The Department of Conservation classifies hedgehogs as pests. But in the UK hedgehogs are protected.
Who is correct?
DoC says “Hedgehogs devour many of our endangered species and are accelerating the decline of our native wading birds, lizards and invertebrates. Hedgehogs pose one of the greatest threats to our unique and threatened ecosystems.”
But the UK is a total contrast – hedgehogs are protected.
Hedgehogs are listed as a Species of Principle Importance in England under the Natural Environment and Rural Communities (NERC) Act 2006 Section 41, in Wales under the Environment Act 2016, and in Scotland under the Nature Conservation Act 2004. Similarly, hedgehogs are on the Priority Species List for Northern Ireland.
But in New Zealand, according to DoC, “hedgehog densities are highest in farmland, lower in river braids and lowest at high altitudes and in high rainfall forest. Even at relatively low densities of six individuals per km2 on river braids, they can cause significant losses to ground-nesting bird colonies.”
DoC says hedgehogs lack predators in New Zealand. b
But the late Bob Brockie, former DSIR scientist says “hedgehogs themselves are preyed on by harriers, ferrets, stoats and pigs. Weka also take baby hedgehogs.”
I prefer Bob Brockie’s view.
Hedgehogs were first introduced to New Zealand in 1869, when a pair of English hedgehogs was landed at Lyttelton. One or two more were released near Dunedin about the same time. In 1894, , twelve British hedgehogs were brought to New Zealand in exchange for 12 weka.
European settlers were delighted as hedgehogs prey on slugs and snails and other garden pests that had been unwittingly introduced by earlier settlers. According to Bob Brockie, railway guards helped their spread by dropping them off at stations along the South Island railway system.
Between 1906 and 1908 small numbers were released in the North Island and then spread. They were seen in Lower Hutt in 1915, Auckland in 1927, Queenstown in 1946, and Takaka in 1961.
Bob Brockie said “in towns and on pasture, hedgehogs eat mainly slugs, snails, millipedes, moth caterpillars, beetles, grubs and spiders. In the bush they feed on weta, millipedes, beetles and other insects, native snails (although not the large paryphantid snails, which seem to be too large for their jaws) and slugs. Even the remains of giant centipedes have been found in their stomachs.”
The questions arise. Is DoC correct in labelling them as pests?
A predator is not necessarily damaging. Predator-prey relationships exist world wide. It’s part of Nature’s ways. The UK is little different from New Zealand. Ecosystems function the same.
Predators act as great balancers of Nature. By hunting they regulate prey populations. They maintain genetic health in prey populations by catching first the old, weak and sick.
Predators serve to keep the health of prey species healthy.
Predators help maintain healthy populations of prey species, which in turn supports the broader health of ecosystems. Predators targeting the old, weak, or sick individuals ensure that prey populations remain strong and resilient.
Does DoC understand food chains and the balance in predator-prey relationships?
Yes, interesting. I have often pondered. A “predator” of hedgehogs here is the motorcar – plenty of road kills.
I don’t think DoC understands prey/predator relationships and how Nature’s food chain functions..and why it does.
Hedgehogs are largely insectivores and therefore excellent natural biological control -preying on aphids, larvae, beetles, earthworms, slugs and snails. Is their low status in NZ because of the “pest paranoia” that shows itself in Predator Free NZ 2050, Zero Invasive Predators (ZIP) and other nutty groups?
This highlights how important context is. What may be a problem in exposed or sensitive habitats may not translate the same way in larger, more complex systems. Classification probably needs to reflect that variation.
My own experience is that hedgehogs and other introduced species can coexist with native ground birds. That doesn’t necessarily mean there is no impact, but it does suggest the issue is highly dependent on location and habitat rather than a simple pest/non-pest label.
At the same time, presence alone probably doesn’t tell the whole story. Some species may persist, but with reduced nesting success or long-term pressure that isn’t immediately obvious.
It seems more useful to look at impact in specific environments, rather than applying a single label across all landscapes.
I have some sympathy with this view. I live very remotely in a large area of regenerating native bush, with no poisoning or active control. Hedgehogs are present, along with rats, mustelids, pigs and other introduced species, yet native ground-nesting birds and quail are also still present in good numbers.
The picture is more complex than a simple pest classification. A species can behave very differently depending on habitat, scale, and the resilience of the environment it occupies.
I must confess I am on the hedgehogs side. I foster juveniles too young to cope with winter and release them into the wild in late spring when the temperature rises. There is no way a hedgehog can tackle a Kiwi egg – the egg is almost as big as the hedgehog, and a grown kiwi will see one off no problem – hedgehogs are opportunists scavengers not aggressive predators. They make wonderful pets, although being nearly blind they use other senses to get around and test food – including taste – they will “taste” a finger to see what it is and with razor sharp teeth easily draw blood. Still incredible characters to have around for a few months each year.