Brit couple rescue rare albino hedgehog

London, Nov 16 : A Brit couple has rescued a rare albino hedgehog, which is believed to be one of only 100 in Britain, from their garden when they spotted it glowing in the dark.

Nick and Julie Packham made a 250-mile round trip through the night, to take the hedgehog to Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital, in Haddenham as they feared predators might pick him up.

The albino hedgehogs, which are one in 100,000, are born with the recessive gene that means they have no melanin pigment in their skin, eyes and spikes.

The Packhams, of Pluckley, Kent, have named the hedgehog Midnight because of the time it was found.

"We saw this white hedgehog and could not really believe our eyes. He was literally glowing in the dark," the Telegraph quoted her as saying.

"We took it to the sanctuary because we wanted it to be safe and we did not want to put it into a box for the night. We did not want it to be attacked by badgers," she said.

The Tiggywinkles founder Les Stocker said the new arrival was a young male, probably born last spring, and was incredibly rare.

"This is a particularly white specimen, so it is no surprise the couple saw it glowing in the dark," he said.

"It should not really be released because its weight is so low and albinos do not seem to do very well in the wild. They get picked on and generally do not survive," he added.

ANI