The government has decided that hedgehogs will be protected from November 1. The population has declined by nearly half over twelve years according to the World Wildlife Fund.
In a row house in Nävertorp in Katrineholm, Ingrida Johansson and her family have hedgehogs living under their patio. Neighbors feed the animals when the family is away.
The government is amending the species protection ordinance after the number of hedgehogs fell to about 30,000 in 2025 according to SLU Artdatabanken. The protection means it will be forbidden to kill, harm or capture the animals.
The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency states that the protection can increase knowledge about the species and safeguard habitats during development. Humans are seen as the main threat through traffic, lawn mowers and chemicals.