Meet the Hedgehogs
Hedgehogs, with their unmistakable spiky coats and endearing snuffles, are iconic creatures in the UK. However, hedgehog populations have declined dramatically in recent years, with a third of the UK population estimated to have been lost since the millennium. Urban population numbers may now be stabilising, proving the point that city dwellers have an important role to play in safeguarding cherished wildlife.
What they need
- A pesticide-free environment: toxic chemicals don’t just kill unwanted slugs and bugs, they also poison the hedgehogs that eat them and wipe out their primary food sources.
- Damp and shady areas which can be warmer in winter and cooler in summer, providing both a handy shelter and breeding site and a source of food.
- Areas of long grass and bushy growth to roam in under cover and in search of mini beast prey.
- A ramp so they don’t get trapped in steep edged water features.
- A source of easily reachable drinking water, as they can really suffer on hot dry days.
What you can do to help
- Install hedgehog highways: Cut small holes at the bottom of fences or create gaps to allow hedgehogs to move freely between gardens, expanding their foraging range.
- Compost heaps, wood piles, wild patches and dead hedges can all provide nesting sites, shelter, and plenty of bugs, slugs and snails to eat. Or consider providing a hedgehog home.
- Plant bird and pollinator friendly plants that will provide both shelter and feeding opportunities. Even green roofs and green walls (climbing plants like ivy and clematis) support bugs that hedgehogs may get a chance to eat if they descend to ground level.
- Install a hedgehog feeding station. To reduce confrontations between hungry hedgehogs, try setting up multiple feeding stations or scatter small amounts of food in grass or undergrowth so hedgehogs can forage as they would naturally.
- Check bonfires for hedgehogs before lighting as wood piles are ideal places for shelter and they often hide at the centre.
Fascinating facts
- Hedgehogs are primarily nocturnal, venturing out at night to hunt.
- Despite their spiky exterior, hedgehogs are skilled climbers and swimmers, but they can get trapped in ponds and containers with steep edges so always provide a ramp.
- Hedgehogs hibernate during the winter months to conserve energy when food is scarce – when they emerge they have lost up to a 1/3rd of their body weight.
- A baby hedgehog is called a hoglet and is born blind and deaf, relying solely on its mother for survival.
- Hedgehogs can curl into a tight ball to protect themselves, using their spines as defence.
Find out more
- The British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS) is dedicated to the protection and welfare of hedgehogs through education, research, and rescue efforts.
- Hedgehog Street: This collaborative initiative between BHPS and People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) aims to raise awareness and create hedgehog-friendly habitats across the UK.
