Lawn Mowers Pose a Dangerous Threat to Hedgehogs, Especially at Night - Deadly Consequences for Hedgehogs: The Danger Posed by Harvesting Robots
Mowing Robots Under Scrutiny: Nighttime Operations Threaten Hedgehogs
Lawn-care season is upon us, and garden enthusiasts are deploying their mowing robots. However, these otherwise helpful devices pose a deadly threat to hedgehogs, particularly at night when they operate unsupervised. The Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz (BUND) in Baden-Württemberg, along with the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Leibniz-IZW), have called for a nighttime driving ban on mowing robots, citing a declining hedgehog population.
Hedgehogs, small mammals active during twilight and night hours, are particularly susceptible to injury or death from mowing robots. They curl up instead of fleeing when threatened, making them easy targets. According to veterinarian and state animal welfare officer Julia Stubenbord, the number of injured hedgehogs has significantly increased as a result.
Leibniz-IZW published figures in 2024 documenting 370 cases of cut injuries to hedgehogs nationwide from the end of June 2022 to the end of October 2023. Nearly half of the found and reported animals (47%) did not survive their injuries. Researcher Anne Berger of Leibniz-IZW notes that this likely underrepresents the true extent of the issue.
Tests conducted by the University of Aalborg in Denmark involving 19 mowing robot models and dead hedgehogs revealed that none of the models recognized the hedgehog without touching it. Sixteen of the models resulted in cut injuries to the hedgehogs.
In Germany, Leibniz-IZW's industry partner Crashtest-Service GmbH (CTS) from Münster is developing hedgehog dummies for standardized safety tests on mowing robots. The dummies are designed to mimic real hedgehogs to avoid using actual deceased animals in the tests. The hedgehog dummy is expected to be market-ready following final testing in March 2025.
Manufacturers such as Stihl, a garden equipment manufacturer, acknowledge the potential injury risk posed by lawn mowing robots to hedgehogs. Stihl has implemented measures, such as not providing night activation in preset mowing plans to protect crepuscular and nocturnal animals, and providing warnings when users manually program night activation in the mowing robot app. The devices are equipped with ultrasound sensors to detect obstacles like hedgehogs and have a smooth underside and a Disc-Cut system to minimize the risk of injury in case of contact.
Despite these measures, none of the currently tested mowers have demonstrated that they are "hedgehog-friendly." According to Berger, devices that rely on AI image recognition, often in combination with laser or ultrasound, show the most promise. Conversely, no devices on the market are currently recommended due to failed crash tests or lack of testing.
Some communities in Germany have already implemented night driving bans for lawn mowers to protect hedgehogs and other wildlife, following general provisions already in place in cities like Cologne and Mainz. Violators face fines of up to 50,000 euros.
Wildlife conservationists advocate for excluding mowing robots from parts of the garden to provide daytime refuge for hedgehogs and other nocturnal wildlife, in addition to serving biodiversity conservation. Furthermore, reconsidering the necessity of a mowing robot can benefit not only hedgehogs but also insects, amphibians, and other animals.
While there are no specific regulations regarding nighttime driving bans for lawn mowing robots in Germany, the Federal Ministry for the Environment is advocating for reform of the Animal Protection Act to introduce a ban on mowing at dusk and night on non-economically used lawn and green areas to protect vertebrates like hedgehogs. The BUND (Federal Agency for Nature Conservation) plans to address the topic of mowing robots and preserving biodiversity in gardens in 2026, with an emphasis on creating technical rules for hedgehog-friendly mowing robots.
Keywords: Animal Welfare, Lawn, BUND, Germany, Spring Start, Environment, Baden-Württemberg, Night Driving Ban, Denmark, Gardena.
- The Community policy in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, is under discussion due to the increasing number of injured hedgehogs from mowing robots. The Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz (BUND) has called for a nighttime driving ban on these robots as a potential solution.
- The Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Leibniz-IZW) has conducted studies in environmental-science, revealing that a significant portion of hedgehogs (nearly half) do not survive injuries from mowing robots.
- In the future, home-and-garden enthusiasts may see changes in their garden-care routines as politics in Germany, through the Federal Ministry for the Environment, are advocating for a ban on mowing at dusk and night on non-economically used lawn and green areas to protect vertebrates like hedgehogs.
