An Estimate of the Scale and Composition of the Hedgehog (Erinaceus europeaus) Rehabilitation Community in Britain and the Channel Islands

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Large numbers of animals enter wildlife hospitals/centres each year around the globe, but it is unclear whether the efforts of wildlife rehabilitators have significant impacts on the conservation of the species involved. In this study, we used a questionnaire survey to estimate the number and characteristics of practitioners helping to rehabilitate injured and orphaned hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) in Britain, and the number of hedgehogs admitted in one benchmark year (2016). Overall, 304 rehabilitators were identified: 148 supplied data on their structure, and 174 outlined the number of hedgehogs admitted in 2016. Most hospitals (62.6%) were small (admitting <50 hedgehogs each year), but most hedgehogs (82.8%) were admitted to large hospitals (>250 hedgehogs each year). We estimated that this rehabilitation community collectively admitted >40,000 hedgehogs in the benchmark year, of which approximately half could have survived to be released. Assuming that most hedgehogs originated from urban areas, we estimate that >3% of the post-breeding population of hedgehogs entered wildlife hospitals in 2016. In contrast, the urban hedgehog population in Britain is estimated to have declined by approximately 2% per year during 2003–2017. These figures suggest, therefore, that wildlife rehabilitation has potentially been an important factor in the dynamics of hedgehog populations in this country during this period. ABSTRACT: The conservation benefits of wildlife rehabilitation are equivocal, but could be substantial for formerly common species that are declining rapidly but are still commonly admitted to wildlife centres. We used a questionnaire survey to estimate the number of practitioners rehabilitating West European hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) in Britain and the numbers entering hospitals/centres in one benchmark year (2016); practitioners were identified using an internet search and snowball sampling. Overall, 304 rehabilitators were identified: 148 supplied data on their structure, and 174 outlined the number of hedgehogs admitted in 2016. The former comprised 62.6% small (≤50 hedgehogs admitted year(−1)), 16.7% medium-sized (51–250 yr(−1)), and 20.7% large (>250 yr(−1)) hospitals; however, these accounted for 4.8%, 12.4%, and 82.8% of hedgehog admissions, respectively. Small hospitals were less likely to be registered as a charity, have paid staff, have a social media account, to record admissions electronically, or to conduct post-release monitoring. However, they were more likely to operate from their home address and to have been established for ≤5 years. Extrapolations indicate that this rehabilitation community admitted >40,000 hedgehogs in 2016, of which approximately 50% could have been released. These figures suggest that wildlife rehabilitation has potentially been an important factor in the dynamics of hedgehog populations in Britain in the last two decades.