Two hedgehogs rescued from train in National Capital

A passenger while deboarding the train at the Sarai Rohilla Railway Station found an unclaimed bag, which to his surprise was moving accompanied with a scuffling noise, on Monday evening.

Upon being alerted, the railway authorities found two hedgehogs huddled up in the bag, one adult female and one baby male. The Wildlife SOS Team, 24-hour helpline was contacted by the passenger who found the bag.

The Indian hedgehog is an appealing species, native to India and Pakistan. The species is nocturnal and lives mainly in burrows near shrubs and bushes. Their dorsal skin and part of the sides are covered with spines that act as a defense mechanism against predators.

Wasim Akram, Special Projects Manager, Wildlife SOS said, "Both the mother and baby are extremely stressed and we are currently monitoring their health status. They will be released into the wild once deemed fit by our veterinarians."

Kartick Satyanarayan, Wildlife SOS co-founder and CEO expressed that awareness regarding the illegality of the offense is incredibly important to curb cruelty and poaching of wildlife species in India

"This was clearly a case of poaching wherein, the animals were being smuggled across state borders. In India, hedgehogs are hunted locally for their meat as well as for medicinal purposes on account of various superstitious myths and beliefs attributed to them. They are also kept as exotic pets in most countries," said Kartick.

With growing awareness about conserving wildlife, sensitivity towards animals has been inculcated by a animal conservation organisations.