Fears for future of the humble hedgehog

A new report by the People’s Trust for Endangered Species and The British Hedgehog Preservation Society showed a rapid fall in hedgehog numbers in all parts of the country.

Reported sightings of the endangered animal have fallen by half in rural areas and by a third in urban ones since 2000. The loss of hedgerows, intensive farming, fenced-in gardens and busy roads are just some of the threats contributing to the demise of the prickly animal.

Hedgehog lover Angela Fenton, 53, is taking care of three baby hedgehogs at her Elm Avenue home in Poulton after they were abandoned in broad daylight.

She said: “It’s very worrying that hedgehogs are declining. More and more hedgehogs are coming into urban areas where they wander onto the roads and end up getting run over. I’m releasing my hedgehogs back into the wild in March and of course I am worried about them.

“They have become part of the family. Obviously I don’t want to release them anywhere near a road.”

People are now being encouraged to help hedgehogs avoid traffic by ‘linking up’ their gardens by making a small hole in their garden fences for hedgehogs to safely wander through.

For more information on how to save hedgehogs, visit www.hedgehogstreet.org.