{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,8]],"date-time":"2026-03-08T17:32:11Z","timestamp":1772991131319,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":48,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,7]],"date-time":"2026-01-07T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1767744000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":6,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,1]],"date-time":"2026-01-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1767225600000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/doi.wiley.com\/10.1002\/tdm_license_1.1"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Ecology and Evolution"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>ABSTRACT<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>\n                    Numbers of the West European hedgehog (\n                    <jats:styled-content style=\"fixed-case\">\n                      <jats:italic>Erinaceus europaeus<\/jats:italic>\n                    <\/jats:styled-content>\n                    ) have significantly declined in Britain and Europe over the past 50\u2009years. In central London, they were once common in the Royal Parks but are now confined to The Regent's Park (166\u2009ha), where they are isolated from other populations. Between 2014 and 2023, hedgehog numbers and spatial distribution were studied through twice\u2010yearly nocturnal searches in spring and autumn by volunteers using torches and thermal cameras, supported by ZSL Veterinary Services and the Garden Wildlife Health Project. Hedgehogs were tagged, examined and released. During the first 6\u2009years, the population averaged 28 individuals (range: 13\u201338), with seasonal peaks in autumn. However, from 2020, numbers dropped, reaching just six in spring 2023 and slightly recovering to 10 by autumn. Breeding success was moderate to low and survival rates poor, raising concerns about long\u2010term viability. Of the 88 dead or fatally injured hedgehogs found, 59% showed signs of predation\u2014mainly by foxes. Nearly all juvenile deaths (96%) were caused by predators. Other causes included road accidents, infections and drowning. Hedgehog distribution shifted over time. Initially widespread across the park, they began vanishing from the south and west in 2015, coincident with a population drop in 2016. Since then, they have mostly been found in the park's northeast quadrant. Factors likely to have contributed to the population's decline are considered. After a decade of monitoring, the remaining hedgehog population is critically small and faces extinction without urgent conservation action.\n                  <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1002\/ece3.72867","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,7]],"date-time":"2026-01-07T17:35:37Z","timestamp":1767807337000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["On the Brink, a Population of Hedgehogs in Central London"],"prefix":"10.1002","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0005-3714-2007","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"John","family":"Gurnell","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences Queen Mary University of London  London UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Nigel","family":"Reeve","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"2 Paxton Gardens, Woking  Surrey UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Bryony","family":"Cross","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The Royal Parks, The Old Police House, Hyde Park  London UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"311","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,7]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_2_10_2_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s11252\u2010023\u201001414\u2010z"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_3_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/ani10112109"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_4_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1515\/mammalia\u20102019\u20100100"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_5_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.envpol.2009.07.017"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_6_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1515\/mammalia\u20102020\u20100098"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_7_1","unstructured":"Gazzard A. andS.Rasmussen.2024.\u201cErinaceus europaeus.\u201dThe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. e.T29650A213411773."},{"key":"e_1_2_10_8_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s42991\u2010022\u201000251\u20105"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_9_1","volume-title":"A Study of Hedgehogs in The Regent's Park, London\u2014May and September 2014","author":"Gurnell J.","year":"2015"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_10_1","volume-title":"A Study of Hedgehogs in the Regent's Park, London\u2014May and September 2016","author":"Gurnell J.","year":"2017"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_11_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Gurnell J. N.Reeve andB.Cross.2025.\u201cOn the Brink a Population of Hedgehogs in Central London [Data Set].\u201dZenodo.https:\/\/doi.org\/10.5281\/zenodo.15812681.","DOI":"10.1002\/ece3.72867"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_12_1","volume-title":"Surveys of Hedgehogs in The Regent's Park London 2014\u20132023","author":"Gurnell J.","year":"2024"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_13_1","unstructured":"Haigh A.2011.\u201cThe Ecology of the European Hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) in Rural Ireland.\u201dPhD University College Cork."},{"key":"e_1_2_10_14_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s13364\u2010013\u20100142\u20100"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_15_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2981\/wlb.12126"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_16_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1515\/mammalia\u20102012\u20100094"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_17_1","unstructured":"Hedgehog Street.2025.\u201cHedgehog Predators.\u201dhttps:\/\/www.hedgehogstreet.org\/predators\/."