Town Hall bosses have banned homes from using robot lawn mowers at night to protect the city’s randy hedgehogs.
Gardeners in Leipzig, in the German state of Saxony, face a hefty EUR-50,000 (GBP-42,800) fine if they use one of the automated cutters after dark from 24th April.
April, May and June are the key breeding months for hedgehogs known as ‘the rut’ when the prickly nocturnal creatures are out looking for mates.
Wildlife experts fear that the cute garden favourites are too small to trigger obstacle avoidance technology in the mowers.
And because of their high sex drive during the breeding season, hedgehogs will not even notice them coming.
Last year (2024), around 400 hedgehogs in the city were reported injured by garden machinery, with up to 40 fatalities.
Experts believe the actual number could be higher, as many injured hedgehogs die unnoticed.
Other German cities, including Mainz and Ludwigshafen, have imposed similar night-time restrictions on robot mowers.
To find out more about the author, editor or agency that supplied this story – please click below. Story By: James King, Sub-Editor: Simona Kitanovska, Agency: Newsflash
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