Have You Seen A Hedgehog

Have you seen a hedgehog?
Have you seen a Hedgehog recently in Tower Hamlets? We're trying to find out where in the borough Hedgehogs live, so we can help to conserve them.

Once a common and familiar animal found in gardens all over the country, Hedgehogs have declined alarmingly in recent years. No-one is sure exactly why, but a number of things may have had an impact. An increase in traffic, changing trends in gardening, including increased use of slug pellets and more fences between gardens, and the increase in urban Foxes all might have played a part in the loss of Hedgehogs.

We really don't know whether there are still Hedgehogs surviving anywhere in Tower Hamlets. A few years ago, they were common on the Isle of Dogs, especially around Mudchute Farm, and Hedgehogs were also seen in Victoria Park in recent years. But the Council's Biodiversity Officer hasn't received a single report of a Hedgehog in the borough since he started the job in 2010. Because they are active at night, and found mainly in gardens, it is not easy to carry out a professional survey for Hedgehogs. So we are relying on residents to let us know if, and where, we still have Hedgehogs in Tower Hamlets.

If you've seen a Hedgehog in Tower Hamlets in the last couple of years, please let the Biodiversity Officer know when and where you saw it, by e-mail or by phoning 020 7364 7478. Or, if you used to see Hedgehogs but haven't seen one for several years, please let us know roughly how long ago they disappeared from your area.

You can also report your hedghog sightings online via the Tower Hamlets Wildlife Survey. We'd also like to know where in Tower Hamlets you have seen house sparrows, bats, frogs and stag beetles. Please report your sightings here.