Petition · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Ban purchasing & owning African Pygmy Hedgehogs

Closed 111 signatures

What the petition asks

We want the Government to protect African Pygmy Hedgehogs by outlawing their purchase and ownership. European wild hedgehogs enjoy legal protections to ensure that they are living in a safe environment.
Many people are purchasing African Pygmy Hedgehogs from retailers to keep as domestic pets in enclosures which we believe are too small for them to be considered humane. Hedgehogs are nocturnal and are generally afraid of humans. We believe owning them as pets and keeping the hedgehogs in an environment where they are forcibly interacted with, and kept awake, by humans is beyond cruel. European hedgehogs are protected as a species, we want the same for their cousins, the African Pygmy.

Timeline

9 Dec 2025 Petition opened for signatures
9 Jun 2026 Closed to new signatures

Key facts

Signatures 111
Status Closed
Department Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Opened 9 Dec 2025
Closed 9 Jun 2026

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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 12 Aug 2026.