Hedgehog classified as potentially endangered for the first time

The Western European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) was classified as “Near Threatened” on the IUCN Red List in October 2024. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the situation of this popular wild animal has worsened. The IUCN Red List is a catalogue in which the global conservation status of animals, fungi and plant species is recorded. The unmown areas of golf courses are considered first-class habitats for hedgehogs, as they offer hedges, piles of leaves or deadwood areas as shelter and the small animal also finds plenty of food in the form of insects here.

Less food and habitats

In general, however, hedgehogs are increasingly threatened by habitat loss, traffic accidents, pesticides and climate change. Urbanization is destroying their natural habitats, and the fragmentation of green spaces is making it difficult for them to find food and shelter. In addition, thousands of hedgehogs die on roads every year, and the use of pesticides in agriculture drastically reduces their food supply. Added to this is climate change with altered weather conditions, which also disrupts the hedgehog’s rhythm of life.

Hedgehogs find safe winter quarters on golf courses. Here they spend the time until spring and draw on their fat reserves. They have built these up in the summer and fall with protein-rich food, such as leaf beetles.