Plastic Entanglement Poses a Potential Hazard to European Hedgehogs Erinaceus europaeus in Great Britain

5Citations
Citations of this article
10Readers
Mendeley users who have this article in their library.

Abstract

A questionnaire to gather evidence on the plastic entanglement of the European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) was sent to 160 wildlife rehabilitation centres in Great Britain. Fifty-four responses were received, and 184 individual admissions owing to plastic entanglement were reported. Death was the outcome for 46% (n = 86) of these cases. A high proportion of Britain’s hedgehogs enter rehabilitation centres annually (approximately 5% of the national population and potentially 10% of the urban population), providing a robust basis for assessing the minimum impacts at a national level. We estimate that 4000–7000 hedgehog deaths per year are attributable to plastic, with the true rate likely being higher, since many entangled hedgehogs—in contrast to those involved in road traffic accidents—will not be found. Population modelling indicates that this excess mortality is sufficient to cause population declines. Although the scale of the impact is much lower than that attributable to traffic, it is nevertheless an additional pressure on a species that is already in decline and presents a significant welfare issue to a large number of individuals.

References Powered by Scopus

Microplastics as contaminants in the marine environment: A review

4483Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Are We Speaking the Same Language? Recommendations for a Definition and Categorization Framework for Plastic Debris

1685Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Microplastics as an emerging threat to terrestrial ecosystems

1617Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Cited by Powered by Scopus

Microplastics and phthalate esters contamination in top oceanic predators: A study on multiple shark species in the Pacific Ocean

4Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Occurrence and Characteristics of Cut Injuries in Hedgehogs in Germany: A Collection of Individual Cases

4Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Causes of Admission, Mortality and Pathological Findings in European Hedgehogs: Reports from Two University Centers in Italy and Switzerland

0Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Register to see more suggestions

Mendeley helps you to discover research relevant for your work.

Already have an account?

Cite

CITATION STYLE

APA

Thrift, E., Nouvellet, P., & Mathews, F. (2023). Plastic Entanglement Poses a Potential Hazard to European Hedgehogs Erinaceus europaeus in Great Britain. Animals, 13(15). https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13152448

Readers over time

‘23‘2402468

Readers' Seniority

Tooltip

Lecturer / Post doc 2

40%

Researcher 2

40%

PhD / Post grad / Masters / Doc 1

20%

Readers' Discipline

Tooltip

Agricultural and Biological Sciences 3

60%

Environmental Science 2

40%

Article Metrics

Tooltip
Mentions
Blog Mentions: 1
Social Media
Shares, Likes & Comments: 7

Save time finding and organizing research with Mendeley

Sign up for free
0