Helping hedgehogs survive and thrive

I’m Dylan, and this was my inspiration for starting the Be Hedgehog Aware campaign at the age of 13, after discovering hedgehogs in my own garden in South Wales.

Outside of A-Level studies, I now spend a lot of my time giving talks to community groups on helping hedgehogs, and working with national companies and charities to find innovative approaches to sustainability that support hedgehogs. I have helped rescue many hedgehogs, and earlier this year launched a new Hedgehog First Response Volunteer Unit across the Wye Valley. As part of my hedgehog awareness campaign, I’ve persuaded gardening equipment manufacturers such as Hyundai and STIGA to put ‘Be Hedgehog Aware’ stickers on every strimmer or mower, reminding gardeners to check for hedgehogs and other wildlife before carrying out work – a top tip for preventing life-threatening strimmer injuries. Hedgehog Highways (13cm holes in fences) are now being introduced into new homes and builders’ merchants across Wales, thanks to partnerships formed.

Why hedgehogs?

Apart from being unique and lovable creatures, as the country’s only spiny mammal, they need our help more than ever. In the 1950s, studies showed the UK hedgehog population was around 30 million – today, that number is less than 1 million. Such a major decline has had devastating impacts for the present-day population, with hedgehogs struggling due to the loss of habitats and natural food sources – insects and invertebrates in particular.

How can I tell if I have hedgehogs in my garden, and how can I support them?

There are some key signs to look out for which suggest that you may have hedgehogs visiting your garden – be prepared for them to come and go, as they can travel up to 2km every night on their little legs! Daytime nests, especially mounds of leaves and twigs, may not look particularly sturdy, in contrast to the more substantial rounded hibernation nests, often near denser vegetation or sheds. Hedgehog poo is dark brown or black with insect pieces - it may be found near gaps in fences, where hedgehogs may have trodden down long areas of grass as a passageway.

One lesser-known fact about hedgehogs is their ability to swim… although they need help to get out! Making sure you have a form of ‘ramp’ in/out of deep ponds, such as a plank of wood or rocks, will help hedgehogs exit safely.

How do I know if a hedgehog needs to be rescued?

Keeping an eye out for injured or poorly hedgehogs is instrumental to supporting local populations and the likelihood of hoglets (baby hedgehogs) being born in future years. A hedgehog found out in the day is usually not okay, unless it is clearly ‘moving with purpose’, such as a nesting Mum carrying twigs or leaves, keeping close to the sides.

A hedgehog that is lethargic, perhaps surrounded by flies or with an obvious injury will need help quickly. Pop on a pair of gloves and gently place the hedgehog in a high-sided box with newspaper, straw if you have some, and an old towel, then place in a dark and quiet spot. Offer a shallow dish of water, but no food. A heat source can also be vital for hypothermic hedgehogs out in the day – wrap a hot water bottle in a towel and place in the box, then ring your nearest hedgehog rescue centre. Try to give as much information as possible, such as the hedgehog’s shape, where it was found, and any injuries.

You can make a difference!

Simple but impactful top tips for supporting hedgehogs in your garden include:

• Leaving an area of your garden to grow wild – this will support hedgehogs and wider biodiversity. Consider rewilding schemes or regenerative farming methods for larger areas of land.

• Leave piles of leaves and logs where they are – they provide valuable habitats and nesting material.

• Put out a shallow dish of water for hedgehogs – a lifeline all year round, even during hibernation.

• Don’t use pesticides or herbicides.

• Check for hedgehogs before strimming or mowing long areas of grass – stickers for machinery available at www.hedgehogaware.org.uk

• Create a Hedgehog Highway – a 13cm hole in fences allows hedgehogs to travel between gardens to find food and nesting sites.

• Log your sightings on the Big Hedgehog Map website, run by Hedgehog Street, the national conservation charity who also have a free sign-up page where you can join the community of over 100,000 ‘Hedgehog Champions’.

If you would like to supplement hedgehogs’ natural invertebrate-based diet, you can do so with meaty cat or dog food, or kitten biscuits, with a shallow dish of water. Please don’t feed hedgehogs bread or milk, or mealworms/bird food, the latter being particularly harmful when consumed in excess.While it is important to recognise that the decline in hedgehog numbers across Wales is a microcosm of what is happening on a much larger scale with biodiversity loss, fuelled by climate change, I believe that there are also so many reasons to remain optimistic.
The simple changes above have the potential to make a huge difference to habitat provision for hedgehogs. We have a unique opportunity to build a sustainable future for all wildlife, particularly in Wales with the mix of rural landscapes and urban areas, in which the latest research indicates that more stable hedgehog populations are being recorded.

On a global scale, over half of mammal populations have in fact remained stable or increased, in contrast to the stark news we so often hear of a net decline with the possibility of mass extinctions. While the threat to hedgehogs remains a significant concern, I remain confident that we can all undertake and share small actions which make a big difference, and I hope you’ll join me on a journey to protecting our prickly friends, whilst supporting all wildlife in Wales to survive and thrive.