New research into hedgehogs injured by robotic lawn mowers discovers a significant but solvable animal welfare and conservation problem

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Sophie Lund Rasmussen from Aalborg University has led a study investigating hedgehog behaviour in response to robotic lawn mowers. The study found that hedgehogs displayed seven different behavioural patterns when encountering the mowers, with adult hedgehogs tending to react more shyly. Ms Rasmussen and her team also developed a concept for a standardised hedgehog safety test for robotic mowers, analysing how 19 commercially available models reacted to hedgehog carcasses. "Our results show that some models can injure hedgehogs, while others are harmless to them," states Ms Rasmussen. The team advocates for the mandatory introduction of such a test protocol at the European level. (Summary provided by Infomedia) Sources:Alphagalileo, 23-01-2024Mirage news, 23-01-2024