Hedgehogs Killed By Cars

[Digifrog]

Hiya

I live in North Bristol and I am becoming increasingly concerned about the welfare of the local hedgehog population. It's a common problem I know, but one that no-one can do anything about?

I am dismayed at the numbers of dead hedgies I see at the roadside. Only today I saw 2 young hedgies lying inches apart killed by a car.

Does anyone have any ideas on how the numbers of our dramatically falling numbers of hedgies can be minimized by road death? I am considering leafletting local houses to raise awareness of the problem and to try and get a few kind souls interested in putting hedgie houses and food in their gardens, but I suspect that the number of people who are actually willing to be about 2%.


Scott

[paulinemiller10]

Hi Scott, its nice you care so much about hedgehogs, I have set up a shelter for them at the bottom of my garden, its a sort of meeting place with food,water, nest boxes, and help for any that are not well.
Also look after the late babes that are not big enough to survive the winter, I have just released one called Juliet, and I have little Betty who is nt big enough yet, and has a heated bed in an enclosed place in the shelter, but she can still see her friends that visit through her wire pen.

I think hedgehogs need all the help they can get, and if you can inform people about how they can leave food and water, and a warm house, it would be wonderful, I m sure a lot of people would be more than willing to help. Pauline.

[maccyd82]

Its strange because here in Surrey I dont think ive ever seen a hedgehog road kill. Maybe these ones had seen the road safetey ads their mates were in!

In seriousness I think attracting hedgehogs to urban gardens cant be doing much good in terms of getting squashed as that will surely be bringing them into contact with more roads? Or it could be that feeding hedgehogs in urban areas causes their populations to increase and so it could be the same proportion of them getting squashed but there are more of them?

[zharca]

Originally Posted by maccyd82

Its strange because here in Surrey I dont think ive ever seen a hedgehog road kill. Maybe these ones had seen the road safetey ads their mates were in!

Hi, I'm not sure which part of Surrey you're in. but i think that might be because we don't see any live ones either!

In a couple of decades living in Redhill we've always had squirrels, foxes, frogs, newts slow-worms etc. in the garden but never a hedghog!

[maccyd82]

Yeah youre right, considering the number of bat and newt work ive done over the last couple of years ive on seen one live hedgehog! Mind you i think ive only seen 4 or 5 foxes in that time as well. Maybe ive just been in the wrong place at the wrong time!

[paulchandler6]

Have noticed fewer Hedgehog road kills this year. Does this reflect a bit more care by drivers or a lower population?

Paul

[Gaina]

I was suprised when I saw a documentary about hedgies just how far they will walk in one night to find a girlfriend - up to two miles on one night!

Sadly I think this may have something to do with the number of road casualties. We can give them as much food and shelter as possible but when the hormones start jumping they can't fight the urge to explore .

[Vixen]

I read somewhere that road kills is how they calculate numbers of Hedgehog's, so seeing many dead may acherly mean you have a good population.

[Digifrog]

Thats the crux of the situation though isn't it. The hedgehog population has declined over the last 10 years. How this is calculated approximately I wouldn't know but 2 million estimated hedgies in 1997 to todays 1 million says to me generally the population isn't healthy anywhere.

[tigger]

We hardly ever see a hedgehog where we live in Dorset. The trouble is we have foxes and badgers, and I believe they tend to steer clear of them if possible. I haven't seen many dead on the roads... I just don't think there are that many full stop.