Walkers in Hampden Park Eastbourne were shocked and distressed after finding a struggling hedgehog trying to walk with a four pack plastic beer can ring stuck round its body.
Local resident Chrissie Green who was walking her dog in the park came across the hedgehog on Wednesday mid-morning. “I was shocked when I first found him, and you could see he was suffering and struggling. I felt so sorry for him and could not leave him to suffer” said Chrissie.
Chrissie luckily had the rescue line phone number for East Sussex Wildlife Rescue & Ambulance Service (WRAS) on her mobile phone so knew who to contact straight away.
“We received a call mid-morning and due to the description of the incident we decided to make the incident a high priority and send a member of Care Team to assess the hedgehogs condition and give emergency medication on site if necessary” said WRAS’s Duty Rescue Co-ordinator Chris Riddington.
“I waited on site to keep an eye on the hedgehog, but as I had a dog I couldn’t get too close or pick the hedgehog up. I was so relieved when WRAS’s ambulance turned up and the rescuers arrived to help” added Chrissie.
Rescuer Sally Morris and Trevor Weeks attended on site within 25 minutes of receiving the call.
“The hedgehog was young, had flies buzzing round him, and had a plastic beer can ring tightly round its body digging into the skin. You could smell the infection so clearly the ring had been stuck there for quite a while. We were able to give emergency medication out on site with veterinary authorisation, and cut the ring off the hedgehog whilst trying to keep the flies away” explained Trevor.
The hedgehog was taken to WRAS’s Casualty Centre at Whitesmith and booked in to see Cliffe Vets in Lewes, where he was given a General Anaesthetic and had the wound thoroughly cleaned. “We were pleased that the wounds were not too deep which is what was first feared, and the vets are fairly happy that the hedgehogs wounds will recover, as long as the infection hasn’t caused and lasting damage” added Trevor.
WRAS is urging people to pick up litter and has contacted Eastbourne Borough Council to make them aware of a problem of drinking and littering in the park. “We have a good relationship with Eastbourne Borough Council who are always keen to hear from us about potential problems so they can be addressed the best they can” said Chris, “plastic beer can rings have been causing death and suffering to wildlife for decades now, and it’s about time an alternative was found. The best way to dispose of such rings is to break them up so nothing can get caught in them.”
WRAS is now looking after the hedgehog at their Casualty Centre at Whitesmith and WRAS’s Care Team will be monitoring it closely and supporting it in the hope he makes a full recovery.
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