Hedgehog numbers plummet by half in UK countryside since 2000
by Damian Carrington Environment editor from Environment | The Guardian on (#3F9KV)
Longterm decline is blamed on loss of hedgerows and insect prey but urban hedgehogs may offer a glimmer of hope, says a new report
The number of hedgehogs living in the British countryside has plummeted by more than half since 2000, according to a new report.
The popular but prickly character topped a vote in 2013 to nominate a national species for Britain, but it has suffered as hedgerows are lost and the invertebrates it feasts on diminish. However, the survey offers a glimmer of hope as losses in towns and cities appear to have slowed and the numbers patrolling nighttime gardens may be increasing.
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