RESIDENTS in Malvern are being urged to look out for hedgehogs after an ‘astonishing’ drop in the number of sightings nationally.
New figures released show the UK has lost 30 per cent of hedgehogs in the last ten years and it is feared that numbers of Worcestershire’s prickly mammals reflect this loss.
Worcestershire Wildlife Trust is calling on residents to report sightings of hedgehogs in order to help assess where they are and in what numbers.
Wendy Carter, communications manager at the trust, said: “There was a time when most people could tell you they’d heard hedgehogs snuffling in their gardens at night. Nowadays, most people will tell you that they haven’t seen or heard a hedgehog for years.
“It’s thought that, as a nation, we’ve lost more than 30million hedgehogs since the 1950s. That’s an astonishing loss and reflects our changing society.
“But there are things we can all do to help hedgehogs and, in turn, help other wildlife that shares our urban and rural landscapes.”
Hedgehogs can travel more than 1km every night to find food and wildlife experts believe changes in land use has resulted not only in direct loss of habitat but has also created isolated populations.
The Trust has launched a form on their website for people to submit details of sightings and negative records if a hedgehog has not been seen for several years. The website also offers advice on how to help them as neighbours can provide a connectivity for hedgehogs between gardens.
Miss Carter added: “We’ve tidied up our gardens, developed our land and we now zip around in fast cars along wide roads. This has all been bad news for our hedgehogs.
“But if we all did just one thing to help, it would make the world of difference for these spiny creatures. Hedgehogs love nothing more than munching on snails and slugs so should be welcomed by most gardeners – and it only takes a bit of thought to make a garden really good for them.”
Visit www.worcswildlifetrust.co.uk/hedgehogs to submit hedgehog sightings.
