Three badgers needed rescuing after falling into a drainage shaft in Stony Stratford.
A family of badgers were found on 7 August down an 8ft-deep drainage shaft in a field off Mill Lane.
RSPCA inspector Sally Kearns was called to help the stricken trio. She said: “The badgers - two adults and a juvenile - had tumbled into the old drainage shaft and couldn’t get out. They were a long way down and the sides of the shaft were vertical concrete so there’s no way they could clamber out on their own. Thankfully someone spotted them and contacted us for help.
“The old concrete cover to the shaft had collapsed into it so the badgers were huddled up together under some rubble at the bottom.
“I met some other volunteers from a local badger group and wildlife rehabilitation organisation at the site and we walked a long way along an overgrown path to find the right spot.
“Thankfully, it was fairly easy to catch the badgers using a grasper and lift them free. It was incredibly helpful having some extra pairs of hands to help with the rescue as the badgers were very strong and heavy!”
Sally checked the badgers over and, thankfully, they weren’t injured so they were released into the undergrowth nearby.
Sally added: “It was such a trek from the van to the shaft so it was certainly a relief when we realised the badgers were healthy and wouldn’t need transporting to a vet or wildlife centre as it would have been a serious work-out carrying three big badgers all the way back to the van! The badgers each took off like a rocket into the long grass and undergrowth and certainly seemed to know where they were going to get back home.
“It was a really nice rescue and was a wonderful example of different people working together to help animals in need. I’m hugely grateful to everyone for their help, I certainly couldn’t have done it on my own.”
