When i was a kid it wasn't uncommon to open the backdoor in the morning to find hedgehogs curled up on the doormat. I don't think I've even seen evidence of one

When i was a kid it wasn't uncommon to open the backdoor in the morning to find hedgehogs curled up on the doormat. I don't think I've even seen evidence of one since then though. Conventional wisdom in the UK is that their decline is due to decimation of their natural habitat and food sources by us, cars squishing them, slug tablets, people burning piles of leaves (where they sleep) etc etc. Badgers being responsible to any significant degree seems a little far-fetched.