Why are hedgehogs declining in England?
Hedgehogs are declining in England mainly because of habitat loss, fewer hedgerows, intensive farming, road traffic and the use of pesticides. Studies suggest rural hedgehog populations have fallen sharply since 2000.
Hedgehogs need hedgerows, woodlands and gardens to find food and shelter. Many hedgerows have been removed to create larger fields.
Pesticides reduce the number of insects, beetles and worms that hedgehogs eat.
Dangers in towns
Many hedgehogs are killed on roads. In gardens, they can be harmed by garden machinery, netting, slug pellets and ponds without escape routes.
Fences and walls prevent hedgehogs from moving between gardens, limiting their ability to find food and mates.
Conservation groups encourage people to create hedgehog highways by cutting small holes in fences, about 13 centimetres wide.
The hedgehog was voted Britain's favorite mammal. It is listed as vulnerable to extinction in Britain on the national Red List for mammals.
People can help hedgehogs by leaving wild corners in gardens, building log piles, providing shallow water dishes and putting out meaty cat or dog food rather than bread and milk, which can make hedgehogs ill. Hedgehogs hibernate from about November to March.