Nighttime prohibitions of hedgehog foraging can be detrimental to their survival: Automated lawn mowers - Deadly Consequences of Harvesting Robots for Hedgehogs: An Analysis
Robot Mowers and Hedgehog Protection: A Call for Nighttime Ban in German Gardens
As lawn care enthusiasts gear up for the spring season, concerns about the impact of robotic mowers on nocturnal wildlife, particularly hedgehogs, have arisen. Garden enthusiasts in Germany, a country where the hedgehog population has been declining, are being urged to reconsider their reliance on these machines, especially during nighttime hours.
Garden equipment manufacturers, such as Stihl, acknowledge the potential risk of injury to these small, vulnerable creatures. However, they argue that recent developments in their products, including the omission of night activation in preset plans and the implementation of ultrasound sensors, have reduced this risk.
One of the most vocal advocates for stricter regulations is the Bund for Environment and Nature Conservation (BUND) in Baden-Württemberg. In collaboration with the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Leibniz-IZW), they are petitioning for a nighttime driving ban on robotic mowers to help safeguard hedgehogs. This call to action comes as hedgehogs were added to the pre-warning list of the German Red List in 2020, and subsequently to the international Red List in 2024.
The justification for this ban stems from the vulnerability of hedgehogs when they encounter robotic mowers at night. They are unable to evade the machines due to their instinctive response of curling up instead of running. This has resulted in a significant increase in injured hedgehogs in recent years.
Leibniz-IZW, in conjunction with numerous hedgehog rescue stations, has documented 370 cases of cut injuries to hedgehogs from June 2022 to October 2023. Tragically, almost half of the animals reported did not survive their injuries. It is estimated that many more injuries and deaths have gone unrecorded, highlighting an alarming issue that demands immediate attention.
In tests conducted by the University of Aalborg in Denmark, not a single mowing robot model was successful in recognizing and avoiding a dead hedgehog. This revelation has sparked research in Germany, with the Leibniz-IZW working on the development of a life-like hedgehog dummy to use in standardized safety tests for mowing robots.
Manufacturers, such as Husqvarna, Gardena, and Stihl, are cooperating with this research, hopefully leading to more hedgehog-friendly mowing robot designs. For now, however, none of the currently available mowers can be recommended as completely safe for hedgehogs, expert Anne Berger warns.
While some communities in Germany have already implemented a nighttime driving ban for mowers to protect hedgehogs, it remains unclear whether the Southwest will follow suit. The current federal government has not advocated for a nighttime ban, and the new Animal Protection Act reform has not been implemented due to the end of the government coalition.
The Federal Agency for Nature Conservation has announced that the topic of mowing robots and biodiversity in gardens will be addressed in 2026. This may lead to the establishment of technical rules for hedgehog-friendly mowing robots.
In the meantime, conservationists advise mowing robot users to allow a wild area in their garden, free from mowing, to serve as a daytime refuge for small, nocturnal wildlife like hedgehogs. By forgoing the use of mowing robots altogether, garden owners can contribute to the welfare of not only hedgehogs but also insects, amphibians, and other animals.
The community can embrace a more proactive policy in protecting nocturnal wildlife, such as hedgehogs, by exploring the implementation of vocational training programs for manufacturers to design hedgehog-friendly mowing robots.
In the realm of health-and-wellness, practicing fitness-and-exercise routines, such as gardening, can be enriched by incorporating principles of science and nature conservation, like providing a wild, unharmed habitat for hedgehogs and other small creatures within the garden space.
