The hedgehog is unarmed in front of the robotic lawnmower, because its characteristic way of defending itself, i.e. retreating into a ball of thorns, does not protect it from the mower. The encounter often results in the mutilation of the animal.
A robotic lawnmower that whirrs by itself in the yard may save time and effort, but using the device comes with a nasty risk: an encounter with a hedgehog.
In the encounter, the hedgehog easily comes second. Robotic mowers are not able to detect the animal in time, at least, and in the worst case, the hedgehog may get completely under the mower, with devastating and even fatal consequences.
The slightest touch can cause serious damage to the hedgehog, such as mutilation of the eyes, spines or skin. Limbs can also be detached.
“Hedgehogs are defenseless against robotic lawnmowers”, affirms the project expert for Wild animals Sonja Blom from the Finnish Animal Protection Association.
The hedgehog is vulnerable in front of the robotic lawnmower
The most natural way for a hedgehog to defend itself is to curl up into a ball of spikes. The method helps against many animal predators, but the robotic lawnmower doesn’t care about thorns.
When a hedgehog detects a clipper and perceives it as a threat, it curls up. As a motionless ball of spikes, it remains even more sensitive under the cutter than when it is slowly rolling.
On the other hand, robot mowers are such a new threat that hedgehogs may not be afraid of them, Blom reminds. This especially applies to chicks and young hedgehogs, who, due to their size, are more prone to being mutilated by a clipper than adults.
Injuries and deaths of hedgehogs caused by robotic lawnmowers have been a clearly noticeable phenomenon in the animal protection association and among those working with wild animals for several years, says Blom.
“Contacts to our member associations regarding dead and mutilated hedgehogs have increased. For example, there were several in June. Unfortunately, we at SEY are unable to do accurate statistics due to a lack of resources, but there is a clear increase in notifications.”
According to Blom, the announcements are focused on areas where robotic lawnmowers are in use.
What makes statistics and determining the cause of death problematic is that hedgehogs mutilated by clippers often wander further away from the place before they are found either injured or dead. In this case, it can only be concluded from the quality of the injuries that the animal has fallen victim to a lawnmower.
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There is no robotic lawnmower that is completely hedgehog-safe
“It would be better not to use robotic lawnmowers at all,” says Blom.
If you want to use the device, there are ways to reduce the risk of painful mutilation and death for the hedgehog.
The first method can be used already while shopping. There are several different models on the market, with hedgehog safety differences between them.
For example, some clippers detect hedgehogs better than others. The shape of the blade and other features of the clipper matter, as certain types of blades are less likely to damage hedgehogs.
“There is no robot mower model that is completely hedgehog-safe,” Blom reminds us.
In a study of 18 cutter models by the University of Oxford it turned out that none of the 18 clipper models examined could recognize a dead baby hedgehog weighing less than 200 grams.
None of the models detected a dead adult hedgehog until it collided with it, and in several cases it already had time to cause minor or major damage to the hedgehog. This also applied to models equipped with ultrasound and a camera.
Some of the studied models did not care about the hedgehog at all, but either bumped into it or ran over it. The damages ranged from minor to very severe mutilations depending on the model.
The research revealed that three characteristics have the greatest impact on the hedgehog safety of the mower. If the device has articulated blades, bottom protection plates and front wheel drive, the damage caused to the hedgehogs was less.
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The cutter’s encounters with hedgehogs can be reduced
In addition to choosing the right mower model, there are other ways to make mowing the grass more hedgehog-friendly.
An easy and effective way is to schedule the use of the robotic lawnmower during the day, when hedgehogs usually sleep. The hedgehog is a nocturnal animal that sets off in the evening and retires to sleep in the morning hours.
“Unfortunately, many use the robotic lawnmower precisely at night, when the hedgehog is most active. A lawnmower who thinks about hedgehogs only sets the mower to work after nine in the morning and turns it off around five in the afternoon,” Blom advises.
Before starting to cut, it is good to visually inspect the area to be cut for hedgehogs and other animals.
“Hedgehogs aren’t the only animals that are in danger of being caught under the mower, but this way in the summer you can hide in the grass, for example, baby birds that have just left the nest and are still unable to fly.”
The number of hedgehogs has decreased rapidly in Finland
Blom encourages you to think about whether the lawn needs to be completely shaved. Part of the lawn can be left in a more natural state and allowed to grow into a meadow, where hedgehogs and other wildlife thrive.
“For example, you can sow meadow flower seeds on part of the grass, which creates more living space for pollinators and other insects.”
The decrease in biodiversity and the destruction of habitats due to construction is a threat to the hedgehog as well as to many other species in the human habitat. According to WWF, the number of hedgehogs in Finland has decreased rapidly.
The increased use of robotic lawnmowers, and especially their use without regard for hedgehogs, is not making the hedgehog’s position any easier.
“Here is one place for people to make a concrete impact with their own choices,” Blom points out.
Source: kotiliesi.fi
