Slightly more hedgehogs counted in the Netherlands this year

Participants of the hedgehog count, which took place last Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, counted 13,584 live and 283 deceased hedgehogs, the Dutch Mammal Society reported. This is a slight increase compared to the previous year, when 13,379 live hedgehogs and 334 deceased hedgehogs were spotted.

The number of participants was slightly lower, but it was notable that several hedgehogs were seen more often in the same garden. As a result, the total number of reported hedgehogs was higher, according to the Dutch Mammal Society.

Like last year, most hedgehogs were spotted in Zuid-Holland, Noord-Holland, and Gelderland. The hedgehog count is meant to bring insight into the spread of the animal in the Netherlands. "Although many hedgehogs have been reported this year, things are not going so well for the hedgehog. This is evident from structural counts by the Dutch Network Ecological Monitoring. Less than half of the hedgehog population is left compared to 30 years ago."

The Dutch Mammal Society is calling on people to make their gardens more hedgehog-friendly. This can be done by planting grass, bushes, and other plants. A stone garden is not recommended.

People making crawl holes in the fence and also using this to connect their gardens to the neighbors' gardens create a so-called "hedgehog highway." Hedgehogs want water and possibly hard cat food, but milk is unsuitable.