As hedgehogs explore your gardens, we want to highlight an important safety issue. Recent research from Dr. Sophie Rasmussen at the University of Oxford has shown that many robotic lawn mowers can seriously injure hedgehogs when they come into contact with them.
Hedgehogs often freeze when frightened, they don’t run away – which means a mower can roll right over them causing harm and horrendous injuries.
Dr. Rasmussen’s study tested different models and found that some are much safer than others, but many still pose a real risk.
Please take a moment to read the research here:
Researchers develop hedgehog safety test for robotic lawnmowers | Oxford University
How you can help:
Avoid using robot mowers at dusk, night or early morning
Check your garden for wildlife before mowing
Choose models proven to be safer for hedgehogs
Create wild corners where mowers never go
Never leave a robot mower unattended during cutting
Small changes make a huge difference for our prickly neighbours.