The Decline of our Hedgehogs
The Number of Hedgehogs Have Declined by Half since 2000, in the UK countryside, a new report has revealed. The Hedgehogs have declined due to things such as a decline in their food supply (wild slugs), and a decline in the number of hedgerows. Both things are damaging to hedgehogs and have significantly contributed to their decline.
The worrying thing about this report, is that it doesn’t concern urban, or suburban hedgehogs, it concerns countryside hedgehogs. The report focused on studying countryside hedgehogs.
This wild animal has significantly declined since the 1950s. In the 1950s, there was estimated to be around 30 million of them living in the wild. Today, however, this wild animal has declined so much, that there is now thought to be less than 1 million of them left in the wild.
Most People Never See Hedgehogs
Around the same time last year, a poll was conducted into this wild animal. The poll was conducted by the BBC Gardeners World Magazine. Most people polled (51% of people), said that they had never seen a hedgehog in the previous year.
While only 12% of those polled said that seen hedgehogs on a regular occurrence. Given that hedgehogs are nocturnal animals, who only come out at night, you would think that was the reason, so few people saw hedgehogs.
However, with regular studies over the last few years into hedgehogs, it’s clear that that is not the issue. The issue is that they are declining in numbers, and that is why less of us are seeing them.
Things are so bad for hedgehogs, that they are thought to be declining at the same rate as tigers. If nothing is done to help stop the decline of hedgehogs, then they could become extinct.
There are several other reasons why the hedgehogs are declining. This includes road traffic accidents, slug repellent being put in gardens and gardens becoming less hedgehog friendly.
These things, alongside a decline of hedgerows and the lack of food being available to the animals, are all contributing to the animals decline across the country; even in the countryside.
It doesn’t have to be like this. We don’t have to lose these adorable animals. There are several things that you can do to help them. These things include:
. Make your garden accessible to hedgehogs
. Put out specialized hedgehog food for them
. Put out a shallow bowl of water for them (never milk)
. Don’t use slug repellent or harmful chemicals in the garden
. Plant some hedgerows
Sources:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/feb/06/hedgehogs-now-a-rare-garden-sight-as-british-populations-continue-to-decline
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/feb/07/hedgehog-numbers-plummet-by-half-in-uk-countryside-since-2000
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/hedgehogs-could-extinct-just-10-6702875
https://www.hedgehogstreet.org/about-hedgehogs/how-many-hedgehogs-are-left/