Have a hedgehog friendly home

Hedgehogs are great animals which are so special to the UK, but in the last 20 years it is thought that their numbers have halved. We can do things in our gardens to help them. Here are our ideas:

1. Cut a small hole (about 13cmx13cm) in the bottom of your fence or gate so that hedgehogs can get in and out

2. Have a wild corner, with wild flowers and places for the hedgehogs to explore and hide

3. Make or buy a hedgehog house. If you don't want to make or buy one, a pile of logs is good

4. Put out water and food - hedgehogs should not have milk because it is bad for them. They like meaty cat and dog food, or you can get special hedgehog food

5. If you have got a pond, make sure it has a ramp so the hedgehog can climb out if it falls in

6. Don't use chemicals on your grass or wild areas, these could be poisonous for the hedgehogs

7. Be careful when you cut the grass or have bonfires. Check for hedgehogs first.

We hope you are lucky enough to get some hedgehogs in your garden - we had 4 last autumn! If you do see a hedgehog, it would help if you reported it to BIG Hedgehog Map