Townie hedgehogs make a comeback

As city gardeners turn their outdoor areas into hedgehog havens, urban hog numbers are now stable and may even be rising, according to the latest hedgehog count run by the People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES).

Rural hedgehog numbers are still plummeting though, down 30-75 per cent. Grace Johnson of PTES says country gardeners can help by planting hedges and leaving leaf piles: “People are doing good stuff, but we need to scale that up.”

Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital, which treats 2,500 hogs a year brought in from Oxford and rural areas, saw an extra 200 patients last year. Head nurse Sharon Jacobs says, “Hedgehogs love gardens, and people are more aware of them.”

⬛ Read the PTES report at bit.ly/hedgehogs-2022