In the UK, a man called for help, after hearing what sounded like an animal squealing in his garden. He had been searching for the source of the sound but was unable to locate it. Once the help arrived, there was still trouble finding the source of the sound.
Eventually, a young hedgehog was found wedged face-first in an empty food can near the homeowner’s back porch.
After a little coaxing, the little hedgehog was able to free itself from the can where it easily could have died of dehydration and starvation.
After the hedgehog departed in search of its family, the can was crushed to prevent any other small animals from being trapped.
The UK’s hedgehog population has been declining at dizzying speeds, going down from thirty million to just one million in a short span of time. At this current rate, the hedgehog is expected to have a complete urban extinction as early as 2025. Losing these beautiful creatures in urban areas would be a terrible loss!
The main lesson that can be taken from this samaritan’s act is the importance of crushing containers after they are disposed of. Discarding containers can not only harm the already endangered hedgehog, but all creatures around the same size.