People have been urged to dispose of their Christmas rubbish sensibly after a young hedgehog was found by a member of the public with a plastic ring stuck tightly around his neck.
The hog was rushed to vets where it received treatment, before being taken to the local wildlife rescue centre RSPCA Oak and Furrows.
The charity has now issued a plea to people to be more careful with their rubbish and revealed that this time the poor animal had a lucky escape, but others might not be so lucky and could die as a result.
Anj Saunders, deputy centre manager at the Cricklade-based charity, said: “The hedgehog was taken to a vets and was put under anaesthetic to remove the ring. Thankfully afterwards the injuries were found to be treatable, and with a course of antibiotics and pain relief, he has a chance at a full recovery.
“The hedgehog is only a juvenile and it appears he may have had the plastic ring caught around his neck as a youngster and then grown around it until it was causing constriction around his neck. We are really pleased the finder noticed and quickly sought help, as the outcome could have been far worse.
“We will be constantly monitoring the hog and also checking him for parasites once he has finished his other treatment. After he has been given the all-clear he will be able to go back out to the wild again and live a normal life. We will ensure his injury will not cause any lasting issues for him foraging and curling to protect himself before he is released.”
Single-use plastic and littering cause thousands of injuries to UK wildlife every year.
“RSPCA Oak and Furrows would like to urge all their supporters and followers to spread the message about disposing of all litter carefully and responsibly. If readers are interested in setting up a litter pick to help prevent our wild animals from facing a similar fate, please email the centre and we would love to support you in this,” Anj added.
The centre has 10 charity shops in the region, including a recent addition to Swindon’s town centre. All the money raised in the shops goes directly towards helping the animals in the centre.
For more information visit RSPCA Oak and Furrows’ website here: https://www.rspcaoandf.org.uk/.
