ANIMAL workers scored a victory when they managed to free a badger who got himself into a bit of a tangle on a school football pitch.

Carers at Secret World Wildlife Rescue were called to the trapped animal after it was discovered caught in netting of a goal.

On Tuesday September 22, teacher Jo Lovell discovered the creature caught in a net at at Woolavington Village Primary School.

She made the discovery at around 8am.

Jo said: “As soon as I walked through the gate onto the playing field I could see movement in the football netting.

“At first I thought it was the wind but as I got closer I could see there was something in it and then I recognised the face markings of a badger.

“It was completely tangled up in the netting and had started to dig down into the mud under the goal.

“It must have got caught up some time on Monday night.”

Jo phoned Secret World Wildlife Rescue in east Huntspill, who sent Dan Bryant and Keith Weston to rescue the entangled badger.

And Dan said the pair were able to get to work on freeing the stricken badger.

“We were able to cut away the main part of the football net,” he said.

“He was understandably very upset, so to minimise stress and for our own safety, we decided the best thing to do was to take him to the vets for further help.”

The creature was taken to Quantock Veterinary Hospital in Bridgwater, where it was sedated and the netting removed.

Dan added: “This badger was lucky as his injuries were superficial, with just some swelling on his legs from the netting.

“We always try to release badgers back to the territory where they were found, as soon as they are well enough.”

The badger was released near to the school playing field on the evening of September 29.

You can adopt a badger at www.secretworld.org/badger.