Hedgehog Highways

One of the most important yet simple things you can do for hedgehogs is opening up your garden to let them in!

Hole in a wooden fence for hedgehogs to walk through.

Hedgehogs often travel between 1-2 miles each night in search of food, and the fact we are building more houses and more roads is making it increasingly difficult and dangerous for them to find enough food to survive.

Hedgehogs love hanging out in our gardens! These urban areas provide protection from predators more commonly found in woodlands or open fields, and our gardens often have lots of ground-level plants they can forage and hide in.

The difficult thing for them is simply gaining access. A lot of housing developments have what we call ‘secure gardens’ with solid fences or walls, preventing wildlife from coming in. Imagine this kind of development being built on a previously hedgehog friendly area; a huge blow to the already limited areas hedgehogs can forage. It has been shown to be one of the major factors in the hedgehog’s decline in Britain.

Here’s the good news!

To create a hedgehog highway, it is super simple. We need to link up multiple gardens to let the hedgehogs roam safely and easily between.

Gap underneath a wooden garden fence for hedgehogs to walk under.

If you have a solid wooden fence or gate, cut a 13cm x 13cm hole at ground level. This size is normally too small for pets, but big enough to allow a chunky adult hedgehog to get through!

If you have a brick wall, remove a brick from the bottom of the wall. You can also dig a channel underneath the wall, fence, or gate, to link the 2 sides.

Hole made in a wooden fence for hedgehogs to pass freely.
Hole made in a garden wooden fence for hedgehogs to wander through.

If you are getting a new fence or gate fitted, ask them to raise the level a little to allow hedgehogs to walk underneath.

If you are getting a new solid wall fitted, there are now concrete and gravel board options that come with hedgehog highways already fitted!

A few examples we found are listed below (we are not affiliated with any of these companies):

Make a hole in your garden fence for hedgehogs to walk through freely.
Make a hole in your garden fence for hedgehogs to walk through freely.
Make a hole in your garden fence for hedgehogs to walk through freely.

For more information on hedgehog highways, the BIG Hedgehog Map and plenty of resources to promote hedgehog-friendly activities:

Logo for the 40th Anniversary of Shepreth Wildlife Park.

Christmas Hedgehog Ball

Shepreth Wildlife Park is turning 40 this year! Celebrate with us on December 21st 2024 at King’s College, Cambridge. All proceeds are in aid of the SWCC Hedgehog Hospital.