Hedgehog survey could protect threatened species

People are being asked to help establish how a threatened wild animal, sometimes spotted in their gardens, is faring.

Ulster Wildlife has linked up with academics at Galway University to carry out a hedgehog survey.

They are looking for volunteers to monitor their gardens between May and September.

They will be given footprint tunnels, which can indicate that hedgehogs have travelled through a particular area.

Numbers of hedgehogs have fallen rapidly in recent decades.

In rural areas they are in steep decline, although urban ones are faring a little better.

Tidy, fenced-in urban gardens and the intensification of farming have been cited as contributing factors.

In Ireland they are listed as a species of "least concern" on an international red list but experts say that is due to the lack of information available on them.

"We know hedgehogs are in serious trouble across Britain and Europe and we believe the situation is similar here," said Katy Bell, a senior conservation officer at Ulster Wildlife.

"Many of us have noticed how little we see of them these days, especially in rural areas.

"However, one of the biggest issues we face in Northern Ireland is the lack of data on hedgehogs."

She hopes the citizen science initiative can build a better picture of the animal's number and distribution so protections can be put in place.

The charity will offer online workshops for volunteers and provide equipment.

It said leaving a hole in fences and a little untidy area of the garden are simple ways to help the hedgehog.