Hedgehogs - Decline and Fall
Discussion
On ITN late night news a day or two ago - apparently hedgehog numbers have decreased from 36 million in the 1950's (who did the census?) to 1.5 million in 1995, now thought to be below 1 million nationwide.
That's a 97% reduction by my reckoning.
From my own anecdotal evidence I've not seen one - dead or alive - for at least ten years. That includes a daily commute over Ashdown Forest in Sussex, the largest area in the SE never put under the plow (so not much habitat destruction from modern farming methods).
Plenty of deer, fox, badger, and now buzzards...have also seen voles, otter, etc etc but no hedgepigs.
Apparently they are not on an endangered list either - which seems odd. Just how big a reduction do they need?
Anyways, we would like some to come and feast on the slugs and snails currently devouring the borders. Can we adopt?
That's a 97% reduction by my reckoning.
From my own anecdotal evidence I've not seen one - dead or alive - for at least ten years. That includes a daily commute over Ashdown Forest in Sussex, the largest area in the SE never put under the plow (so not much habitat destruction from modern farming methods).
Plenty of deer, fox, badger, and now buzzards...have also seen voles, otter, etc etc but no hedgepigs.
Apparently they are not on an endangered list either - which seems odd. Just how big a reduction do they need?
Anyways, we would like some to come and feast on the slugs and snails currently devouring the borders. Can we adopt?
I am jealous of all those with 'hog' friends.
We don't even see squished ones by the road side any more. Badgers - probably one carcass a month in this area.
Our gardens have free-flowing access for cats, badgers, small dogs, etc etc and we border fields (albeit across a busy road). But hedgepigs there are none.
Even Springwatch gave them a mention - and quoted the same ratio of decline - but there is no word of 'protection' (not that I advocate it) even though it is, apparently, the UK's favourite wild animal! (Is that as a menu item?)
I'd just like to know what's killed them/made them disappear. Slug pellets?
We don't even see squished ones by the road side any more. Badgers - probably one carcass a month in this area.
Our gardens have free-flowing access for cats, badgers, small dogs, etc etc and we border fields (albeit across a busy road). But hedgepigs there are none.
Even Springwatch gave them a mention - and quoted the same ratio of decline - but there is no word of 'protection' (not that I advocate it) even though it is, apparently, the UK's favourite wild animal! (Is that as a menu item?)
I'd just like to know what's killed them/made them disappear. Slug pellets?
Well it's over a year since my OP and I've not seen any hedgehogs - dead or alive.
Some more info here (published today);
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/sep...
- in which the columnist is keen to discount any link between badgers and hedgehogs, but does also allow for predation...and, he states that rural decline is more marked than urban (which sort of nullifies the open garden argument).
Some more info here (published today);
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/sep...
- in which the columnist is keen to discount any link between badgers and hedgehogs, but does also allow for predation...and, he states that rural decline is more marked than urban (which sort of nullifies the open garden argument).
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