A few simple measures are enough to help hedgehogs whose numbers are declining

With its harmless appearance and clumsy gait, the hedgehog is certainly one of the most endearing species among those animals that have chosen to live close to humans. But it is not because he is touching that we have more respect for him. Its proximity to man is even rather double-edged. This cohabitation represents not only its salvation, because our gardens are its pantry and its habitat, but also its peril.
According to Amaury Boillat, wildlife inspector at the Environment Office (ENV), cars are one of the biggest causes of mortality for our prickly friend. If its 8000 thorns are effective in discouraging predators such as foxes, badgers and owls, they are no match for a car running at full speed.
“Almost threatened” with extinction
The mammal, whose Western European representative is now considered “nearly threatened” with extinction by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, is also endangered by pesticides used in agriculture or by individuals in their garden.
Moreover, properties where clean order reigns are partly at the origin of the evils which strike this species. As the hedgehog finds neither habitat nor food there, he is forced to move. And each time it moves, it risks leaving its thorns there. The key to preventing him from wandering is to offer him a place where all his needs are met.
In the Jura, if there is no conservation program, there is the “Living Gardens” guide, a veritable bible for the protector of these twilight animals. According to Amaury Boillat, by a few simple measures, everyone can create an environment conducive to these animals: “We always have a corner of our plot where we rarely go. We can give it a natural appearance by leaving a few wild grass, a pile of wood or a pile of vegetation, which the hedgehog will appreciate.” There he will find shelter and something to eat from slugs, snails and other insects.