Badger rescued after being found entangled in Aberdeenshire school football net

A badger which was found “very tightly” tangled in a school football net in Aberdeenshire has been rescued.

Experts believe the animal, which was reported to the New Arc Wildlife Rescue charity by Monquhitter School in Cuminestown at around 9.30am on Monday, April 13, must have become trapped at some point over the weekend.

The charity’s co-manager said he had no idea exactly how long the male European badger had been stuck for, but added it was likely to have been “quite some time” due to the digging marks and volume of excavated soil at the scene.

Badger caught in football net: 'The school actually initially told us they thought he was dead - on approach he quickly came to' — Badger caught in football net: ‘The school actually initially told us they thought he was dead – on approach he quickly came to’ New Arc Wildlife Rescue

“We arrived at the school at around 10am to find he was very tightly tangled in the net, and initially he was very quiet,” Paul Reynolds told STV News.

“The school actually initially told us they thought he was dead, and on approach we thought so to, but he quickly came to once we got closer and became very active.

The pitch under the goal post was worn away where the badger had become stuck. New Arc Wildlife Rescue

“We have no idea of the length of time he would have been there for but there were a lot of scratches and digging marks where he’d tried to get out.”

Mr Reynolds, along with the help of interns Julia Wending and Audrey Zuliani managed to get the creature into a specialised badger cage using a catcher pole, where he was then sedated and assessed at Glenythan Vet Group.

Julia Wending and Audrey Zuliani from New Arc Wildlife Rescue retrieved the badger. New Arc Wildlife Rescue

“He had a few wounds and a constriction-type injury under his forearm, which is obviously common with these sort of incidents and can often look worse than they actually are,” Mr Reynolds said.

“He was then prescribed some antibiotics and anti-inflammatories by the vets and is now back with us, where he has settled nice and quietly.

“When he came in he was understandably very stressed, but he’s now back to a routine of sleeping lots throughout the day and eating well, which is exactly what we want.

“Badgers have a very diverse diet and we’ve managed to sneak his medication into him by putting it into day-old chicks, which they happen to be very fond of.

“Whether he came from a sett or is a single male ready to make his own way in the world, we aren’t sure. But, if he continues like this, he’ll be ready for release back into the wild soon – hopefully by the week’s end.”

A Scottish SPCA spokesperson said: “If you find an injured or sick badger, do not attempt to hold or touch the animal. Badgers can become aggressive if they are in pain or feel threatened.

“They can give a nasty bite, and their sharp claws could cause serious injury, if you try to catch it.

“Please call our helpline on 03000 999 999 or another suitable rescue organisation, and we will make sure to get the appropriate care team to it as quickly as possible.”