WWF launches first live hedgehog feed from Finnish residential area

A new 24-hour nature livestream in Luumäki, southeastern Finland, is offering viewers a rare look at urban hedgehogs feeding, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) announced Tuesday.

The feed—WWF’s first dedicated to hedgehogs—will run through late June, capturing the animals as they visit a feeding station in a residential neighborhood. Cameras are triggered by motion at dusk, when dry cat food (preferably insect-infused) is placed out to attract the nocturnal foragers. Audio is disabled to avoid disturbing nearby residents.

Justus Hyvärinen, WWF Finland’s development manager, said Luumäki was chosen due to a local resident’s long-standing habit of feeding hedgehogs. The project aims to highlight small-scale conservation, like leaving parts of gardens wild, to support declining species.

Hedgehog populations have plummeted across Europe, with numbers halving in the UK, Sweden, Germany, and Austria. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) downgraded the species from “least concern” to “near threatened” in 2024. Finland’s last assessment in 2019 still classified hedgehogs as stable, but researcher Mervi Kunnasranta of the University of Helsinki noted roadkill and habitat loss in cities suggest a decline. Threats include thinning snow cover (which disrupts hibernation), traffic, and predation by foxes, badgers, and eagle owls.

Finland’s next official hedgehog status review is scheduled for 2029. WWF has previously livestreamed Saimaa ringed seals, lambs in Salo, and fish in Rautjärvi’s Hiitolanjoki River.