The impact of road deaths on hedgehog populations, particularly smaller groups, is shown in a new study published in the journal Animal Conversation.
Researchers studied four hedgehog populations in Nottinghamshire and found that vehicles killed between 15% and 29% of individuals each year, making roadkill the leading recorded cause of death, accounting for around two fifths of all fatalities.
Dr Silviu Petrovan, Assistant Research Professor in our Conservation Science Group who co-authored the study, said: “These findings show that the decline in hedgehog populations in rural areas is likely to be exacerbated by roadkill, where many threats relating to land management have already made large areas of our countryside less suitable for one of our nation’s favourite mammals.”
The findings are especially concerning for populations of fewer than 15 hedgehogs, where the loss of even one or two animals each year can threaten the population's survival.
The study was led by conservation scientists at Nottingham Trent University, and involved the University of Cambridge, University of Reading and Cardiff University. It was funded by the British Hedgehog Preservation Society and People's Trust for Endangered Species.
Read the full story by Jacqueline Garget on the University of Cambridge website: Road traffic is putting smaller hedgehog populations at risk of collapse
Read the paper: Moore, L.J. et al: ‘Beyond the individual: multisite population-level consequences of road mortality on a declining mammal’ July 2026, Animal Conservation. DOI: 10.1111/acv.70082
This article was originally posted on the Zoology Department's website on 31 July 2026:
https://www.zoo.cam.ac.uk/news/research-sheds-new-light-roadkill-threat-hedgehogs
