Hedgehogs classified as ‘Near Threatened’ in Europe

29th October 2024

The Western European Hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) has moved from ‘Least Concern’ to ‘Near Threatened’ on the IUCN Red List.

The the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species is a critical indicator of the health of the world’s biodiversity. Established in 1964, the Red List has evolved to become the world’s most comprehensive information source on the global extinction risk status of animal, fungus and plant species.

Numbers of the Western european hedgehog are thought to have shrunk in more than half the countries where it lives, including the UK, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Austria. Nationally, numbers have reduced by an estimated 16-33% over the past ten years, with local studies also reporting declines of up to 50% in Bavaria, Germany, and Flanders, Belgium. Increasing human pressures, particularly the degradation of rural habitats by agricultural intensification, roads and urban development, are driving declines of the Western European Hedgehog.

There are plenty of ways to help hedgehogs at home, even if you don’t have a garden.