Animals Crossing!

With its furry coat, brown spines and long snout, the hedgehog is one of Britain’s favourite wild animals! Sadly it is in grave danger. Roadster! discovers why...

There are approximately one million hedgehogs living in the UK! They can be found in most parts of Britain – often in woodlands, hedges and fields throughout the countryside.  They are also often found in urban and suburban areas thanks to gardens with a plentiful supply of food and places for breeding, resting and hibernating!

Hedgehogs are nocturnal creatures, meaning they are usually sleeping during the day and more active at night.  Hedgehogs like to move around to find food, mates and nesting areas - they can travel up to 3km a night in the countryside!

Sadly there is a problem - Hedgehogs are disappearing at an alarming rate. Since the year 2000, hedgehog numbers have dropped by over half in our countryside and a third in our towns, cities and suburbs.

Road traffic is a major factor. Roads can act as a barrier to hedgehog movement, and they are having a negative impact on hedgehog populations.

The Mammals on Roads survey has shown a drastic decline in hedgehog numbers. It has been estimated that between 167,000 and 335,000 hedgehogs are killedon roads in Great Britain every year.

Hedgehog collisions can affect people too – with motorbike and cycle accidents occurring as a result of a hedgehog collision or drivers serving to avoid animals on the road and getting into trouble.

The National Hedgehog Conservation Strategy has been created to try and reverse the decline in wildlife numbers.

One of the goals of the strategy is to reduce road collisions and secure hedgehog populations across the landscape. One idea is to reduce vehicle speeds to allow hedgehogs to move safely through the landscape. It plans to do this by introducing traffic calming measures in hedgehog areas, increasing the number of 20 mph zones, and communicating the benefits to the public. 

New “small animal” warning signs have been introduced to alert road users as they are approaching areas where there are large concentrations of small wild animals such as hedgehogs, badgers and squirrels. It is hoped that the signs will make road users more aware of a smaller animal’s presence and will encourage them to approach with caution.

• This sign warns road users of potential hazards due to small animals in the road.

• The sign was introduced in 2019, to help prevent accidents and reverse declining wildlife numbers.

• When road users see the sign they should be more aware of a smaller animal’s presence and approach with caution.

• Local councils can put up the sign where it is needed the most

• Councils who look after local roads are being allowed to put them up in places where small animal accident rates are highest. 

The hope is to have wild hedgehog populations thriving again by 2053.