New research from outdoor living specialist Dino Decking has found that 41% of Brits have never seen a hedgehog in their garden, and 12% said they haven't seen one for more than a year. The findings come as hedgehogs are officially listed as vulnerable to extinction on the UK Red List.
September and October are particularly crucial months for hedgehogs, as they forage to build vital fat reserves ahead of winter hibernation. That need for safe access to food and shelter is all the more pressing with the species facing threats close to home: our gardens.
Habitat fragmentation and the threat of fences
Once able to roam freely at night across neighbourhoods in search of food, shelter and mates, hedgehogs are increasingly finding their routes blocked by fences, walls and enclosed outdoor spaces. Known as habitat fragmentation, this leaves hedgehogs cut off from the resources they need to survive and forces them to make longer and more dangerous journeys, often crossing busy roads.
To help raise awareness of the issue, Dino Decking is launching a new campaign video in partnership with Julia Sixsmith, a hedgehog rescue expert and founder of Hindley Hedgehog Help. The campaign shines a spotlight on the role of 'hedgehog highways', and how making the one small change in your back garden could make a difference.
How to make a hedgehog highway
According to The Wildlife Trusts, you simply cut 13cm x 13cm gaps at the bottom of boundary fences or garden gates. Talk to your neighbour first to get their agreement before modifying a shared boundary. Smooth down any rough or sharp edges with sandpaper. Attach a small hedgehog highway sign next to the hole so future owners know to keep it open.
Despite weighing little more than a bag of sugar, hedgehogs can travel up to 2km every night. Julia says installing a hedgehog highway is one of the most effective ways to support hedgehogs.
The campaign comes as research revealed awareness of hedgehog highways remains limited, with 41% of Brits admitting they had never heard of them before.
Free panels and further action
To help more people take action, Dino Decking has launched a new Hedgehog Highway panel that can be integrated into compatible fencing products at no additional cost, allowing hedgehogs to move safely between gardens through purpose-built access points. As part of the initiative, the company will give away 5,000 free Hedgehog Highways to new and existing customers over the coming months. With more than 400 people across the UK already claiming theirs, the aim is to make it easier for homeowners to support wildlife in their gardens.
Other ways to make your garden more hedgehog-friendly include leaving fresh water out in a shallow dish, reducing pesticide use, creating shelter with log piles or hedgehog houses, letting parts of the garden grow wild, making ponds safe with a gentle slope or escape route, and checking long grass before strimming or mowing.
Fay Vass, Chief Executive of the British Hedgehog Preservation Society, said: "Sadly, hedgehogs are a species on the edge of real trouble, but making Hedgehog Highways a part of your garden is a simple action which can have a huge impact for these amazing spiny mammals."
Richard King, Co-Founder of Dino Decking, said: "Hedgehogs are one of Britain's most-loved garden visitors, but sadly they're becoming harder and harder to spot. It's difficult to imagine future generations growing up without ever seeing one in their garden, which is why we wanted to do something practical to help."
