Position statement on captive breeding of hedgehogs for reintroductions

1st March 2021

If hedgehogs are absent from an area, should they be bred in captivity and released in order to boost numbers? There are advantages and drawbacks of this approach in addressing the hedgehog declines of recent years.

A joint position statement has today been released by the British Wildlife Rehabilitation Council (BWRC) advising that it does not support of the use of captive breeding and release of European hedgehogs as a conservation strategy at this time.

The signatories of this statement include PTES, BHPS and the RSPCA.