Hedgehog Rescued from Drain Pipe After 4 Days

0:00On April 29th, a hedgehog in Fife got stuck in a rusty underground drain pipe for at least four days, but rescuers pulled it out using cooking oil and big pliers. A spiky little guy was jammed deep outside Markenstown Hall, spotted on Monday all bald uptight. Rescuers from Burntie's Land Hedgehog Haven rushed over that afternoon, tried for 30 minutes to free it, but got nothing. No movement so they figured. It was gone. The council folks covered the pipe with a cone overnight, then called them back Tuesday when they saw its face peeking up, the hog had turned around on its own. Andy Longhurst and his wife Wendy, who run the charity, were stunned but geared up with tools this time. Wendy suggested vegetable oil to lube the pipe walls, and after some work, they yanked out what turned out to be a chunky adult male, not a baby like. They first thought, this hefty dude weighed 982 grams, over 2 pounds, and reaped bad, covered in 37 ticks that they quickly removed.

1:01Exhausted but no major injuries, he's warming up with food and fluids now, under watch for any delayed issues that might pop up in a week. The couple kicked off their hedgehog rescue three years back to fill a gap in the area, now with 40 volunteer drivers covering 5 to the borders. Perfect timing too, as hedgehog awareness week hits May 3rd through 9th, spotlighting what's threatening these critters.