Hedgehogs are one of Britain’s favourite animals, however, their population has declined in recent years with around a third of the national population lost since the millennium. Some of the reasons for decline include habitat fragmentation, fewer invertebrates, road traffic and a changing climate. In 2020, hedgehogs were listed as ‘vulnerable to extinction’ on the UK red list for mammals.
In 1984, a survey of the Ecology of Mitcham Common (pdf) took place, which included sightings of hedgehogs across the Common. For the last 17 years, hedgehogs have still been sighted on the Common, however the sightings have been declining. One of our Friends, has dedicated many hours helping rescue some of the Hedgehogs on Mitcham Common. You can hear about these rescues in Issue No.76 and 102 in the Magpie and also hear about their decline in Issue 103.
In 2022 and 2023, with funding from the Mitcham Common Education Trust we completed a hedgehog survey on the Common to find out where hedgehogs are present or absent on the various subsites. We are pleased to report evidence of hedgehogs was present on 5 of the 7 subsites during these surveys. You can find the survey reports (pdfs) here:
The Friends would like hedgehogs to thrive on the Common and the neighbouring areas, but we need help from the local community and stakeholders to promote positive actions that can benefit the conservation of hedgehogs and other wildlife in the Common and the surrounding urban environment.
You can help hedgehogs in or around the Common by
- Placing your litter in a bin or taking it home with you
- Recording any sightings of hedgehogs (dead or alive) on the Big Hedgehog Map, iRecord or GiGL
- Reporting any sick or injured hedgehogs on the Garden Wildlife Heath website and seek advice from a veterinary practice or wildlife rescue (Wildlife Aid Foundation or Parsons Prickles Hedgehog Rescue)
- Creating a hedgehog hole in your fence to help create a Hedgehog Highway
- If you have a garden, then creating a wildlife friendly garden or if you have an allotment nearby, making sure this is also wildlife friendly
If you would like to learn more about hedgehogs and find out the other ways you can help then please visit the Hedgehog Street Website.
Friends of Mitcham Common 