Sir David Attenborough has shared a simple way gardeners can help one of Britain's most beloved and endangered creatures make a comeback. In a YouTube video on the BBC's channel, part of the Wild London series, he discusses how hedgehog sightings are becoming rarer.
"I used to have a hedgehog that lived in my garden all the time, but now they're a rare sight," he says, describing the creatures as "charming, but not very social."
Hedgehog Populations in Decline
Hedgehog numbers in the UK have fallen dramatically since 2000, with declines of up to 75% in rural areas. Urban areas have surprisingly become safe havens for the small mammals, and according to Attenborough, there is genuine hope they could begin to appear everywhere again.
In the footage, a hedgehog is seen enjoying food left out for it, while Attenborough explains: "Hedgehogs can eat up to 100 grams of food in a night, and that can take quite a lot of collecting. But this one has hit the jackpot. Every evening, the owner of this garden provides a feast for them. Tonight he's searching for a mate, and he'll need all the energy he can find."
The Problem with Garden Fences
Attenborough adds that London has more gardens per square mile than any other capital city, but hedgehogs face a key issue: gardens are usually sealed from each other by strong fences, leaving the animals trapped.
"All across London, garden owners are putting holes in their fences, creating hedgehog highways that allow safe travel from garden to garden," says Attenborough.
How to Create a Hedgehog Highway
With the video, he encourages the practice of helping build a "hedgehog highway" - safe, direct routes that allow hedgehogs to move freely from garden to garden rather than being trapped in isolated patches of green space - by cutting small holes on both sides of gardens.
Making one is remarkably easy. To allow hedgehogs into your garden, simply draw a 13cm x 13cm square (about the size of a CD case) at the very bottom of your fence panel at ground level. Use a small saw or knife to cut out the marked square.
Then, rub the rough-cut edges with sandpaper so hedgehogs do not scrape themselves. It might also be worth talking to your neighbours to encourage them to do the same in their own gardens.
If you have a different type of fence, alternatives include removing a brick at the base of a brick fence, or, if you have a concrete gravel board, digging a channel underneath it or core-drilling a hole through it.
