Hedgehogs' dropping population in the UK now includes the English wildlife among species who have faced the same kind of threat. They used to be a common sight in gardens and hedgerows in the country, but it's now rare to see them.

1. Longacres Garden Centre
London Road, Bagshot, Surrey,
GU19 5JB
01276 476 778
HELPING THE
HEDGEHOG

2. Hedgehog populations are dropping dramatically in the UK, once a
common sight in hedgerows and gardens across the country; the little critters
are becoming rarer by the day. The spiny species is only the latest member of
the English wildlife to experience this kind of threat; some notable examples
include starlings and red squirrels.
A World Without Hedgehogs
According to ecologists, the hedgehog population dropped by about a
third during the period between 2003 and 2012. The People’s Trust for
Endangered Species (PTES) estimates that there are fewer than a million wild
hedgehogs in the UK, a significant drop from the two million mark they
recorded during the mid-90s.
In comparison to how other animal populations are similarly dropping in
increasingly urban areas, these are alarming figures. If the trend remains the
same, the threat of hedgehog extinction can become a real prospect as soon
as the next decade. Imagine future generations reading about Mrs. Tiggy-
Winkle in a Beatrix Potter book and having no idea what she is other than
through pictures.

3. Approaching the Hedgehog Cliff
The exact cause of the decline is difficult to pin down, but the
most likely reasons for the drastic fall in the hedgehog population
include human interference with their habitats. Poor management of
hedgerows, clumsy planning of roads, housing and other developments
are pushing hedgehogs into a situation that is worsening by the day.
The thing people have to watch out for is something known as habitat
fragmentation.
According to representatives of the British Hedgehog
Preservation Society, it is the inadvertent division of a hedgehog’s
habitat by human development. For example, a road can cut a
hedgehog family from its food supply, forcing the animals to either find
other sources of nourishment or live elsewhere. The absence of
hedgehogs in the local communities is more than an issue of aesthetics
– the health of the environment itself is at stake.

4. Without hedgehogs to eat them, parasites and worms are
experiencing a renaissance with their populations, forcing some
homeowners to resort to chemical means of control. Encouraging
hedgehog growth and population is the best way to keep a garden
healthy. Authorities are urging the public to lend their support to
projects that help keep hedgehog populations at the levels they are
meant to stay.
SOURCES:
http://ptes.org/
http://www.longacres.co.uk/
http://www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk/