Badger rescued from electric fence

Owners of a small stables contacted WRAS at around 1.45pm after finding a badger with its rear right leg entangled in electric fencing.

The power supply was switched off and the badger covered until rescuers arrived on site to help.

Rescuers Trevor Weeks, Kathryn Martyn and David Breden got straight to work to save the animal, who was in a lot of discomfort and pain.

The badger was carefully manoeuvred into a cage with its leg hanging out the entrance, so that rescuers could safely cut away the strands of electric without the badger turning round and biting them.

Medic Mr Weeks used a special hooked scalpel to cut away at the two main strands which were tightly wrapped round the leg, forming a ligature wound.

He said: "The foot was very badly swollen and it was clear the circulation was likely to be compromised.

"After discussion with our on-call vet, emergency medication was given to help comfort the badger and stop him from going into shock."

Because of the tightness of the ligature and potential damage caused to the leg, the animal was immediately rushed to specialist vets at St Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital in Buckinghamshire, the largest wildlife hospital in Europe, for treatment and assessment.

He added: "Many people find badgers, foxes, deer and more caught in fencing, rope swings, netting and electric fencing and their first thought is to cut it free and set it loose again.

"This can prove fatal for some animals, especially the ones which have been caught for long periods of time.

"On this occasion they followed our advice and left the badger caught up till we arrived and were able to cut him free in a secure and controlled manner and be ready to respond to any sudden change in the badger condition as a result of the toxins returned into the body."

WRAS is urging landowners who have electric fencing which is not in use, to remove it and store it away somewhere safe where animals can not become entangled.