THE SKILLS of Bromsgrove’s Willows Hedgehog Rescue were enlisted to help a hedgehog which, searching for water during the weekend dry spell, fell down an uncovered drain in New Road, Studley.
One of the neighbours there alerted Willows on Friday and the hedgehog was still stuck there on Saturday morning.
The team visited the site and discovered the hedgehog was in a storm drain leading to a gutter 20inches away.
A variety of measures were used in a bid to entice the hedgehog out of its hole without success.
Four hours later a fire crew from Alcester Fire Station were called in.
As the firefighters approached the hedgehog decided enough was enough and backed out of the hole on its own accord.
Christened Skew, the hedgehog was given a much-needed bath and is now recovering at Willows.
A number of residents had come out to view the rescue and were thrilled to hear Skew would be returned to his home town of Studley when he is well again.
Pep Draycott, whose garden the hedgehog was in, said: “One of my neighbours alerted me to it and the other one got in touch with Willows.
“It must’ve been in there about 24 hours so it’s amazing that it has recovered so well.”
A spokesperson for Willows said: “With the announcement that British hedgehogs are now officially vulnerable to extinction, it is important we do all we can to safeguard every single one.”
The research was conducted by the Mammal Society as part of its ‘Red List’ conservation report.
In 2016 hedgehogs were voted the UK’s favourite creature and in the 1950s there were an estimated 30million of them in England, Wales and Scotland.
The figure now is thought to have dropped to less than one million.
Willows Hedgehog Rescue is a self funded not for profit organisation founded in 2010 dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and release of native European hedgehogs.
