Hedgehogs are an unwaveringly popular species, but this once common mammal has suffered significant declines in recent decades. Survey data indicate that rural hedgehog populations remain critically low in places (Wembridge et al. 2022). While a more hopeful picture is emerging for their urban counterparts, overall the species continues to struggle.
In recent years The British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS) and People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) have spearheaded efforts to conserve hedgehogs. Through collaborative research, targeted conservation and the Hedgehog Street awareness campaign, much has been achieved to address knowledge gaps, form partnerships, disseminate information, and raise concern for the species. Wider partnership collaborations led by the two charities include work with farmers, land managers, housing developers and other key stakeholders.
National Hedgehog Conservation Strategy
Despite determined efforts to address the various threats facing hedgehogs, the decline in their population continues. Both BHPS and PTES recognised a need for improvements to their existing conservation strategy for hedgehogs and wanted a strategy with more detail, quantitative objectives, and comprehensive stakeholder engagement and support. Over recent years, a new national conservation strategy has been produced with process design and facilitation support from the IUCN’s Conservation Planning Specialist Group (CPSG) and in collaboration with a diverse group of stakeholders.
Over the course of two workshops, participants carried out a detailed threat analysis for the species, devised a vision for hedgehogs in Britain, undertook a threat prioritisation exercise, and then developed a set of goals and strategies associated with six priority threats to form the basis of an initial ten-year strategy.
The new strategy aims to unify and strengthen existing conservation efforts, while engaging many more people, groups and industries in scaled-up efforts working towards practical goals and research priorities. This strategy will act as a framework and reference point for all actions relating to hedgehogs in Britain.
National Hedgehog Monitoring Programme
In order to remove the threats hedgehogs face and put in place practical conservation measures, we need to understand where and why hedgehogs are struggling. That’s why PTES and BHPS, in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, Zoological Society of London, Mammal Web, London HogWatch and Durham University, have launched a new National Hedgehog Monitoring Programme (NHMP).
The NHMP is an exciting new pilot project, that will, for the first time, produce robust hedgehog population estimates. Where previous large-scale surveys give us information on where hedgehogs are, this new survey will tell us how many there are. Surveys that indicate only where hedgehogs are present, don’t reveal how that population is faring until it has disappeared, but monitoring numbers can give us warning if the population is in trouble. We’ll also look at regional and habitat differences in hedgehog populations, to identify what factors impact them. With this knowledge, we will make effective conservation plans, so that we can reverse the decline of this iconic species.
Grace Johnson has been the Hedgehog Officer for People’s Trust for Endangered Species and The British Hedgehog Preservation Society for almost six years, having previously worked at the Bat Conservation Trust.
After a research role at the British Trust for Ornithology Henrietta Pringle shifted her focus to volunteer engagement, encouraging people to monitor wildlife. Her current role as National Hedgehog Monitoring Programme allows her to do both!
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