Thugs torture Valerie the hedgehog by tightening cable ties around her neck to leave her with severe wounds
- Valerie the hedgehog was found with snapped cable ties around her neck
- She was rushed to emergency vets after 'unimaginable abuse' in Winchester
- Experts believe it was a 'cruel, deliberate' attack but animal is recovering slowly
A baby hedgehog was tortured by cruel thugs who tightened cable ties around her neck leaving her fighting for her life.
Valerie the hedgehog was rushed to an emergency veterinary hospital after she was found with severe wounds in a park in Winchester.
Vets battled to save her and were horrified at the 'unimaginable' abuse the little creature suffered.
Experts believe the attack was 'cruel and deliberate' from the way the snapped cable ties were tightened around the animal's neck.
Valerie the hedgehog (pictured) was rushed to an emergency veterinary hospital after she was found with severe wounds in a park in Winchester
Thugs had tied cable ties around her neck (pictured) in a 'deliberate, cruel' attack
Vets in Winchester do not think Valerie (pictured bandaged up) will be able to hibernate this winter but will be keeping a close eye on her during her road to recovery
This is the cable tie that was used by thugs to strangle Valerie the baby hedgehog
They do not think she will be able to hibernate this winter but will be keeping a close eye on her during her road to recovery.
Vet nurse Amy Kneller, from Vets Now, said it was clear from the way the cable ties had been tightened that it had been a deliberate act of cruelty.
She said: 'I've been very fortunate in that I've not seen many intentional cruelty cases in my career.
'However, I was horrified by what had been done to this young hedgehog.
'The injuries she sustained were very similar to a cat collar injury and must have been very painful.
'It's great that she's recovering and her neck wound has completely healed but, unfortunately, it's unlikely she'll put on enough weight to be able to hibernate this year.'
Experts believe the attack was 'cruel and deliberate' from the way the snapped cable ties were tightened around the animal's neck
Vets battled to save Valerie and were horrified at the 'unimaginable' abuse the little creature suffered to sustain her wounds (pictured)
Fay Vass, chief executive of the British Hedgehog Preservation Society, said she was sickened to hear about the attack and praised the vets who treated her.
She said: 'The pain and fear this poor animal must have gone through at the hands of its torturers is unimaginable.
'Thank goodness it is now safe and receiving the care and treatment it so needs.
'We ask that anyone who has any information about this attack contact the police, Crimestoppers, or the RSPCA.
'Let us ensure these people have the fullest most severe punishment possible for carrying out such a cowardly attack.'
It was estimated there were 30 million hedgehogs in the UK in the 1950s however there are now fewer than one million.
Their decline is believed to have been caused by loss of habitat in towns and the countryside, road deaths, and a possible rise in predator numbers such as badgers.
On the road to recovery: Valerie the hedgehog is pictured bandaged up at Vets Now in Winchester, Hampshire
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