It’s an iconic symbol of British wildlife, and has even been voted the UK’s favourite wild animal several times.
But the hedgehog is heading for extinction, according to a concerning new report.
Hedgehog numbers have declined so far worldwide they have gone from being abundant to being a threatened species.
The latest update to the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of threatened species has also found more than a third (38 per cent) of the world’s tree species are at risk of extinction.
Numbers of the lovable creatures, immortalised as the character Mrs Tiggywinkle by Beatrix Potter, are plummeting – with causes of their decline including ‘human pressure’ and loss of habitat, according to experts.
And experts said migratory birds which visit British shores, including grey plover and dunlin, were seeing their conservation status worsen.
The conservation status of western European hedgehogs on the Red List has worsened from least concern to near threatened – which means that any further deterioration of its situation could see it listed as at risk of extinction globally.
The IUCN said the species’ numbers are thought to have shrunk in more than half the countries where it lives, including the UK as well as Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Austria – with national declines of 16-33 per cent over the past 10 years.
It’s an iconic symbol of British wildlife, and has even been voted the UK’s favourite wild animal several times. But the hedgehog is heading for extinction, according to a concerning new report
In the UK, the prickly mammals have suffered historic declines.
And a study in 2022 found numbers had fallen by up to 75 per cent in rural areas since 2000, although in urban areas previously declining populations were showing starting to show signs of recovery.
The IUCN experts said hedgehogs were suffering from increasing human pressure, including increasingly intensive agriculture which damages their rural habitat, roads and urban development.
Dr Abi Gazzard, programme officer of the IUCN’s small mammal specialist group, said: ‘Regional and national action is essential to support hedgehog populations, through initiatives such as “Hedgehog Street” in the UK and “Danmarks Pindsvin” in Denmark.’
Hedgehog Street is a campaign run by the People’s Trust for Endangered Species and the British Hedgehog Preservation Society.
It encourages people to champion and help the once-common garden visitors with simple actions such as making holes in their fence to help them move about.
Responding to the report, Nida Al-Fulaij, chief executive for People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES), said recent research showed that hedgehog populations are still struggling in the UK’s countryside despite signs of recovery in urban areas.
‘The news that European hedgehogs have been reclassified by the IUCN as Near Threatened globally raises the alarm for this much-loved native species across their range,’ she said.
In the UK, the prickly mammals have suffered historic declines. And a study in 2022 found numbers had fallen by up to 75 per cent in rural areas since 2000, although in urban areas previously declining populations were showing starting to show signs of recovery
Fay Vass, chief executive of British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS), urged members of the public to become a ‘hedgehog champion’ by supporting the species through a range of actions throughout the year.
‘I’d encourage everyone to help where they can, as small, simple actions can have a huge impact on habitat availability, connectivity, and quality, which is crucial for their long term survival,’ she said.
The highest proportion of threatened trees are found on islands, where they are at high risk due to deforestation for development and agriculture, invasive species, pests and diseases as well as sea level rise.
The IUCN Red List now includes 166,061 species, of which 46,337 are classed as threatened with extinction.
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