Lawn mower robots injure and kill hedgehogs in Germany
Robotic lawn mowers with sensors that fail to detect hedgehogs are causing injuries and deaths to the animals in Germany, prompting the Green party to call for a nationwide nighttime operating ban and manufacturers to add technical safeguards by 2027.
What happened
Robotic lawn mowers with sharp blades are causing injuries and deaths to hedgehogs in Germany. Tests cited by the Greens party show that the robots' sensors often fail to detect hedgehogs, and the machines do not avoid the animals.
Hedgehogs are predominantly nocturnal and lack a flight reflex, making them vulnerable to the blades. The western European hedgehog is classified as potentially endangered as of 2024.
Reported impact
With the increasing spread of lawn mower robots, the number of hedgehogs severely injured or killed by the devices is rising. Hedgehogs are important for ecological balance, consuming snails and controlling pests naturally, and their populations have shrunk due to pesticide use, habitat loss, and increasingly due to robotic mowers.
Index analysis
Some municipalities have already imposed nighttime bans on robotic mower operation. The German Association of Cities and Towns (Deutscher Städtetag) and the Environmental Ministers' Conference have called for a nationwide regulation to protect hedgehogs and other wildlife.
Governance controls
The Greens party has submitted a motion to require manufacturers to technically exclude nighttime operation via software on new devices from 2027 onwards, and to apply software updates to already-sold devices. The federal government is urged to establish a nationwide regulation requiring robotic mowers to operate only during daylight hours.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.