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.
Illustrative image shows a robotic lawn mower, undated. Note: Image is a screenshot from video. (Newsflash/NX)
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.
Illustrative image shows an injured hedgehog in a picture shared by RSPCA, undated. The photos were shared on February 22, 2025. Note: Image is from a non-profit organisation. (@RSPCA/Newsflash/NX)
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.
(MJ Leidig/newsX)