Ghosts in the Hedgerow: A Hedgehog Whodunnit who or what is responsible for our favourite mammals decline

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Conservationist and author of the acclaimed Elegy of a River Tom Moorhouse takes a 360-degree approach to investigating why hedgehog numbers are in freefall and what can be done to protect British wildlife. A body lies motionless on the ground. Small, with a snouty head and covered with spines, it is unquestionably dead before its time. And all of those gathered around the corpse are suspect. So which one of them is responsible for this crime - and for the disappearance of many many thousands of hedgehogs in recent decades Is it the car driver, the badger, the farmer, the gardener .. Who could possibly have it in for a hedgehog In poll after poll they come out top as our favourite mammal. And yet their numbers are estimated to have halved in less than twenty years. Magnifying glass in hand, Tom Moorhouse investigates the evidence. On a vital mission to bring those responsible to justice, prevent further murder and save a species, he uncovers a story full of twists, turns and uncomfortable truths about the trade-offs that exist between humans and wildlife. But he can also see a solution.

Reviews

Tom Moorhouse is brilliant at weaving complex ecological ideas into an easily accessible and very entertaining form - Ghosts in the Hedgerow is a delight. -- Hugh Warwick, ecologist and author of A Prickly Affair
Any project that highlights the plight of hedgehogs is invaluable and GHOSTS IN THE HEDGEROW fulfils that task admirably. -- Tim Rice, lyricist, author and host of the Get Onto My Cloud podcast
By turns hilarious and heart-breaking, Ghosts in the Hedgerow is a triumph of accessible science writing. -- Lee Schofield, author of Wild Fell
Jaunty, scholarly, hugely entertaining, wise, deadly serious and downright fun ... A triumph. -- Charles Foster, author of Cry of the Wild, Being a Human and A Little Brown Sea
A wonderfully entertaining and intriguing book. The hedgehog has found its champion. -- Tristan Gooley, author of The Walker's Guide to Outdoor Clues and Signs and How to Read Water

Author Bio

Dr Tom Moorhouse is a conservation research scientist who has worked for twenty years at the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, part of Oxford University's Biology Department. His work has focussed on the conservation ecology of water voles, the management of signal crayfish, hedgehog conservation and the impacts of wildlife tourism. He is the author of Elegy for a River and also award-winning children's fiction. He lives with his wife and daughter in Oxford.