AN EAGLE eyed schoolgirl helped rescue a pair of starving hedgehogs that had fallen through a cattle gird in Minchinhampton.

Five-year-old Madeleine Francis from St Dominic’s Primary School spotted the distressed hedgehogs in a grid at Blueboys Corner while she was on her way to the bus stop around 8am this morning.

After alerting her mother, the pair were able to lie down in the middle of the rush hour traffic and scoop the dehydrated animals from the hole.

Quick-thinking Minchinhampton schoolboy Devon Broadley, six, his father were able to stop and direct traffic on Summersfield Road and Butt Street and while the rescue operation took place.

When the animals were safely above ground, the mother and daughter duo contacted Help a Hedgehog Hospital for advice.

The male and female hedgehogs were identified as two of the ten breeding pairs that had recently been released as part of the Minchinhampton community hedgehog initiative.

Karen Ellis, a volunteer at the hospital who is leading the local re-population effort, was able to collect the hogs and take them for medical care. She said it was likely that the female had been trapped down the grid for around one week.

“It’s likely she called out in distress and the male came to investigate and also fell down becoming trapped,” said Karen.

“Both hedgehogs had lost a lot of weight and were very dehydrated, they are now in the safe hands of the Help a Hedgehog Hospital and expected to make a full recovery thanks to the eagle eyed children.”

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Karen explained that nearly all of the highway owned cattle grids near the commons have ramps and holes interlinking the sections – which give animals an easy escape route. However this particular grid had no way out.

“This can be lethal for hedgehogs and other small animals,” she said.

“The hedgehog population really needs help and I urge people to check cattle grids, especially the private owned ones, to make sure that we avoid losing hedgehogs in this manner.

“Nonetheless, the community release has gone really well and the first litters of hoglets are expected very soon.”