Less than a million wild hedgehogs left in the UK

Britain's native hedgehog population has declined by half in the last two decades, with less than a million now remaining in the UK. The reclusive creatures are vanishing from rural areas at record rates, according to a new study by the British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS) and People’s Trust for Endangered Species. The State of Britain’s Hedgehogs report warns there are fewer than one million of hedgehogs left living in our gardens, hedgerows and fields. This is down half a million on 1995's estimations.

Intensive farming methods are among the many reasons for hedgehog decline in rural areas. Emily Wilson, Hedgehog Officer for Hedgehog Street, said: "The intensification of agriculture through the loss of hedgerows and permanent grasslands, increased field sizes, and the use of pesticides which reduce the amount of prey available, are all associated with the plunge in numbers of hedgehogs in rural areas."

Source: Country Living, February, 2019
https://www.countryliving.com/uk/wildlife/countryside/a26232314/hedgeho…