The number of hedgehog sightings in Bolton has declined dramatically, Lancashire Wildlife Trust has warned.

The first national hedgehog conservation strategy was launched earlier this month in a bid to halt the species’ decline across the UK.

It came after a 2022 report found that populations have declined by up to 75 per cent in rural areas since 2000.

Sightings of hedgehogs in Bolton have dropped dramatically from 125 in 2022 to just 42 reported sightings last year.

This has been caused by threats like fragmentation, a decrease in natural invertebrate prey, increased vehicle collisions, encounters with garden machinery, ponds and bonfires, exposure to toxins found in plastics and rodenticides, and genetic isolation.

(Image: Getty images)

But gardens can provide a lifesaving refuge for the prickly creatures.

Senior content and campaigns officer for the Lancashire Wildlife Trust, Lydia German said: “Rural populations of hedgehogs have declined by 30-75 per cent in different areas of our countryside UK-wide, and this is largely down to building developments and the decline in hedgerows.

"This has reduced the numbers of habitats and safe places for hibernation.

“However, the urban hedgehog population is showing promising signs of stabilising. 

“At Lancashire Wildlife Trust we're asking for people's help to record where they have, or even where they haven’t, seen a hedgehog.

“This will help us at Lancashire Wildlife Trust to build up a fuller picture of how the population is faring across our region. 

“We received 796 responses in total last year, reporting sightings of 1,233 hedgehogs across Lancashire, Greater Manchester and North Merseyside.

“The sighting numbers overall were down 33 per cent from 1,850 hedgehogs in 2022. 

(Image: The British Hedgehog Preservation Society)

“Sightings in Bolton are down, and we need people’s help to track this further.”

How can I help?

To keep up with numbers and get a better understanding of how hedgehogs are faring across the region, Lancashire Wildlife Trust is running a hedgehog tracking system.

So, if you have not seen a hedgehog so far this year where you would usually see one, this is a hedgehog "not-spot" and is just as informative to track their behaviours and habitat changes as reported "hot spots".

Ms German said: “With gardens becoming increasingly more important as habitats for hedgehogs in the UK, gathering this information will allow us to understand where conservation work needs to be targeted, and raise awareness of what we can all do to aid their population recovery.”

Information logged via the system will be passed on to Lancashire Wildlife Trust's environmental records centres, allowing us to build up both a regional and national picture of how these beloved garden visitors are doing. 

There are several other ways that you can encourage hedgehogs at home this winter:

Encourage insects – leaving a wild area, not cutting back vegetation over winter, and going chemical free will encourage lots of lovely insects into your garden which are hedgehogs’ favourite food. Not using herbicides on your lawn will also encourage lots of earthworms. This will provide a lovely feast ready for when they come out of hibernation.

Create a hedgehog home – a simple pile of logs in a quiet corner of your garden can make the perfect home for hedgehogs during their daytime naps or to hibernate in. You could even go the whole hog and build a special hedgehog house. 

Be careful with bonfires – a lovely pile of wood makes an inviting home for a hedgehog, so either only build your bonfire on the day you intend to burn it or move it before burning to avoid hedgehogs meeting a grizzly end.