6. Increasing hedgehog populations
Why?
Hedgehogs are one of our most iconic wildlife species whose abundance in the UK has undergone a long historic decline. A recent report (https://www.hedgehogstreet.org/state-of-britains-hedgehogs-2022/) shows that the decline has continued in recent years in rural areas but has stabilised or even increased in urban areas. The signs of recovery in built-up areas, as here in Addingham, is thought to reflect the efforts of local communities. The reasons for a continuing decline elsewhere, especially in farmland, are not known, although in our case it may in part be due to badger predation. It may also be due to the lack of recording.
How?
Continue to build up awareness about hedgehog conservation in the village and wider countryside (https://www.hedgehogstreet.org/)- Send sightings of hedgehogs to AEG (
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ) - Almost always a hedgehog found out and about during daylight hours is unwell and should be rescued and taken to a rescue centre such as Prickly Pigs in Otley (https://www.pricklypigs.co.uk/)
- Hedgehog distribution in the village is patchy. Ensure that your garden is well connected to adjacent gardens and, where relevant, to village green spaces and to the wider countryside around the village to allow hedgehogs to move freely both to forage and to find mates
- Leave an uncultivated area with a log-pile, small branches and leaves for use as a day nest and/or provide a hedgehog hotel, positioned under shrubs against a wall or at the back of a shed. Homemade hedgehog hotels can be sourced in the village for a modest charge. Contact AEG (
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ) for information - For more local information visit https://addinghamenvironmentgroup.org.uk/index.php/wildlife/hedgehogs
