The Last Surviving Central London Hedgehogs

Only a few hedgehogs remain in a central London park and they have managed to survive because they have learned to avoid busy roads according to the results of a new study. The species used to be extremely common throughout the UK but over the last 60 years their numbers have declined steeply largely as a result of road deaths.

Keeping clear of the roads

One of the places which has experience the largest declines is central London with its heavy traffic. These days very few remain in Regents Park, however there is still a small population that survives because they have learned to steer clear of the roads. The Royal Parks Foundation has tagged a number of hedgehogs living in the park and say they now have a decent idea of where they are going. There is no indication that the hedgehogs are leaving the park or crossing any of the main roads. Neither are there any records of any squashed hedgehogs around of the park.

Other parks have no hedgehog population

No hedgehogs are known to survive in the other four Royal Parks which include Kensington Gardens, Green, Hyde and St. James’s Park. Back in the 1970’s all five of the main central parks in London had hedgehog populations. It is estimated that there are now less than a million hedgehogs in the United Kingdom, down from 36.5 million in the 1950’s. The population of hedgehogs in Regents Park was discovered after a survey was conducted in 2014 by the Royal Parks Foundation. The discovery resulted in changes to the location and frequency of grass cutting to ensure the park was friendlier to the species.

“Last year’s research findings has led to a change in habitat management. Grassland adjacent to hedges will be left to grow longer to provide a richer environment for hedgehog foraging and nesting. The findings from Regent’s Park will also be shared with other urban green spaces to help with the creation of more hedgehog friendly-habitats.” Nick Biddle, park manager at Regent’s Park, said.