Hedgehogs

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs written question – answered at on 12 March 2020.

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Photo of Tracey Crouch Tracey Crouch Conservative, Chatham and Aylesford

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent estimate he has made of the number of hedgehogs in (a) Kent, (b) the South East and (c) the UK.

Photo of Victoria Prentis Victoria Prentis The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Defra has not made an estimate of hedgehog numbers in the Kent and the South East regions specifically. However, the latest Review of the Population and Conservation Status of British Mammals, commissioned by Natural England, estimated that there are around 520,000 in Great Britain.

Defra continues to commend work, including research, by the British Hedgehog Preservation Society and the People’s Trust for Endangered Species, such as their Conservation Strategy for Hedgehogs. Under our 25 Year Environment Plan, we are committed to creating or restoring 500,000 hectares of wildlife-rich habitat to provide benefits for species such as the hedgehog. Agri-environment schemes such as Countryside Stewardship provide funding to restore, extend and link important habitats and boost food resources for our native species.

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