Fewer Hedgehogs Recorded in Denmark Amid Concerns Over Heatwave Impact

Danish citizens recorded fewer hedgehogs this year in the annual hedgehog count, with a noticeable drop from last year's figures. A total of 16,884 live and dead hedgehogs were found, down from 21,374 in the previous year, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

The proportion of people searching for hedgehogs but finding none also increased significantly. This year, 16.7 percent of searches were unsuccessful, compared to only 10.8 percent last year. This suggests a more widespread scarcity of the nocturnal mammals.

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There are significantly more this year reporting not having seen hedgehogs. At the same time, we have received hundreds of comments from Danes that the hedgehogs that were otherwise in the garden in June and early July have disappeared.

Sophie Lund Rasmussen, a hedgehog researcher at the Natural History Museum of Denmark and Oxford University, believes the recent heatwaves could be a major contributing factor. She noted that many Danes reported hedgehogs disappearing from their gardens during the summer. "We have seen similar occurrences in Southern Europe, where there are recordings of hedgehogs falling dead during the heatwave," Rasmussen stated, linking the Danish situation to broader climate impacts.

To help wild animals cope with the heat, Rasmussen advises people to put out bowls of water in their gardens. The hedgehog count, conducted on August 8, received 11,607 entries from Danish gardens.

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This could be because the hedgehogs have been hard hit by the record hot and dry summer here at home and have died due to lack of water and food. We have seen similar occurrences in Southern Europe, where there are recordings of hedgehogs falling dead during the heatwave.