Time for action! The hedgehog is at risk of becoming an endangered species

Hedgehogs are charismatic pincushions that are widely appreciated. Despite their popularity, the species is unfortunately in steep decline in Europe.

The latest update from the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) ‘Red List of Threatened Species for Europe’ shows a discouraging trend: per 28th of October 2024 the European hedgehog was categorised as ‘Near Threatened’.

My colleague Dr Abigail Gazzard and I were invited as hedgehog experts to produce the assessment report leading to the change in status. On Wednesday the 20th of November 2024, I gave the hedgehogs a voice at the European Parliament in a session dedicated to mitigating this worrying decline.

How did it get so far? 

For someone who loves hedgehogs, writing the report was quite a depressing process. It made me wonder: How could we let it get so far? What can we do about it? And why should we care about hedgehogs at all?

The decline is due to a wide range of man-made causes, including loss of natural habitats that push hedgehogs into residential gardens. I'll get back to that. My main message is that it doesn't take much for us to help save the hedgehogs - it is not too late! 

I've collected the best tips to help hedgehogs in the box below.

Save the hedgehogs

Hedgehog numbers are plummeting

There's no doubt that hedgehogs are in trouble across Europe. 

Hedgehog monitoring shows a decline of up to 50 per cent in countries such as Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, Germany and the UK. The studies cover different time spans and methods - but the trend is unmistakable.

In Denmark, unfortunately, we still lack sufficient documentation for the species' decline, but it is assumed that the situation is the same as in all the countries surrounding us. That's why it's so important that a conservation and population monitoring campaign has now been established for hedgehogs in Denmark.

It took a crazy hedgehog researcher (me), an NGO (WWF Denmark) and a foundation (Nordea-fonden) to create the necessary population monitoring of hedgehogs in Denmark.

In 2023, the conservation campaign “Danmarks Pindsvin” was launched, and has so far hosted two national hedgehog counts mapping the Danish hedgehog population with a massive support from the Danish citizens. 

Even the Danish Prime Minister was so amazed that she mentioned the hedgehog count in her opening address to the Danish Parliament. To my great pleasure, the Danmarks Pindsvin campaign inspired WWF Sweden and Nordens Ark to initiate a similar campaign in Sweden, called “Vi Räknar Sveriges Igelkottar”.

Why are the hedgehogs disappearing? 

Up to one in three hedgehogs lose their lives on the roads every year because our landscape is fragmented by roads that hedgehogs must cross in their search of food, habitats and mates.

When hedgehogs are isolated by roads and the supply of suitable mates becomes more sparse as the population declines, inbreeding occurs, which is considered to exert a negative impact on hedgehog survival.

Natural and suitable hedgehog habitats have gradually disappeared over decades due to intensified agricultural practices where fields have been merged and, as a consequence, hedgerows have been lost. Adding to that, the intense housing and industrial development and expansion of road networks have caused loss of natural habitat. All at the expense of nature.

In addition, it is challenging for a species that primarily feeds on insects and snails when these are controlled in intensified agricultural practices and residential gardens with pesticides, resulting in a loss of biodiversity.

Hedgehogs are moving into our gardens

Unfortunately, my research also shows that the pesticides we spread in nature end up in hedgehogs, which is also considered to be a contributing factor to the population decline.

When hedgehogs' natural habitats disappear, they move into residential gardens, and this also has negative consequences for the declining population.

Dog attacks, in-ground trampolines and swimming pools and garden ponds and other types of holes without escape ramps, not to mention garden tools, that are used during the day when hedgehogs are sleeping safely in their nests, unfortunately also cause unintentional deaths to hedgehogs.

And if the residential gardens, where hedgehogs live nowadays, only consist of short grass and tiles, there are no places for hedgehogs to live and no natural food to be found. 

In fact, being a hedgehog in modern society is an uphill battle.

Why should I care? 

Surprisingly, no-one has yet dared to ask me that question. However, I imagine that someone must have been thinking it, or perhaps shouted it at the screen when, for the umpteenth time, they have watched or heard me pleading for increased conservation efforts for hedgehogs in the media.

Hedgehogs are useful animals in the garden, eating carrion, insects, worms, slugs and snails. But can we really do without hedgehogs in the wild? Will the ecosystem collapse if it disappears? I suspect not - in principle, any single species can be dispensed with - as long as other species fulfil the same tasks in the ecosystem.

