The nature conservation group wants to draw people's attention to the fact that the hedgehog is becoming an increasingly 'near threatened' species in Finland.The best food for hedgehogs is dry cat food, especially the kind that contains insects. File photo of hedgehogs at a feeding bowl in 2024 in Turku. Image: Minna Rosvall / YleYle News11:38A prickle of hedgehogs in the town of Luumäki, in the east of Finland, is set to become the latest stars of nature conservation group WWF's suite of live streams.This is the first time that WWF's round-the-clock online broadcast has featured hedgehogs, with the stream scheduled to run until the end of June.WWF development manager Justus Hyvärinen told Yle that the NGO wants to draw attention to the fact that hedgehogs are becoming an increasingly threatened species in Finland.Although the exact threat level to hedgehogs is unclear, researchers have suggested that their numbers are decreasing. A comprehensive study into the species is scheduled to take place in 2029.Hedgehog numbers are known to have dropped by up to half in recent years in the UK, Sweden, Germany and Austria. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) changed the hedgehog's threat classification from 'Least concern' to 'Near threatened' in 2024 — attributing the decline primarily to human activity as well as environmental pressures.Live streams raise awarenessHyvärinen noted that the setting of the live stream — in a residential backyard — is intended to remind people that they can make a difference to their natural environment very close to their own home.The WWF Finland live stream will mostly show empty food bowls, although hedgehogs will be lured with food in the evenings.Hyvärinen explained that feeding at dusk will prevent the hedgehogs' food from being eaten by birds.WWF Finland has a decade-long history of live streaming endangered or near-threatened species, starting with the launch of the 'Norppalive' broadcast in 2016 featuring Saimaa ringed seals. The channel has also shown flying squirrels in Salo, wild birds in South Karelia, and a highly endangered great crested newt living in a forest pond near Joensuu.