Many dangers for hedgehogs in Saxony from humans

Despite all efforts, hedgehogs in Saxony are still endangered and their population has been declining for years, according to observations by authorities and conservationists. The trend cannot be quantified. "There is no "census" of hedgehogs and there have been no targeted surveys in recent times," says a spokeswoman for the State Office for the Environment, Agriculture and Geology (LfULG). Hedgehogs are widespread "from the lowlands to the high altitudes of the Ore Mountains", but a population density of 0.5 animals per hectare as at the end of the 1980s "has become rather rare".

According to the LfULG, hedgehogs mostly prefer gardens, hedges, bushes and green spaces in residential areas. These areas are becoming increasingly dangerous for them due to traffic, environmental toxins and predators such as badgers, foxes, raccoons and eagle owls - and less food such as earthworms or snails. The situation has deteriorated further due to the years of drought. In addition, soil sealing or the use of insecticides or slug pellets have decimated the small-structured, near-natural areas that offer refuges.

Igel not classified as endangered in Saxony and Germany

The European hedgehog is nevertheless classified as "not endangered" in Saxony's current Red List of 2015 and in the early warning category in Germany. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), however, considers it to be "potentially endangered" for the first time since 2024, citing declines of 30 percent and more. "There is probably a need for an update," said the LfULG spokesperson.

In the district of Leipzig, the population has declined by around 80 percent since 1994, said Sven Möhring from Naturschutzbund Sachsen (Nabu). Run-over hedgehogs are mainly found in the vicinity of towns. The four-legged creatures with spiky coats are often overlooked when gardening, and fences and kerbs that reach down to the ground are obstacles - like "gardens of horror with lots of stones and gravel and over-manicured golf turf".

Many malnourished and injured animals at hedgehog rescue

"The situation is catastrophic," reported Karina Görner from Igelhilfe Radebeul. "We had many hedgehogs that woke up from hibernation with parasites, old animals and animals injured by lawn trimmers or digging tools or with bite wounds." Over 200 hedgehogs have been handed in since the beginning of the year, some of them underweight. "If you find a hedgehog lying in the sun during the day, then intervene and secure it," said Görner. "This is an alarm signal - unless it is being disturbed."

Hogs love herbaceous vegetation in bushes and hedges made from native shrubs and perennials, piles of compost, leaves and branches, wild corners, diverse meadows and thorny bushes such as wild roses and blackthorn. From May to August, garden and property owners should therefore leave heaps of leaves, branches and compost alone as far as possible, "defuse" barriers such as water basins, light wells or walls with passages at ground level and refrain from using pesticides, said the LfULG spokeswoman.

Nabu calls for a ban on robot mowers

Nabu recommends a meadow that is only mowed two or three times a year as well as "clutter-free" gardens and properties to help the little animals. And local authorities could stop the nocturnal "excursions" of the robotic mowers and save hedgehog lives. "Cologne and Leipzig have shown the way, which should actually serve as a blueprint for the whole of Germany," said Möhring. It is "five to twelve" for this.

In Leipzig, around 400 hedgehogs were injured by garden machinery in 2024 and around 35 to 40 were killed. As injured hedgehogs usually hide and are not found or eaten, the city assumes that the number of unreported cases is significantly higher. In Dresden, too, a ban is currently in force on devices driving through gardens in the dark. Hedgehogs are doomed by the strategy of curling up in case of danger. "Spikes do not protect against robots approaching almost silently."