A hedgehog sniffing around in the dusk was once a common sight - but experts warn it may soon become a thing of the past. One in five people have never seen a hedgehog in their gardens, according to a wildlife survey. And of those who do spot the tiny animals, only a quarter see them frequently, the RSPB found. The startling figures confirm fears that the small British mammal is suffering a huge decline. There are thought to be less than 1 million hedgehogs living in this country today, an estimated 30 per cent drop since 2013. One in five people have never seen a hedgehog in their gardens, according to a new wildlife survey . Part of the reason is the widespread loss of the traditional hedgerows that used to line every country road. But the loss of bushes and hedges in back gardens is also thought to have played a role in the animal’s demise. Mark Eaton, conservation scientist at the RSPB, said that the popularity of hard wooden or metal fences has made it hard for hedgehogs to move from place to place. As they become isolated in smaller and smaller areas of greenery, they cannot feed or mate. ‘A few decades ago there were tens of millions of hedgehogs in Britain, now we think there are maybe 1 million left,’ Mr Eaton said. ‘Most of the reason is down to the change in the way we manage our countryside - the loss of hedgerows and woodlands has removed their habitat and the increase in the use of pesticides has removed a lot of the beetles and other animals they feed on. ‘But there are concerns about the way we garden as well. ‘Hedgehogs have to make their way through the maze of back gardens, trying to find gaps in fences. ‘It doesn’t matter if you have a garden with the most juicy hedgehog food, with lots of slugs and worms - if you fence them out, they are not going to get in.’ Part of the reason is the widespread loss of the traditional hedgerows that used to line every country road . Cutting holes of just a few inches - about the size of a CD - is enough for a hedgehog to get through a fence, experts say. More than 420,000 people provided information about the wildlife in their back garden as part of the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch. Some 65 per cent said they had seen a hedgehog in the last year - but only 28 per cent saw them once a month or more. Some 20 per cent of participants had never seen a hedgehog in their garden. People were more likely to see a non-native grey squirrel than native hedgehogs, with squirrels spotted in 74 per cent of gardens at least monthly throughout the year. Red squirrels, which have been lost from large parts of the country, were seen at least monthly in just 2 per cent of gardens. Conservationists are worried that once-common snakes are also vanishing. Six out of ten people reported they had never seen a grass snakes and half had never seen a slow worm, another variety of snake. Daniel Hayhow, RSPB conservation scientist, said: ‘Despite remaining widespread in many areas of the UK, important habitats for slow worms and grass snakes have been lost. ‘As gardens become tidier, reptile homes have been lost, leaving a shortage of habitats in which to live and breed. Piles of logs, compost heaps and ponds provide ideal warm, sheltered environments for these species to breed, find food and to hibernate.’ Henry Johnson, hedgehog officer for the People’s Trust for Endangered Species, urged people to take steps in their garden to help hedgehogs find food and shelter. He said: ‘Spotting animals is just the start. For more people to see hedgehogs in the future, we need more holes in fences, joining up gardens, and more insect-friendly gardening.’
One in five people have never seen a hedgehog in their back gardens . Only a quarter of those who do admitted seeing the animals frequently . Wildlife survey suggested the small British mammal is in huge decline . There are thought to be less than 1 million hedgehogs in the country .