Protect the UK's dwindling hedgehog population before it's too late.
The Parliament petitions site records 108,329 signatures for this petition, which closed on 1 April 2021. The Government responded on 19 October 2020. MPs debated it in Westminster Hall on 5 July 2021.
The petition
The petition's creator is not named in the Petitions site's published record. Quoted in full from the UK Parliament petitions site.
Protect the UK's dwindling hedgehog population before it's too late.
Now the hedgehog has been listed as vulnerable to extinction in the UK, we are calling on the Government to move hedgehogs to schedule 5 of the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 to allow them greater protection.
This change will mean hedgehogs will be afforded greater protection and hopefully help their numbers recover.
The Government's response
The Government published its response on 19 October 2020; the petitions site lists the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs as responsible. Its summary:
There are currently no plans to give hedgehogs further legal protection. An evidence-based review of Schedule 5 of the Act is in progress and we will consider any recommendations arising from this.
The response in full:
The Government is concerned about the decline in hedgehog numbers in England and the findings of the Red List for British Mammals, published earlier this year by the Mammal Society, which has classified hedgehogs as ‘vulnerable’. As set out in the 25 Year Environment Plan, we are committed to taking action to recover our threatened native species. We are exploring the use of powers in the Environment Bill to strengthen our commitment to improve the status of threatened species, including by setting at least one biodiversity target in law, as well as enhancing duties for public authorities to carry out strategic assessments of the actions they can take to enhance and conserve biodiversity.
Hedgehogs are protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 from being killed using prohibited methods such as crossbows, traps and snares. Whilst the reasons for the decline in numbers of this native species are complex, the Government has not previously moved to protect this species under Schedule 5 as it is not clear that such protection would be of benefit to the species, in so far that:
• we have no evidence that intentionally killing, taking or injuring hedgehogs is currently an issue; and
• it would not address the main threat of habitat loss.
The Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) has, however, recently commenced the seventh Quinquennial Review of Schedules 5 and 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. The JNCC will make evidence-based recommendations to the Secretary of State as to which species warrant additional legal protections to secure their future conservation. The Government will therefore consider any recommendations to add species to Schedule 5 of the Act once these recommendations have been submitted.
Defra commends the work, including research, undertaken by the British Hedgehog Preservation Society and the People’s Trust for Endangered Species, such as their Conservation Strategy for Hedgehogs. Additionally, we have published advice on how to help hedgehogs through the creation of hedgehog havens and making gardens as welcoming as possible. This can be accessed at: www.gov.uk/government/news/five-simple-steps-to-transform-gardens-in-to-hedgehog-havens.
Further to this, the revised National Planning Policy Framework sets out the Government’s policy on planning and states that the planning system should contribute to and enhance the natural and local environment by minimising impacts on, and providing net gains for, biodiversity, including by establishing coherent ecological networks.
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Where the signatures came from
Signatures came from 650 constituencies on the boundaries used until the 2024 general election. The largest number, 537, came from North Thanet.
107,477 of the signatures were from the UK and 852 from elsewhere, by the location signers gave.
| Constituency | Signatures |
|---|---|
| North Thanet | 537 |
| Canterbury | 520 |
| Rushcliffe | 499 |
| Ashford | 457 |
| South Thanet | 444 |
| Central Devon | 435 |
| Somerton and Frome | 400 |
| South East Cambridgeshire | 394 |
| Witney | 394 |
| North Devon | 387 |
| Region | Signatures |
|---|---|
| South East | 21,500 |
| South West | 14,583 |
| East of England | 12,052 |
| North West | 9,967 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 9,697 |
| East Midlands | 9,109 |
| West Midlands | 8,088 |
| London | 6,110 |
| Wales | 5,216 |
| Scotland | 4,835 |
| North East | 4,006 |
| Northern Ireland | 491 |
Debate in Parliament
MPs debated the petition in Westminster Hall on 5 July 2021. Read the debate in Hansard. House of Commons Library debate pack.
Source and receipt
- https://petition.parliament.uk/archived/petitions/550379.jsonUK Parliament Petitions API · read 2026-10-15 · SHA-256
b0a50402f1246c84… - The petition on petition.parliament.uk
The petition's words are its creator's and the response is the Government's; this site quotes both and gives no view on either. Signature counts can still change while a petition is open. To report an error, send a correction request.