Researchers sound the alarm: European hedgehogs are now officially in dramatic decline in Europe

The European hedgehog – a valued and charming visitor to our gardens – is now officially in decline all over Europe. In one of today’s updates of the Red List for Europe, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) now categorises the European hedgehog as ‘Near Threatened’. According to the IUCN, there is a real risk of the hedgehog being pushed towards extinction unless something is done to reverse the downward trend.

Danish researcher behind assessment
The report forming the basis for the IUCN’s new Red List assessment and status change for European hedgehogs was co-authored by the internationally renowned Danish hedgehog expert Sophie Lund Rasmussen, an Adjunct Associate Professor at Aalborg University (AAU), and her colleague Abigail Gazzard, who is Programme Officer for the IUCN SSC Small Mammal Specialist Group.

- I find it extremely sad and deeply worrying that a species as cherished and popular as the European hedgehog is disappearing from the wild. It is a species that people really want to take care of, so what does it tell us about the state of nature in general, asks Sophie Lund Rasmussen, Adjunct Associate Professor at AAU.

In collaboration with co-assessor Abigail Gazzard, Sophie Lund Rasmussen has evaluated published research and reports and found evidence of a worrying decline in hedgehog populations in several European countries of more than 30 per cent over the past 10 years, for example in countries like Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, Germany and the UK. 

- I have dedicated my entire life and my research to protecting hedgehogs and to finding out why they are in such steep decline and how we can stop it. That is why I am honoured to have been appointed the expert responsible for collating and assessing the data needed to establish exactly how serious the situation is for the European hedgehog. This is the first step towards being able to launch initiatives that can prevent the hedgehogs from becoming extinct, says Sophie Lund Rasmussen, who also goes by the nickname ‘Dr Hedgehog’.

Sophie Lund Rasmussen has been invited to speak in the European Parliament in November at a session dedicated to the decline of the hedgehog population and what the EU and its member states can do to stop this decline.

Several threats to hedgehogs
The decline in the hedgehog population is caused by a variety of factors, all of which are man-made. These include traffic, which kills an estimated one-third of the hedgehog population every year. Other reasons include intensified agricultural practices and housing developments , which are destroying the hedgehogs’ natural habitats. Also, hedgehogs suffer a lot of accidents in our gardens. For example, Sophie Lund Rasmussen’s research discovered the world’s oldest hedgehog, Thorvald, who reached the age of 16 years, and died due to wounds inflicted by a dog attack. Research also shows that some models of robotic lawn mowers can pose a danger to hedgehogs. 

- As their natural habitats are destroyed, hedgehogs are increasing inhabiting residential gardens. Therefore, the battle to save the hedgehogs will take place in our own backyards. By teaching garden owners how to make their gardens hedgehog-friendly, we can improve the living conditions and survival chances for these charismatic and highly beneficial animals, says Sophie Lund Rasmussen.

Denmark lacks data
Unfortunately, we lack data documenting the decline in Denmark, but to fill this data gap, hedgehog researcher Sophie Lund Rasmussen is running the ‘Danmarks Pindsvin’ conservation campaign with the WWF Denmark, asking Danes to help map the hedgehog population in Denmark.

Facts about IUCN
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), is an independent international organisation whose purpose is to promote the conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. The IUCN was established in 1948 and is headquartered in the Swiss city of Gland.

Seven categories on the IUCN Red List:

• Extinct
• Extinct in the Wild
• Critically Endangered
• Endangered
• Vulnerable
• Near Threatened
• Least Concerned