},{"key":"e_1_2_10_18_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s11252\u2010025\u201001840\u20101"},{"issue":"2","key":"e_1_2_10_19_1","first-page":"69","article-title":"The Value of Green\u2010Spaces in Built\u2010Up Areas for Western Hedgehogs","volume":"52","author":"Hof A.","year":"2009","journal-title":"Lutra"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_20_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0006\u20103207(00)00006\u20109"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_21_1","unstructured":"Huijser M. P.2000.\u201cLife on the Edge: Hedgehog Traffic Victims and Mitigation Strategies in an Anthropogenic Landscape.\u201dUnpublished Doctoral Thesis Wageningen Institute for Environment and Climate Research Wageningen."},{"key":"e_1_2_10_22_1","volume-title":"Ecological Methodology","author":"Krebs C.","year":"1999"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_23_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1469\u20107998.1990.tb04314.x"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_24_1","unstructured":"Mathews F. L. M.Kubasiewicz J.Gurnell C. A.Harrower R. A.McDonald andR. F.Shore.2018.\u201cA Review of the Population and Conservation Status of British Mammals: Technical Summary A Report by the Mammal Society Under Contract to Natural England Natural Resources Wales and Scottish Natural Heritage.\u201dNatural England: Peterborough. 72."},{"key":"e_1_2_10_25_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/biology11101527"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_26_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.scitotenv.2025.179832"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_27_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/ani10091523"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_28_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/brv.12942"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_29_1","unstructured":"Morris P.1969.\u201cSome Aspects of the Ecology of the Hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus).\u201dPhD Royal Holloway College."},{"key":"e_1_2_10_30_1","volume-title":"Collins New Naturalist Library","author":"Morris P.","year":"2018"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_31_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/03014223.1975.9517887"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_32_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10344\u2010014\u20100795\u20102"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_33_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/mam.12107"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_34_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/ani13040626"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_35_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fvets.2024.1436965"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_36_1","first-page":"1","article-title":"An Improved Identification Marking Method for Hedgehogs","volume":"85","author":"Reeve N.","year":"2019","journal-title":"Mammal Communications"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_37_1","volume-title":"Hedgehogs","author":"Reeve N. J.","year":"1994"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_38_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/bf03195183"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_39_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1046\/j.1365-2435.2002.00651.x"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_40_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/ani13040590"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_41_1","volume-title":"Wildlife in the Royal Parks","author":"Simms E.","year":"1974"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_42_1","volume-title":"Ecological Methods","author":"Southwood T.","year":"2000"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_43_1","unstructured":"Turner J.2024.\u201cHedgehogs in Greater London: Investigating Fragmented Populations in Urban Environments.\u201dUnpublished Doctoral thesis Queen Mary University of London."},{"key":"e_1_2_10_44_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/mam.12278"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_45_1","unstructured":"Wembridge D. N.Johnson i.Al\u2010Fulaij andS.Langton.2022.\u201cThe State of Britain's Hedgehogs 2022.\u201dBHPS PTES."},{"key":"e_1_2_10_46_1","unstructured":"Wildlife Online.2025.\u201cHow Significant Are Foxes and Badgers as Predators of Hedgehogs?\u201dhttps:\/\/www.wildlifeonline.me.uk\/questions\/answer\/how\u2010significant\u2010are\u2010foxes\u2010and\u2010badgers\u2010as\u2010predators\u2010of\u2010hedgehogs."},{"key":"e_1_2_10_47_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598\u2010018\u201030130\u20104"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_48_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.7717\/peerj.8154"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_49_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/oik.11706"}],"container-title":["Ecology and Evolution"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1002\/ece3.72867","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/full-xml\/10.1002\/ece3.72867","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1002\/ece3.72867","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,8]],"date-time":"2026-03-08T12:40:42Z","timestamp":1772973642000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1002\/ece3.72867"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,1]]},"references-count":48,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,1]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1002\/ece3.72867"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/ece3.72867","archive":["Portico"],"relation":{},"ISSN":["2045-7758","2045-7758"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2045-7758","type":"print"},{"value":"2045-7758","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,1]]},"assertion":[{"value":"2025-07-07","order":0,"name":"received","label":"Received","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"2025-12-17","order":2,"name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"2026-01-07","order":3,"name":"published","label":"Published","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}}],"article-number":"e72867"}}