It's time to look back at the results of this year's Hedgehog Hotspots survey! Thank you to everyone who took the time to submit a sighting this year, it's truly appreciated.
Join us as we dive into the results to see what they can tell us about how our local hedgehogs are doing this year, how this aligns with the bigger picture, and what we can all do to help these precious mammals.
We received 757 responses to our survey this year, reporting sightings of 1,135 hedgehogs altogether.
Compared to last year, this was a slight increase in the number of sightings, with 740 sightings reported in 2024 - but a slight decrease in the number of actual hedgehogs spotted, down from 1,147.
You can look further back at these trends over the last few years here:
2023 / 2022 / 2021 / 2020 / 2019
A closer look at how hedgehogs are faring according to the numbers
The most popular hotspots for sightings
The bigger picture for hedgehog conservation in 2025
Why your sightings matter, and where the results will be shared
John Hawkins - Surrey Hills Photography
Of the responses this year:
526 sightings were of a lone hedgehog, whereas 222 sightings were of multiple hedgehogs together.
Some lucky people saw up to 6, 7 or 8 hungry hedgehogs visiting their garden in a single night. The highest number of hedgehogs seen in a single night was a whopping 30, from a respondent who releases rescued hedgehogs near their home!
28 responses sadly reported sightings of deceased hedgehogs. It's very reassuring to see that the vast majority of sightings were of hedgehogs alive and well. Sadly though, most of the dead hedgehogs people spotted had been killed on roads, showing just how much of a danger roads are for hedgehogs who need safe space to roam for food and shelter.
5 people got in touch to report they haven't seen any hedgehogs this year. One person saw droppings as a sign of them being nearby, and another said that they had seen them historically in their neighbourhood but less so in recent years.
18 people mentioned taking injured or poorly hedgehogs to rescue centres, or working with local rescue centres to release rehabilitated hogs. Many of these rescued hedgehogs were seen out in the daytime, or were dangerously underweight. If you do see a hedgehog out in the daytime, it's always best to call your local rescue centre to determine if they need help.
Take a look at some of the wonderful photos shared by this year's participants below!
Judith Knott
Lesley Walsh
Sue Bradshaw
June Kay
Julie Robinson
Amy Begg
Claire Jennings
Stacy Gillibrand
Paul Powell
Mark Whittaker
We received sightings from all over Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside (and a few from further afield). Here were the most-mentioned locations by this year's participants:
Preston: 100
Liverpool: 84
Lancaster: 54
Manchester: 52
Bolton: 42
Southport: 39
Ormskirk: 33
Chorley: 32
Wigan: 30
Leyland: 21
Formby: 21
Last year's top 5 locations were Preston, Manchester, Liverpool, Bolton and Chorley. So this year saw a marked increase in sightings from Liverpool and Lancaster in particular!
As you may expect with towns and cities being our region's most populated areas, a lot of our sightings came from people who live in urban and suburban locations. You can see this reflected on the map below. Here's an idea of the sort of surroundings where this year's hedgehogs were spotted:
446 sightings mentioned a garden or yard
79 sightings mentioned a street or road
25 sightings mentioned a drive or driveway
20 sightings mentioned a field or the countryside
19 sightings mentioned a park or allotment
8 sightings mentioned woodland or woods
5 sightings mentioned rural surroundings
Take a look at the interactive map below to dive into this year's results and see how many hedgehogs were spotted in your area!
It's always heartening to read these survey results each year and see just how many people care about our wild neighbours! Every small action we take individually does make a genuine difference to the fortunes of our local hedgehogs, and helps give them a vital lifeline.
206 sightings mentioned providing food for hedgehogs
90 sightings mentioned providing water
83 sightings mentioned a dedicated feeding station
72 sightings mentioned using a camera to keep an eye on visiting hogs
44 sightings mentioned a hedgehog house
20 sightings mentioned creating holes in fences or 'hedgehog highways'
As we mentioned, 18 respondents were busy rescuing unwell hedgehogs and/or acting as release sites for local rescues. You're literally saving lives - thank you!
Photo by Jon Hawkins
In late 2024, the IUCN upgraded the Western European hedgehog from 'Least Concern' to 'Near Threatened' on their Red List, due to the ongoing decline in their numbers that we have seen in recent decades. It's thought that hedgehogs have declined by up to 30% in some areas of their range.
Habitat loss is one of the main drivers of this decline; urban development, intensive agriculture and other human activity has contributed to hedgerows being removed, green spaces shrinking and habitats being disconnected and fragmented by roads, fences and buildings. Other factors such as pesticide overuse and the effects of the changing climate have also led to a decline in their natural food source of invertebrates, too - which only makes things more difficult.
Whilst this is very concerning, there are small signs that their population has been starting to stabilise in urban areas, according to 2022's State of Britain's Hedgehogs report. This just shows how important our own gardens, yards, parks and allotments can be, and how if we work together to manage these spaces with wildlife in mind, it's in our power to help turn things around. Our individual spaces might be small, but collectively, we can make a big difference!
We have passed this year's sightings onto the relevant local wildlife record centres for our region:
There, your data will be added to wider regional statistics. This will help build a picture of where hedgehogs are doing well, where they need help, and how this is changing. It will also help inform things like conservation efforts, important research, and decisions around planning and development. So you've made a real difference by taking part!
Don't forget: you can still report your sightings of hedgehogs and other wildlife to your local records centre all year round. For hedgehog sightings specifically, you can also add these to the Big Hedgehog Map, run by Hedgehog Street.
If you're inspired by this year's participants and the steps they've been taking, there a lots of easy ways to help hedgehogs at home! Here are a few ideas:
Help them find their natural food sources
Invertebrates make up the bulk of a hedgehog's diet, particularly caterpillars, beetles and worms. Encourage them into your garden by going pesticide-free, creating a log pile, or letting areas of grass grow long. You'll be improving biodiversity at the same time!
Provide safe nesting places
Hedgehogs need safe, sheltered spaces to rest, nest and hibernate over winter. You could build a dedicated hedgehog house, make a cosy leaf pile in the autumn, or provide a variety of hedges and shrubs where they can take shelter.
Give them an extra helping hand
Hedgehogs can roam up to 2km in a single night searching for food! Help them save vital energy by working with your neighbours to cut small gaps in fences, letting them roam from space to space more easily. You can also provide suitable supplementary food and water, especially during colder months when their natural food sources are harder to come by.
Look out for injured or sick hedgehogs
Make sure to check your garden carefully before strimming or cutting grass to avoid causing any injuries. At Bonfire Night, thoroughly check your bonfire for hedgehogs before lighting. And if you do spot any injured or unwell hedgehogs, always contact your local rescue centre for advice. Even if you're not sure whether a hog needs help, it's better to be safe.
© Jon Hawkins Surrey Hills Photography
When you adopt a hedgehog, you're helping us protect and restore the habitats that hedgehogs need to survive, making a truly meaningful difference for the future of our local wildlife.
Take a look at our blogs and guides below for more information about hedgehogs and ways to help them at home.
