With hedgehog populations in dramatic decline throughout the United Kingdom, a Guernsey animal shelter has started tracking several of them with microchips.

With hedgehog populations in dramatic decline throughout the United Kingdom, a Guernsey animal shelter has started tracking several of them with microchips.

The facility’s workers would like to keep tabs of how many of the animals return from year to year as well as to expand their efforts into discovering how the hedgehogs are faring in the wild.

In previous years they’ve tried identifying them with paint and ID tags alone, but the markings were quick to wash and fall off, leaving the animals untraceable.

The implanting of the hedgehogs coincides with National Microchip Month.

In conjunction with the chip implants the shelter is continuing with the painting and tagging as the practice serves an important and established community outreach program.

The public is encouraged to monitor and report sightings of the tagged animals to Hedgehog Street, an organization founded to prevent further population loss.

According to a recently released ecological publication, the number of hedgehogs has dwindled by about a third since 2003.

It’s believed the greatest threats to the hedgehog population have been habitat loss, fragmentation, and subpar hedgerow management.