Extracts from The Herts Advertiser, view the full article here.
In the first systematic survey using footprint tracking tunnels to monitor rural hedgehog populations in England and Wales, the spiky animals were only found at 21 per cent of 261 sites between 2014 to 2015.
Monitors were placed near Tyttenhanger and to the south west of Wheathampstead, as well as to the west of Welwyn, north of Stevenage, between Sandon and Kelshall, between Wild Hill and Bell Bar, and near to Wormley West End.
Primary author of the paper and PhD student at the University of Reading, Ben Williams, said: “We found that although hedgehogs were generally widely distributed across England and Wales, they were actually found at a worryingly low number of sites.”
He also noted that hedgehogs are increasingly using human habitats, such as gardens, as a refuge.
If you would like to read more information about the decline of our hedghogs, PTES have the State of Britain’s Hedgehogs Report 2018 on their website. There are a few things you can do right now to help our hedgehogs, please be mindful of them, they need our help.
