Awards - German Wildlife Foundation: Hedgehog is animal of the year 2024
It is just 20 centimetres high and has around 6,000 spines: the hedgehog has been voted Animal of the Year 2024. The brown-breasted hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus), which is widespread throughout most of Germany, clearly beat the squirrel and the red fox, the German Wildlife Foundation announced in Hamburg on Monday. The foundation's donors had voted. They have been doing this since 2017 to draw attention to the endangerment of a wild animal, the threat to its habitat or a human-wildlife conflict.
In the case of hedgehogs, the main issue is that they are finding fewer and fewer suitable habitats. "This means that a wild animal has won the Animal of the Year award that every child probably knows - but which is finding it increasingly difficult in our cultural landscape," said wildlife biologist and foundation director Klaus Hackländer. In the countryside, tidy agricultural landscapes have replaced the hedges, copses and species-rich rough pastures that used to be common.
Hedgehogs are therefore moving into gardens and green spaces in residential areas. According to estimates, there are now up to nine times as many hedgehogs there as in the countryside. Gravel gardens, sealed surfaces, cars and mowing robots are making life difficult for the spiny creatures here too. The hedgehog is reportedly on the Red List of Mammals in Germany in the "early warning list" category and its population is gradually declining.
If you want to help this nocturnal animal and hibernator, allow wild corners in your garden where hedgehogs can hide, give birth and sleep.
The most recent animals of the year were porpoises, otters, moles, deer and wildcats.
Announcement Animal of the Year 2024 Hedgehog profile
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- Despite facing challenges like habitat loss and urban obstacles, the hedgehog's popularity has led it to become the recipient of the prestigious 'Animal of the Year' award in Germany for 2024, as decided by the German Wildlife Foundation's donors.
- The recognition comes amidst growing concern for the hedgehog's survival, as it has been listed in the "early warning list" category on Germany's Red List of Mammals, and its population is gradually declining due to factors like habitat loss, gravel gardens, and increased traffic.
- As part of its efforts to address the conflict between urbanization and wildlife preservation, the German Wildlife Foundation encourages people to create wild corners in their gardens, thus providing safe havens for hedgehogs and contributing to the conservation of this beloved spiky creature.
- The celebration of hedgehogs as the 'Animal of the Year' in 2024 serves as a significant reminder of the importance of science and awareness in addressing the threats faced by various species and fostering harmony between nature and modern life.
Source: www.stern.de
