RESEARCHERS, CONSERVATIONS AND hedgehog enthusiasts have joined forces to launch a new initiative to protect the “gorgeous” and much-loved animals.

Hedgehog Conservation Ireland aims to develop a nationwide conservation strategy to stop population declines and ensure hedgehogs can thrive across Ireland.

Elaine O’Riordan, of the University of Galway’s School of Natural Sciences, told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland that right across Europe, the numbers of hedgehogs have “declined quite dramatically”.

She said that in Britain, numbers have declined up to half over the last 20 years, and in some rural areas this jumps up to 75%.

O’Riordan said the most likely cause for this is habitat loss.

“They like hedges and scrubby areas,” said O’Roirdan, “and the way we use our land is changing.”

Elaine O’Riordan, School of Natural Sciences and Ryan Institute, University of Galway. University of Galway University of Galway

Hedgehog Conservation Ireland will be launched tomorrow and O’Riordan said it will bring together “enthusiasts and researchers who are trying to get people active in protecting hedgehogs and to develop a hedgehog conservation strategy for Ireland”.

A stakeholder workshop will also be held by the group at the Clontarf Golf Club in Dublin from 10am to 4pm to discuss the new hedgehog conservation strategy. 

The group has also launched the website https://www.hedgehogsireland.com/ and O’Riordan said visiting the website and signing up is among the best ways people can initially begin to help the hedgehog.

She said this allows the group to send out information about projects and how people can get involved in surveys.

It will also include information on activities people can do in their homes and communities to “make the neighbourhood more hedgehog friendly”.

O’Riordan meanwhile noted that hedgehogs are doing better in more suburban areas than they are in the countryside.

She said this is because there is a good mixture of habitats and plenty of places for them to nest and to feed.

She said some simple steps people can take now to help hedgehogs is to “try to leave little parts of your garden a little bit wild, with log piles or piles of leaves in the corner”.

O’Riordan also remarked that hedgehogs “need a big space” as they won’t live in one small garden.

“They need to be able to get around the neighbourhood,” said O’Riordan, “so leave little gaps in the fences and leave the gate open so that they can get around and get in and out people’s gardens, that’s really important.”

She also urged people to “put away the chemicals” and added that “the old slug pellets and stuff are bad news for hedgehogs”.

And when asked what it was that has attracted her to devoting so much time researching and protecting hedgehogs, O’Riordan replied: “How could you not love them? They’re gorgeous.

“People love hedgehogs and we get a lot of reports of people having hedgehogs coming into their garden.

“People see them as the gardener’s friends, because they eat the slugs and snails and bugs in the garden and they don’t cause any harm.

“We’ve done very little work or research on hedgehogs in Ireland, so there’s a lot to learn about the species here.”