According to studies, the population of hedgehogs in rural Britain is continuing to drop. The State of Britain’s Hedgehogs report shows that the number of hedgehogs in rural regions has decreased by 30 to 75 percent since 2000. However, the data showed that hedgehog numbers are beginning to recover in towns and cities, which is a “stark contrast.” Hedgerows and field margins are essential for the prickly mammals, and their removal could be contributing to their decline.

The report that was produced by the People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) and the British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS), analyzed data from five continuing surveys conducted between 1981 and 2020. Hedgehogs have been declining for a long time, but there are now “vast differences” between urban and rural populations, according to the study. The BHPS’s chief executive, Fay Vass, stated that immediate action is required to determine why rural areas are no longer viable hedgehog habitats. “They have lived here for at least half a million years,” she said. “So we need to understand how conservationists, farmers, and land managers can work together to prevent hedgehogs from becoming extinct in the countryside.”