Make a hedgehog footprint tunnel

Discover 10 ways to help hedgehogs.

More wildlife projects:

• How to make a bee hotel
• Making fat cakes for birds (video)
• How to make a nest box for swifts

Make the tunnel using a sheet of corrugated plastic, place food, paper and ink inside, and site it near a fence or hedge, then be patient and check your tunnel daily for signs of activity.

You Will Need

• Corrugated plastic or an old storage box
• A4 paper
• Paper fasteners
• Masking tape
• Small plastic bowl
• Paint brush
• Carbon powder
• Vegetable oil
• Hedgehog food / meaty pet food

Step 1

Make a triangular tunnel with sides roughly 23cm, or a bit over the width of a sheet of A4 paper. It should be about 90cm long in order to take two A4 sheets, plus space for ink and food.

Step 2

Make a cardboard insert and attach as sheet of A4 at either end with paper fasteners. Add strips of masking tape, to paint the ink onto, either side of the bowl. Mix the carbon powder with oil to make a non-drying ink, and then spread this on to the masking tape. Place the food in the bowl and fit the whole insert into the tunnel.

Step 3

Set the tunnel up in a quiet corner of the garden and check the paper for hedgehog footprints.

Identify your footprints

As other animals may visit your hedgehog tunnel, here's what hedgehog footprints look like.