm x 13cm (5” x 5”) square gaps in your boundaries as a ‘hedgehog highway’ and ask those in your village or town to do the same. If you can’t make gaps under stone walls, all is not lost – hedgehogs can climb over quite high walls if they can get a grip, so stone churchyard walls may be OK for them – or you could even try making steps up and over the walls for them. The more connections there are, the better for the hedgehog. You can even log your highway on the BIG Hedgehog Map!
Make your burial ground wildlife friendly – stop using slug pellets or pesticides and leave corners or edges “a bit wild” – all sorts of wildlife will appreciate your efforts, not just hedgehogs!
Create a log pile, this will provide natural shelter and food, so don’t disturb it. Or you might like to put out a hedgehog house – you can buy a ready-made one or build your own.
Make sure everyone who looks after your burial ground knows to check for hedgehogs before strimming or mowing and check compost heaps before sticking sharp forks in there too!
Put up a display of posters in your church porch or cemetery noticeboard – the British Hedgehog Preservation Society can supply poster packs for free! See https://www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk
When we get near Bonfire Night, “think hedgehog” before lighting a public bonfire. If possible, build the bonfire the day it’s going to be lit, or failing that, check carefully under it first before lighting and only light from one side.
Why not become a Hedgehog Champion? Hedgehog Street is run by the British Hedgehog Preservation Society in partnership with the People’s Trust for Endangered Species. Just go to https://www.hedgehogstreet.org/ and sign up – it’s fun and free to join!
All of the above are great proactive ways of helping hedgehogs and hopefully you’ll be rewarded by seeing happy, healthy hedgehogs out at night. BUT if you do see any hedgehogs out during the day looking lethargic, wobbly, injured or covered in flies, then they need your help. In particular, any baby hedgehogs (hoglets) out during the day with no sign of mum will need help urgently. Get them into a big deep box (they are very good at escaping smaller boxes) and indoors and away from flies. Keep them somewhere calm and quiet until you can get them some help. Give them an old towel or similar and ideally a warm hot water bottle (which you will need to keep topped up with warm water so it doesn’t go cold). You need enough space in the box so that they have room to get off the water bottle if they get too hot. Offer them a small amount of meaty cat or dog or hedgehog food and water (don’t force feed). There are lots of volunteer independent Hedgehog Rehabilitators around the country; call the British Hedgehog Preservation Society on 01584 890801 for the contact details for your nearest one.
