A badger which was stuck in a storm drain was rescued by the RSPCA and firefighters near to the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew yesterday (March 22).

The exhausted animal, thought to have strayed from the nearby Kew Gardens, was spotted by a passer-by at approximately 8am.

The badger was clinging onto a pile of rubble in the storm drain, only just managing to keep himself from slipping into the water.

RSPCA officer Jill Sanders, who rescued the badger, said: “This poor badger had obviously slipped down into the storm drain by accident, and managed to grab onto the pile of bricks which was keeping him just out of the water.

“He was clearly exhausted so wasn’t able to swim back to the opposite side to even attempt to climb out, poor thing.

“I knew I’d need a ladder and it wasn’t clear whether it would be safe for me to get down there alone, so I phoned the London Fire Brigade for assistance, and they were brilliant.

“Two fire fighters and I climbed down into the storm drain to reach the badger.

“Once he saw us he suddenly perked up, and he proved pretty tricky to catch. I got soaked through and covered in smelly mud too, but it was worth it in the end.

“Once I contained him, I checked him over for an injuries but he seemed in good health, so he was fine to be safely released. It was really nice to watch him scuttle off to find his sett.”

A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: “Just like in this instance, the first thing to do should be to call the RSPCA if you see an animal in difficulty. If assistance from firefighters is required, the RSPCA will call us.”