Are Hedgehogs In Decline?

It is generally thought that hedgehogs are in serious decline.  So much so that as of 2006, the British Hedgehog Preservation Society has asked people to contact them to ascertain just exactly how many hedgehogs there are.  Due to there being largely nocturnal creatures, it is very difficult to have an accurate picture of just how bad the problem is.

Hedgehogs have faced a number of threats over the last fifty years: the increased use of motorcars has resulted in more and more being killed whilst trying to cross the road.  They are so low on the ground and active at night that they are hard for drivers to see until it is too late.

Added to this is the decline in garden space.  It is estimated that in the south east of England in 2005, over 14% of garden area was removed by homeowners.  This is to allow for parking and also some gardens are seen as too much maintenance and decking replaces flowerbeds and lawns (the natural hunting ground for the hedgehog).  

Some garden owners replace a hedge with a fence, which means that hedgehogs no longer have a natural territory to forage in for food.

Added to this many gardeners' still use slug pellets which contain strong poisons.  The slug eats the pellet, the hedgehog then eats the slug and it too dies.  So it is little wonder they are in decline, but as yet no one is sure just how bad this decline is.