A hedgehog has been rescued after falling into a seven-foot-deep ground pipe at Blandford Camp. RSPCA Animal Rescue Officer Jo Blackburn was called to the site on 21st April after the animal was spotted trapped at the bottom of a narrow shaft.
‘Using my torch I could just make out the hedgehog with absolutely no way of getting out,’ she said. ‘She was a large female and had curled into a tight ball.’
Using specialist equipment, Blackburn was able to secure the hedgehog and lift her safely from the pipe. On inspection, the animal appeared uninjured and in good condition. ‘She was a big, healthy female so I don’t think she’d been stuck for too long,’ she said, adding that the hedgehog may have been pregnant.
Army personnel nearby assisted with the rescue, helping to place the animal in a box with food and water before arranging for her release later that evening.
Hedgehogs have seen significant population declines in recent decades, with hazards such as open drains and pipes posing an ongoing risk.
The Dorset Life Community News section is sponsored by Wessex Internet
