St Albans family rescues baby hedgehog in distress

A BEWILDERED baby hedgehog found wandering in a park in St Albans is recuperating after being rescued.

Chris Butterworth and his three children, Lewis 10, Guy, seven, and Ellie, five, were walking in the Brickie park just off Portland Street when they found the distressed hedgehog breathing heavily.

He contacted the British Hedgehog Preservation Society to find out what to do with the hedgehog and they advised him to wrap it in a jumper and take it along to the vets. They explained to him that a hedgehog out during the day was likely to be suffering from lung worm.

He contacted Animalism Vets on St Stephen’s Hill and although they were closed, the vets asked him to take the hedgehog along that evening. They diagnosed the baby hedgehog as underweight and disorientated.

Mr Butterworth said: “The children were very excited to be involved in the rescue and asked if they could keep the hedgehog once he recovered. There was some discussion about what to name him and they couldn’t decide between Prickles or Spike.”

The surgery, which, like most vets in the UK, treats wild animals for free, will care for Prickles/Spike until he gains weight and hibernates.