That's a bit of a prickly situation! Hedgehog has lucky escape after getting stuck in broken glass bottle

Some might say it was a bit of a prickly situation.

But luckily this tiny hedgehog was rescued after getting its head stuck in a smashed glass bottle.

The creature was found by a member of the public struggling to escape from the bottle, which was wedged tightly round its head.

Its snout was almost completely covered by the bottle end, making it impossible to reach any food.

The hedgehog was found in Snodland, Kent, before she was collected by RSPCA Inspector David Grant, who came to her rescue, removing the glass.

The tiny animal spent two days at the RSPCA Mallydams Wildlife Centre in Hastings, East Sussex, before being released back into the wild.

The RSPCA has now used the pictures of its spiky patient to warn people of the dangers of litter.

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Inspector Grant said: “This could have been a much worse situation for this hedgehog but thankfully she was not injured. The majority of people do throw their litter away carefully but for the few who don’t, it can be very hazardous for animals.

“I suspect in this case, the hedgehog was looking for food when she got stuck. Most cases of litter affecting animals are preventable if rubbish is disposed of properly and responsibly.”

The charity said it was called 5,081 calls last year about animals trapped by litter and urged the public to take more care when throwing rubbish away.

A spokesman said: “Animals looking for food can get trapped in tin cans and the sharp edges can cause injury.

“The RSPCA encourages people to clean and empty food containers before pinching them shut or cutting them in half before putting them in the recycling to try to avoid trapping or harming any animals or wildlife.

“Elastic bands also pose a big risk to small animals and birds as these bands can wrap around their bodies or beaks and cause choking and other injuries, so people are encouraged to reuse them where possible or cut them open before throwing them away.

“Broken glass can cause serious injury and small animals can get trapped in jars and bottles so householders are urged to clean and recycle glass as much as possible.”