A study has given a glimpse into the lives of hedgehogs in Britain’s gardens – and how vital those spaces could be for their survival.
In one of the largest studies of its kind, researchers analysed thousands of images from cameras placed in 415 volunteers’ gardens across Cheshire to look at how often hedgehogs were detected and which features most influenced their visits.
The study wished to find out how the nocturnal animals ate on those garden visits, as hedgehog numbers are declining across Europe – a result of loss of habitat and increased deaths on the roads.
The researchers from Nottingham Trent University and Chester Zoo believe urban habitats are increasingly important for hedgehogs and that insights into how they use gardens could play a key role in their conservation.
Hedgehogs were present in 57 per cent of the Cheshire gardens studied, demonstrating that these spaces are crucial habitats for them.
Food was comfortably the most important factor for their presence, with the mammals appearing in 78 per cent of gardens that supplied hedgehog food and 53 per cent of gardens where bird food was left on the ground.
Hedgehog presence dropped to 46 per cent when no food was left out. Just over a quarter (28 per cent) of all the gardens surveyed contained food left out for hedgehogs.
Lead researcher Kelly Hitchcock, a PhD student at Nottingham Trent University, warned that the practice of feeding wildlife needs further study as it can lead to significant and unanticipated changes to behaviour and health.
She said: “The provision of supplementary food clearly plays a significant role in shaping hedgehog movement and distribution.
“Despite the possible benefits of supplementary feeding, it can pose potential risks such as increased disease transmission among animals, altered hibernation behaviour, increased aggression between species and changes in species community structure.”
The study also revealed that hedgehogs were 70 per cent more likely to be spotted in gardens where foxes had been detected, possibly due to the higher chance of food being available.
Ms Hitchcock said: “We saw some of this on the cameras, which captured images of foxes and hedgehogs sharing food bowls, despite the fact that hedgehogs can be a prey species for foxes.
“The potential impacts of supplementary feeding certainly warrant further investigation in future research.”
The researchers said that people should continue to include wildlife-friendly features in their gardens, as hedgehogs and other species will benefit from them.
“Our data will contribute to further studies, including one looking at hedgehogs, foxes and badgers,” said Ms Hitchcock.
“There is more research needed, and public participation has huge potential to help us understand how UK wildlife and people coexist within a changing world.”
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Leah Williams, lead conservation scientist in population biology at Chester Zoo, added: “This was a fascinating and ambitious project. It is generally difficult for scientists to access private gardens to gather camera trap footage.
“One of the largest camera trap studies of its kind in the UK, it yielded an incredible sample size and captured amazing snapshots of garden wildlife.
“It was a hugely collaborative project and would not have been possible without the volunteers who allowed cameras into their gardens.
“We know many were surprised to find that their gardens host hedgehogs, which are nocturnal, and we like to think this was a nice way for the participants to feel more connected to species living just beyond their doorstep.”
