Badger rescued after being found covered in paint at the bottom of a swimming pool

A badger has been rescued after falling into an empty freshly-painted swimming pool on the Isle of Wight. 

The animal took a tumble and ended up covered in paint.

RSPCA rescuer Kane Goodyear was called to the home in Ryde after the badger was found on Wednesday, March 23.

Kane said: "Workmen were refurbishing the pool so it had been drained and freshly painted."

"We believe the badger had fallen into the pool overnight and workers found him huddled up in the corner of the empty 5ft-deep pool when they returned to work the following morning."

"He'd curled up in a shaded corner of the pool, out of the sunshine, but was clearly very frightened and confused." 

"Thankfully, he was uninjured, but he did have some white paint on his fur!" 

"We climbed into the pool and my colleague, Inspector Hannah Nixon, helped me put him into the basket where we could check him over, clean him up and release him in the undergrowth nearby."

Swimming pools can be hazardous to pets and wild animals so the RSPCA urges any homeowners with swimming pools or ponds to build a little ramp, slope the edges or use stones as steps to allow any wildlife which should fall in to climb out.