Hedgehogs (order: Eulipotyphla; family: Erinaceidae; subfamily: Erinaceinae) are familiar and popular spiny mammals, but they face many challenges in modern human-dominated environments. In this Special Issue "Applied Hedgehog Conservation Research", we present an anthology of 30 recent articles from the journal Animals, which helps fill some of the many gaps in our knowledge of hedgehogs and describe new approaches to their study. In several Western European countries, there is evidence of a significant decline in the hedgehog population. By bringing the articles in this Special Issue together, we hope to inspire further research that will contribute to evidence-based conservation initiatives in order to protect this much-loved species and prevent further population decline.