Wildlife rescuers spent 45 minutes struggling to free a hedgehog trapped in a drain pipe. A team from East Sussex Wildlife Rescue and Ambulance Service (WRAS) were called to a car park in Spring Lodge Close, Eastbourne, after a resident spotted the creature.
WRAS founder Trevor Weeks said: “It was very frustrating as the drain was quite small and the hedgehog was quite a tight fit.
“Numerous times we thought we were getting somewhere and we would lose our leverage on the hedgehog. We ended up using a dog grasper, which is a pole with a loop at one end normally used by rescuers for catching and securing badgers and foxes.”
WRAS is urging people to keep an eye out for uncovered drain holes and to put covers in place to ensure hedgehogs can’t get stuck. The hedgehog was taken to the WRAS centre near Lewes for treatment before being sent to a specialist carer who will eventually release it back into the wild.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here