A prickly task for everyone

Everybody loves hedgehogs. The sight and snuffling, chortling sound of them lumbering around the flower beds on a warm summer evening is a lovely sight to see.

But there is a problem. British hedgehogs are disappearing fast and in large numbers.

In the 1950s, there were thought to be about 30m trundling around the back gardens, hedgerows and fields of Britain.

But 50 years later the population had collapsed to an estimated figure of 1.5m.

Today it’s thought that numbers of this once ubiquitous mammal have now fallen to a fraction of even that 1990s figure.

Hedgehog lovers across the UK have launched a series of surveys and initiatives to encourage the public to record sightings of the troubled mammal.

The more information collected about our hedgehogs, the greater the chance of discovering how we can help them and reverse the decline.

But at the moment the reason for the dramatic decline of Erinaceus europaeus is about as clear as mud.

Multiple theories abound, from climate change to bullying badgers. After rabbits, hedgehogs are the animal most likely to be killed on British roads, making up about 16 per cent of the roadkill total. But the experts are convinced its not drivers but our impact on the environment which is the real cause of the problem.

Marina Pacheco, chief executive officer of the Mammal Society, explains: “I think people are generally concerned about hedgehogs because I get a lot of anecdotal evidence from people remarking that they haven’t seen many lately.

“We believe the main causes of the decline are habitat fragmentation, more roads etc, habitat degradation and agricultural intensification with the loss of hedgerows and beetle banks, and the tidying up and fencing off of gardens.”

So can being less house proud help our hedgehogs?

An area of your garden left relatively unkempt will offer hedgehogs a shelter, a place to hibernate and, more importantly, a place to hide.

Foxes and badgers in particular will prey on hedgehogs if they get half the chance.

Badgers, who have enjoyed a recent population boom, are in the firing line as the cause for the decline in our hedgehogs.

But are badgers, generally more noted for having serious craving issues for slugs and worms, to blame for bingeing on hedgehogs?

Maruina Pacheco says: “There is some evidence that where badger densities are high, hedgehog populations are low or absent.

“Badgers do eat hedgehogs, so there is probably a direct link.

“But habitat degradation also plays its part because where hedges are too thin, it doesn’t provide a refuge where hedgehogs can hide from badgers.”

Scientists are making determined strides in conjuring up more effective ways of counting our hedgehogs.

Pacheco explains: “We are working on an accurate method for estimating numbers of hedgehogs and whether they are present in an area by using footprint tunnels.

“Then either with the tunnels, or if people sight a hedgehog, we would love them to report the sighting to us via our Mammal Atlas online form.

“What people can do for hedgehog conservation is the usual; keep a portion of their garden untidy, leave gaps in their fence so that hedgehogs can get from one garden to the next.

“And if they really want to get stuck in, get involved in their local planning system and work towards a planning system that is truly sustainable.”

Hedgehog facts and figures

For more information, visit The Mammal Society at www.mammal.org.uk.

Here you can get tips on how to build or buy footprint tunnels and record your hedgehog sightings.

The average hedgehog boasts about 6,000 spines, which can be up to 3cm long on the back and can last for 18 months.

Hedgehogs can live for up to 10 years, but three years is the norm.

It’s estimated about 15,000 are killed each year on the roads.

They react slowly, if at all, to an approaching vehicle and tend to freeze in the headlights.