Robot lawn mowers can rip hedgehogs to shreds, endanger ecosystems

Robot lawn mowers might be great at communicating with your phone. Not all mowers manage to communicate the oncoming danger to hedgehogs, however. — Sebastian Gollnow/dpa

Shredded hedgehog, sliced toad and even toddler fingers: All these things are known to have been pulled from the blades of robot lawn mowers. Is the dream of being able to sit back and let a machine tend to your lawn really worth it?

Noses sliced off, skulls fractured, legs torn off – hedgehogs are often victims of today's robotic mowers. Technology that is time-saving and practical for humans can often be deadly for the animals in their gardens.