Badger rescued after getting stuck in Newquay skate park

Watch the badger make its way home thanks to the makeshift escape route created by Dave Hudson

A badger has been rescued after getting stuck in a skate park in Cornwall.

Volunteers at the Cornwall Badger Group received a call on Sunday 5 May, alerting them to the animal, which had become trapped in a skate bowl.

Dave Hudson, from the volunteer group, said he was tasked with heading to the skate park to try and create an escape route for the animal.

He said: "I wasn't really sure what I was going to come across - obviously there was a badger in the bowl but I didn't know if it was injured.

"He was running around fairly freely so I wasn't concerned about injuries but I needed to get him out the bowl.

"I'd brought this big heavy curtain in case I thought I was going to have to scoop him up but he pulled the whole thing in there with him.

"Fortunately there was this bit of wood lying about nearby so I popped that on there.

"He took to it fairly quickly, realised what he had to do, and tried to clamber out.

"Once he was out he looked around a little bit, he wasn't quite sure what to do, then looked at me and then disappeared off into the undergrowth and then back to its sett."

Dave has been volunteering with the group for several years but says this is the first time he's ever had to rescue a badger from the skate park.

His advice is that people should seek help and call the appropriate authorities if they see an animal stuck.

"They don't really enjoy human company, like all wild animals he'll always be looking to get away", he said.

"It's OK as long as I didn't corner him or make him feel threatened so I wasn't worried.

"With any trapped animal it's always best to get somebody with experience to help.

"They can sometimes be more aggressive when trapped so it's always best to get those who are more experienced handling animals to get involved", he added.