If we love hedgehogs so much, why are we letting them vanish? | Tom Holland

Britain implores other countries to protect their wildlife while neglecting its ownThe hedgehog holds a special place in the hearts of the British. In a 2012 poll, it was voted our favourite wild species. Few animals lend themselves more readily to anthropomorphism, and so it is hardly surprising that Mrs Tiggy-Winkles should long have been a staple of children's stories.Hedgehogs, however, do not merely pander to our sentimentality. Perhaps more than any other animal, they enable us to get up close to the wild. They can be met in suburbs, in gardens, in parks. There is no need to be a seasoned naturalist to glimpse them snuffling busily after beetles and worms. Hedgehogs live alongside us - but not as livestock, not as pets. They are our surest, our most familiar gateway to a fascination with the natural world. Continue reading...