Today a lady visiting Castle Park, Dorchester found this seriously injured adult male hedgehog. He has been very badly injured by someone using a petrol strimmer nearby without checking in long grass and hedgerows.
He has deep cuts running in rings around his entire body, including the top of his head, his upper back, lower back, rump and both sides. Had he not been rolled into a ball, he would likely have had his legs chopped off too. Many of his prickles have also been cut down to the skin level, while others have been chopped off very short.
Fortunately, he was found very soon after these injuries were inflicted on his body, so there was no time for fly strike to happen. He also has some extensive deep bruising to his back and sides, probably from the cutting mechanism of the machine.
PLEASE, PLEASE ALWAYS CHECK BEFORE USING STRIMMERS AND LAWN MOWERS! You never know who is sleeping in long grass, under hedges and below piles of leaves!!