The question is, do we want to do without the hedgehog? And can we live with it - we are causing their decline! I believe the hedgehog's most important role is as a nature ambassador. The species is incredibly popular and it's one of the few species of wild animals we can get close to.

Their strategy, when faced with danger, is to stand perfectly still and then decide to curl up or run away, giving people a unique opportunity to admire and get up close to the hedgehog, and this happens so conveniently in people’s own backyards. 

Imagine if the hedgehogs disappeared entirely? 

Hedgehogs are easy to recognise by their characteristic spines, the long snout that grunts and rummages in the leaves, and the big brown eyes that blink trustingly when you meet them in the garden at night. They are such charming creatures! 

Numerous people have shared with me during the years that meeting a hedgehog in the garden as a child ignited their appreciation of nature.

Hedgehogs have always fascinated us - they can be found in ancient art, old medieval manuscripts, and popular modern children's books. They are often portrayed as gentle, trusting and caring. Imagine if this species, which we have perhaps even taken for granted, disappears entirely?

For the skeptical reader who may not yet be convinced, my research on hedgehogs has also led to some great discoveries that are important for society in general. To name a few, my research has provided insight into the development of natural resistance in bacteria, the accumulation and exposure to pesticides and other pollutants in home gardens, and the natural occurrence of coronavirus.

This knowledge would not have been gained without research into hedgehog conservation.

The battle to save the hedgehogs will take place in our own backyards

Research shows that hedgehogs are increasingly moving into residential gardens in search of suitable habitats. This is primarily caused by the loss of natural habitats due to housing and industrial developments and expansion of the road networks. 

Consequently, a major focus of our conservation efforts to preserve the hedgehogs should be directed at residential gardens. Fortunately, the hedgehog is a cherished species, and members of the public are highly motivated to help save the hedgehogs.

Garden owners need to rethink their garden designs to include hedgehog friendliness. This can be done by making the garden accessible to the hedgehogs by making hedgehog highways in the fence, offering hedgehogs a selection of good nest sites and attracting biodiversity providing the hedgehogs with a selection of natural food items. For inspiration, you can read these guides in Danish and English.

Unfortunately, unintentional garden accidents cost many hedgehog lives. The worst part is that they could easily have been avoided. This is why it is so important to spread the positive and important message about hedgehog-friendly gardens.

More research and stronger conservation efforts are needed

My research includes working with industry to create hedgehog-friendly robotic lawn mowers as well as a labelling system, which will guide consumers to buying hedgehog-friendly models of robotic lawn mowers. 

I am also conducting research on hedgehog hearing, with the purpose of investigating the possibility of developing sound deterrents to keep hedgehogs away from cars.

We need to invent practical solutions through research to make life safer for the hedgehogs out there, and to describe and understand the factors driving the decline of the European hedgehog. But where will the money come from? Naturally, I always lose when competing for research funding against scientists who want to cure cancer.

With the recent changes in the hedgehog's status on the IUCN Red List, I would strongly urge increased research and conservation efforts to document and prevent further decline of this fascinating and treasured species.

Political interest, or just empty words? 

The change in status of the hedgehog on the IUCN Red List for Europe has fortunately already raised awareness of the situation and given hedgehogs a voice in politics!

As mentioned in the introduction, I was invited to speak on behalf of hedgehogs in a session at the European Parliament dedicated to stopping the decline of the species and discussing how the EU and its member states can help save the hedgehogs.

Contrastingly, a recent reinterpretation of the Artsfredningsbekendtgørelse in Denmark risks preventing the important conservation work that the country's authorised hedgehog rehabilitators do when caring for sick, injured and orphaned hedgehogs, as carers are, in principle, no longer allowed to care for sick hedgehogs. 

The only change required is a manual, administrative addition of the word ‘sick’ to the text. We are currently awaiting a decision from the Ministry of Environment and Gender Equality. 

It has been very encouraging to observe how politicians and political parties in Denmark have recently spread the sad but important message that hedgehogs are in steep decline and stated that they wish to become the voice of the hedgehogs.

However, funds are needed for research and conservation campaigns, as well as a specific conservation strategy to halt the decline of the hedgehog population.

I hope that these words uttered by the politicians will be put into action, so that resources can be allocated to research, conservation campaigns, urban green spaces and dispersal corridors, and nature restoration projects, to ensure that hedgehogs have a future.