Hedgehogs in south london

[rooftop]

Hi Wabbers,
Just wondering if anyone has seen a hedgehog in any part of South London recently? Sadly I haven't seen one, or any sign of one in years! They can't have all gone!

[Za]

I used to live in West Norwood quite a few years ago and there were lots of them there,good habitat for them there with large gardens and plenty of holes in fences for them to travel around foraging, but unfortunately havent seen any since I moved to Vauxhall.
Za

[Hedgehoggy]

Hi rooftop and Za, most hedgehogs will be hibernating at this time of year, although they frequently rouse (especially during mild spells) and some will venture out in search of food and water for a fat-reserve top up before resuming hibernation.

Prior to the winter did either of you see any dead hedgehogs in the roads in your area? If not, it’s highly likely you no longer have any in your area . If you have, then there are simple things you can do to help their plight ....

Please read this for excellent info and tips:
Hedgehog Street

Hedgehogs have been around (and changed little) for a cool 15 million years , but preliminary data from surveys run by PTES and BHPS were sufficiently alarming for hedgehogs to be declared a priority conservation species in 2007. It is estimated our only prickly mammals in the UK could be extinct within a mere 15 years if this trend of decline continues .

[rooftop]

Thanks guys for the post;
The short and sad answer to hedgehoggy's question about any sightings of dead hogs in the street is a definite 'no'. I buttonholed a couple of Greenwich council road sweepers a couple of weeks ago on the very same topic and they replied with a resounding 'no' also!
I think I'll give the 'hedgehog street' philosophy a go though: it makes a lot of sense to at least establish the right conditions in our neighbour should a prickly friend toddle our way!

[CharlieCreek]

Sadly they are on a massive decrease but projects such as Hedgehog Street can offer a glimmer of home.

This report and map from the Hog Watch Survey (link below) gives an idea of the state of things. The big red areas especially on that South East corner of the country are quite depressing.

http://www.hogwatch.org.uk/Downloads...rveyReport.pdf

[jamicu]

I've had the fortune of spotting several in south-east London in the last 3 years along what I'd call the Norwood Ridge area (north and south of Crystal Palace).
From memory

• Dulwich & Sydenham Hill Woods - 3 separate sightings (but one dead). The first sighting, 3 years ago, was the first 'official' record in Southwark for 10 years!
• Adjacent to Crystal Palace Park - 2 sightings
• Beaulieu Heights (wood) - 1 sighting
• South Norwood Lake (park) - 5 sightings, including a pair on two occasions

The Norwood Ridge area is fairly leafy and I'd assume it would be difficult to to survive in the hyper urban 'habitat' of much of London.

Nearly all of these sightings were during bat surveys in locations which are closed at dusk. If parks are important for hedghogs in London, then I guess the fact most are locked up at dusk would limit the number of observations?

[Wyrd]

Nowhere near London but it's been about 3 years since I last saw a hedgehog. Used to see them every now and then in our local park in south Wales (where I live) and most nights in the garden when I stay with my parents in Cornwall. But none at all in either location in the last 3 years or so. It conforms to reports of their plummeting numbers nationwide. Makes me so sad.

[Hedgehoggy]

Originally Posted by Wyrd

Nowhere near London but it's been about 3 years since I last saw a hedgehog. Used to see them every now and then in our local park in south Wales (where I live) and most nights in the garden when I stay with my parents in Cornwall. But none at all in either location in the last 3 years or so. It conforms to reports of their plummeting numbers nationwide. Makes me so sad.

Exactly same scenario as my parents who live in West Sussex Up until five years ago, they had many hedgehog visitors and my mum used to especially take great pleasure in watching the mother hogs leading their hoglets to the dish of crushed peanuts she left out for them.