A researcher studying hedgehogs fears drowned animals in heavy rain: *"It can take up to three hours for them to wake up."*

After weeks of freezing weather, the heavy blanket of snow covering the country has begun to melt.

But the amounts of meltwater it brings can be fatal for hedgehogs in Denmark, which are already struggling—since the European species was added to the red list of near-threatened animals a few years ago (https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/indland/pindsvin-er-taet-paa-vaere-truet-i-europa-vi-kan-godt-undvaere-dem-men-vil-vi-vaere).

They risk drowning when sudden temperature rises occur, and the still-frozen ground cannot absorb the meltwater. These small, spiny mammals have been in hibernation since autumn and often hide in small burrows beneath the soil or in Danish gardens under tree stumps, garden sheds, and compost heaps—places where they can be exposed to flooding.

> It takes hedgehogs up to three hours to wake from hibernation. And that means they don’t react quickly to anything.

> **Sophie Lund Rasmussen, hedgehog researcher at Oxford University**

That’s what Sophie Lund Rasmussen, a hedgehog researcher at Oxford University, adjunct at the Natural History Museum of Denmark, and also known as "Dr. Hedgehog," explains.

- Research shows that it takes hedgehogs up to three hours to wake from hibernation. That means they don’t react quickly to anything. If water suddenly floods their den and the water level rises, they may not wake in time to escape because it takes a long time before they can move, she says.

As an example of their slow awakening, she mentions that several people have reported hedgehogs being eaten by other animals that have been desperate during the cold winter.

- We’ve received several reports from people who have told us that...

The hedgehog researcher had previously expressed the same concern in Videnskab.dk (https://videnskab.dk/naturvidenskab/weekendens-vilde-vejrskifte-kan-give-pindsvin-udfordringer-det-kan-vaere-fatalt/), before the weekend’s thaw began, but now it’s happening. Denmark’s hedgehog supporters, who help distressed hedgehogs, haven’t yet received any reports of drowned animals, but they note that it may take several more weeks before the full impact becomes clear.

Sophie Lund Rasmussen—also known as Dr. Hedgehog—believes it would be a loss for Danish nature if hedgehogs were to disappear. *(Photo: © Liselotte Sabroe, Ritzau Scanpix)*

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**Spring-confused animals**

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Since the European hedgehog was added to the list of threatened species, Danes have been encouraged to keep an eye on their spiny garden friends and contribute to annual, nationwide hedgehog counts, where over 20,000 were recorded last year.

Climate change is partly to blame for the decline of hedgehogs in the wild.

But isn’t this just another instance of a winter with rapid thaw after weeks of snow and frost—a problem we’ve seen before?

- Especially in England, there have been reports of drowned hedgehogs. It’s something we’ve become aware of because of the extreme temperature fluctuations in recent years, says Sophie Lund Rasmussen.

It’s not just the water that can be a problem, she adds. Hedgehogs normally wake from hibernation later in spring, around April. Sudden large temperature swings can trick their bodies into thinking it’s time to emerge, explains Sophie Lund Rasmussen.

- When it suddenly becomes warm, they get confused. Their systems tell them it’s time to wake up, but there will be nothing for them to eat when they do, she says.

That’s why the hedgehog researcher urges garden owners to provide fresh water and cat food so the animals can regain their strength if they wake prematurely.

Sophie Lund Rasmussen has previously asked Danes to send in roadkill hedgehogs for study. *(Photo: © Sara Gangsted, Ritzau Scanpix)*

*"Nature’s garbage collectors"* are now officially in sharp decline across Europe (https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/indland/pindsvin-er-taet-paa-vaere-truet-i-europa-vi-kan-godt-undvaere-dem-men-vil-vi-vaere).

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