{"id":35658,"date":"2024-03-25T02:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-03-25T01:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bb5720fc-1d40-49be-ac19-162776ba49c1"},"modified":"2024-03-25T02:39:21","modified_gmt":"2024-03-25T01:39:21","slug":"scientists-are-using-ai-to-save-hedgehogs-and-they-need-your-help","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/rss_feed\/scientists-are-using-ai-to-save-hedgehogs-and-they-need-your-help\/","title":{"rendered":"Scientists are using AI to save hedgehogs. And they need your help"},"content":{"rendered":"

A ground-breaking new project combining artificial intelligence, trail cameras and volunteers will provide robust estimates of hedgehog numbers, which can be used to inform practical conservation measures. <\/p>

By Richard Baynes\n <\/p>

Published: Monday, 25 March 2024 at 01:00 AM<\/p>

\n\n

Efforts to help the UK\u2019s struggling hedgehog<\/a> population are to get a major boost from a unique project combining artificial intelligence and hard work by volunteers.<\/p>

Data from the project will provide the first reliable estimate of the UK\u2019s hedgehog population \u2013 and allow conservationists to work out how best to help the much-loved mammals.<\/p>

Find out more about wildlife in Britain<\/a><\/li>
British mammal guides<\/a><\/li><\/ul>
The European hedgehog, also known as the West European hedgehog or common hedgehog, is native to the British Isles. Credit Phillip Horwood<\/figcaption><\/figure>
While hedgehog populations in urban areas are recovering after decades of decline, numbers in country areas have dropped by between 30% and 75% since 2000, according to the British Hedgehog Preservation Society<\/a> (BHPS).<\/p>
The new National Hedgehog Monitoring Programme<\/a>, led by the BHPS and the People\u2019s Trust for Endangered Species<\/a>, will use trail cameras to gather data on hedgehogs at sites including parks, gardens, woodlands and farmland.<\/p>
Two hedgehogs are caught on camera falling into a pond. Credit: Yvonne Best, Hedgehog Street<\/figcaption><\/figure>
There are already over 300 cameras spread across 13 sites. In the next three years 40 sites will be covered by more than 1,000 cameras, each one taking a picture every time its sensors detects movement.<\/p>
The huge number of images means a special AI algorithm, developed at Liverpool John Moores University<\/a>, will be used to take out any that don\u2019t have wildlife in them.<\/p>
That will still leave thousands of pictures needing to be sorted by eye \u2013 which is why the project is appealing for volunteers.\u00a0<\/p>
$\"Demonstrating$
Demonstrating camera set up in Durham for the National Hedgehog Monitoring Programme. Credit the National Hedgehog Monitoring Programme<\/figcaption><\/figure>
It\u2019s hoped as many volunteers as possible will join in, working online on citizen science platform MammalWeb<\/a> from anywhere in the UK or even abroad, to find the snaps of hedgehogs.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>
The data generated will then be used to develop a robust estimate of how many hedgehogs there are in the UK, and how populations change annually. It means experts can work out just which places and habitats are best and worst for hedgehogs, and even what might be causing declines.<\/p>
The existing 13 camera sites are spread across Britain, from Dorset to Glasgow. The NHMP team and a pilot group of volunteers are currently sorting the mass of images taken from them in 2023. Hedgehogs have been spotted at six sites so far \u2013 along with many other species, such as tawny owls<\/a>, stoats<\/a> and red squirrels<\/a>.<\/p>