KINGSTON COUNCIL GIVES GREEN LIGHT TO FIRST HEDGEHOG CROSSING SIGNS

He said: “This area has a lot of large gardens and big green spaces… it is very rich in biodiversity. We have a lot of hedgehogs.

“The signs are something that people can relate to. We all drive, we all walk by. I was very pleased when the senior officer said yes. Slow down and people will start asking questions, some of them will look online. It’s about care and a way to raise awareness.”

In Old Malden, two signs have been installed on Avondale Avenue, one on The Hollands and one on Downfield, which are considered ‘hedgehog’ strongholds.

Mr Massimi contributedy £500 of his own cash to pay for the project before Kingston council reimbursed him.

Resident Clare Hellings has had hedgehogs in her Old Malden garden for nearly ten years and thinks the signs will make a big difference in preserving the population.

She hopes the signs will raise awareness not just for motorists but also people using strimmers in the garden.

Elliot Newton, a biodiversity officer at Kingston council, said suburban areas such as Old Malden are now a “stronghold” for hedgehog populations as their rural habitats are slowly disappearing.

He believes there are multiple factors that contribute to the decline of the species. “For hedgehogs, the industrialisation of agriculture in rural environments, with the destruction of hedgerows, has been destroying their habitats,” he said.

“In the rural environments, we are seeing an even greater decline. What we are finding now is that suburban areas which have gardens are really important strongholds for the species.”

Grace Johnson, a hedgehog officer for the charity Hedgehog Street, said: ““The State of Britain’s Hedgehogs 2022 report, published by The British Hedgehog Preservation Society and People’s Trust for Endangered Species, showed that rural hedgehogs are in real trouble.

“It’s estimated that populations in our countryside have declined nationally by between 30 – 75% since 2000, which is extremely concerning. Encouragingly though the report also showed that urban hedgehog numbers seem to be stabilising and in some areas may even be starting to recover.”

“The reasons for the decline are complex, but include loss of habitat and fragmentation of suitable habitat in rural areas, and lack of connectivity between gardens and green spaces in urban areas.

“On top of that, it’s estimated that at least 100,000 hedgehogs are likely killed on roads each year. Thankfully, there are lots of ways we can all help to reverse the decline, such as recording roadkill sightings on the Big Hedgehog Map and connecting neighbouring gardens and green spaces so hedgehogs have access to wider habitat and food sources.

“We’re also funding research to understand how roadkill is impacting hedgehog populations and which potential mitigation measures could be successful if implemented.”

 “It’s great to see Kingston council’s hedgehog signs are now in situ, which we hope will raise awareness of hedgehogs locally and further encourage residents to help them more broadly like becoming a Hedgehog Champion via Hedgehog Street, and making gardens hedgehog havens.”

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