Hedgehog extinction fears grow as population plummets in Europe

The conservation status of the spiny mammal is now ‘near threatened’ on the international Red List

Hedgehogs are closer to extinction in the wild than ever, after suffering rapid population decline.
The status of the western European hedgehog has been downgraded to “near threatened” in the latest edition of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
Any further deterioration in hedgehog numbers would see the spiny mammal listed as being at risk of extinction.
Numbers are thought to have shrunk in more than half the countries where the species lives – including the UK, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Austria – with national declines of 16-33 per cent over the past 10 years.
A 2022 study found rural populations of hedgehogs in the UK had fallen up to 75 per cent since 2000, although city-dwelling hedgehogs were showing some promising signs.
The IUCN experts said hedgehogs were suffering from increasing human pressure, including intensive agriculture, which damages their rural habitats, busy roads and urban development.
Dr Abi Gazzard, small mammal specialist at the IUCN, 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.”
The IUCN announcement came after a national hedgehog conservation strategy was launched in the UK by the People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) and the British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS).
The charities warned that an eighth of all hedgehogs in the country die every year as roadkill, and called for more 20mph zones to stop the animals from being run over.
Responding to the IUCN report, Nida Al-Fulaij, chief executive of PTES, said: “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.”
Fay Vass, chief executive of BHPS, urged members of the public to become hedgehog champions, supporting the species through a range of actions throughout the year.
She said: “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.”
The latest Red List update also included the first global tree assessment, which found more than a third (38 per cent) of all tree species were threatened with extinction.
The highest proportion of threatened trees were found on islands, where they were at high risk due to deforestation for development and agriculture, invasive species, pests and diseases.
The IUCN said climate change was increasingly threatening trees through sea level rises and more intense and frequent storms, especially in the tropics.
Habitat protection and restoration, as well as conservation in seed banks and botanic garden collections were critical to prevent extinctions, conservationists said.
Dr Grethel Aguilar, IUCN director-general, said: “Trees are essential to support life on Earth through their vital role in ecosystems, and millions of people depend upon them for their lives and livelihoods.”
Four migratory shoreline birds seen in the UK have also had their conservation status downgraded by the IUCN.
The grey plover, dunlin, turnstone and curlew sandpiper were all moved to higher threat categories as a result of population decline probably caused by habitat loss along their migration routes.
Dr Guy Anderson, the RSPB’s migratory birds programme manager, said: “Migratory bird populations know no borders and are a key indicator of the health of the planet.
“With the return of many migratory bird species to our shores heralded each year, it’s extremely concerning to see these declines.”
The IUCN Red List now includes 166,061 species, of which 46,337 are classed as threatened with extinction.