Fewer hedgehogs found in Danish gardens

A recent national survey involving 10,263 participants found 16,627 hedgehogs in Danish gardens, down from last year’s 25,000. Line Gylling from WWF Denmark notes a more diverse geographical spread in reporting this year compared to the previous survey’s urban concentration. Despite fewer reports this year, which could be due to less participation, caution is advised against drawing conclusions from two year’s data. Given declining trends across Europe, hedgehogs are presumed to be under similar environmental pressures in Denmark. Factors such as habitat loss, garden equipment injuries, domestic animal attacks, and accidents during yard waste processing pose threats. Of the sightings, 954 hedgehogs were fatalities of traffic. Another count is planned for the summer of 2025 to further assess the situation.