TWO conservation charities are urging people in rural area to take part in their project aimed at logging sightings of an increasingly rare mammal.
The People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) and the British Hedgehog Preservation Society are running the Hedgehog Street project, which asks people to “log their hogs”, either dead or alive, in an online database.
The results of the project, which has been running since 2015, are being recorded on the Big Hedgehog Map, and also on a “heatmap” of sightings. Emily Wilson, hedgehog officer for Hedgehog Street, said: “We’re so pleased that people across the country, from rural Hampshire to urban landscapes such as Greater Manchester, are actively recording sightings of hedgehogs when they see them.
“While the ‘heatmap’ does not reflect actual hedgehog distribution, the more data we can gather, the better picture we have of where hedgehogs are located across the British Isles, which helps us to protect these beautiful but endangered animals.”
North Yorkshire shows an average number of recorded sightings, but the top county for sightings is Hampshire, followed by Oxfordshire and Greater Manchester.
Emily added: “A lower number or no sightings doesn’t necessarily mean there are less hedgehogs in the given area, but simply that we’re not being told about them.
“Therefore, we’re asking anyone who sees a hedgehog to record their sightings on the Big Hedgehog Map - so if you’re lucky enough to spot one, please log your hog.”
As well as logging sightings of hedgehogs, the Big Hedgehog Map can also record when someone has made a hedgehog hole in or under their garden fence or wall – something Hedgehog Street strongly encourages people to do, as this allows hedgehogs wider access to food, shelter and mates.
Earlier this year, a report estimated that the number of hedgehogs living in the British countryside has plummeted by more than half since 2000 - a decline of 97 per cent since the 1950s. Their decline has been particularly bad in rural areas.
To record sightings of hedgehogs, or to map a hedgehog hole, please visit bighedgehogmap.org and to register as a Hedgehog Champion or for more information about hedgehogs, visit hedgehogstreet.org
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