The number of hedgehogs and moles in Germany: what is it?
Every child in Germany is familiar with hedgehogs and moles, but they're not commonly spotted due to their nocturnal habits and underground lifestyles. This makes it tough to get accurate data on their populations. A group is asking for your help with a counting campaign.
Both moles and hedgehogs can be found in gardens and the wild, but they're rarely seen because moles only show up through their mounds, and hedgehogs are most active at dusk or at night. To count these animals and discover more about their distribution, everyone's encouraged to report any sightings via the NABU-Naturgucker.de website, from Friday, May 17, until May 27.
The German Horticultural Society 1822 (DGG 1822) wants to find out how many of these animals exist in Germany and where they live. The hedgehog is currently on the preliminary Red List, and they're struggling to find suitable habitats in cities due to traffic, lawn mower robots, and the lack of natural gardens.
The campaign also requests counting dead or injured animals and molehills. Concrete numbers of moles aren't easy to find in specific areas. Last year's counting campaign was the first of its kind and plans to continue twice a year in spring and fall. DGG 1822 states that this will allow the documentation and assessment of long-term population trends and distribution areas, benefiting species protection in the process.
This nationwide effort is a collaboration between NABU, the German Wildlife Foundation, the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, DGG 1822, and the Bavarian State Association for Bird and Nature Conservation.
The picture of a dead hedgehog with the background of trees and foliage symbolizes the urgency of the situation and the importance of counting these animals to help them.
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Source: www.ntv.de
