Earlier this week, while tending his garden in Wales, Nathan Brady and his daughter spotted a rare daytime visitor: a hedgehog shuffling through the yard.
Excited, Brady grabbed his phone to snap a few photos — but then he noticed something strange. The hedgehog appeared to be wearing a tiny pink necklace.
On closer look, the “necklace” wasn’t jewelry at all. It was the plastic ring from a bottle cap, cinched tightly around the animal’s neck.
“She must’ve been stuck for a while — it was really tight,” Brady told The Dodo.
Realizing the hedgehog’s life was at risk, Brady ran inside for scissors and pliers. The little animal stayed surprisingly calm at first, letting him work.
When she instinctively curled into a ball, he patiently continued until the plastic finally snapped free.
“The hedgehog was super happy when [the ring] was removed,” Brady said. “She had a quick drink, some dog food, and then wandered off to do hedgehog stuff.”
Before disappearing into the garden, the hedgehog paused briefly near Brady and his daughter — almost as if to say thank you.
Brady suspects the ring had been making it hard for her to eat or drink, a simple piece of litter that could have been a death sentence.
“Hopefully this raises awareness of plastic waste and the damage it causes to animals,” he said.
Thanks to one gardener’s quick action, this hedgehog now has a second chance — and a reminder for all of us to keep plastic out of nature.
