Hedgehogs threatened by robot mowers, German activists warn

Conservationists and scientists in Germany have called for a ban on the nighttime use of robot mowers in order to protect hedgehogs, with a study showing that many of the animals die after being lacerated by the devices.

According to the study from the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, almost half of the 370 hedgehogs that were examined after being cut by the mowers' blades died of their injuries or had to be put down.

Hedgehogs are particularly in danger from mowers operating at night, as the animals are nocturnal feeders and do not flee when in danger, instead relying on their spines as defense — an inadequate protection against the sharp metal blades of a robotic mowing machine.

Because robot mowers are relatively quiet, they are the only type of lawn mower to be allowed to operate at night or on Sundays in Germany. Their use has greatly increased over the past few years.

Small animals, plants, beetles all threatened

According to Corinna Hölzel from the conservation group BUND, a ban on nighttime mowing "is the minimum" required.

"It would be even better to do without robot mowers completely," she told the German DPA news agency.

She said that such mowers were also a danger to biodiversity because they were incapable of deciding what not to mow.

"They cut down every daisy," she said, saying this meant that wild bees, butterflies and beetles lost important food sources.

Scientists involved in the Leibnitz Institute study also called for robotic mowing at night to be banned as the quickest and easiest way to protect the hedgehogs from the danger posed by the practice.

Hedgehogs on 'red list'

According to the Leibniz Institute, hedgehog numbers are going down.

The animal was put on a "Red List" in Germany in 2020, a forewarning of possible danger of extinction.

Some smaller municipalities in Germany have already introduced bans on nighttime robot mowing, while the major western city of Cologne is also considering such a move.

The hedgehog was chosen as the Wild Animal of the Year in 2024 by the German Wildlife Foundation (Deutsche Wildtier Stiftung).

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