ALBINO hedgehogs are extremely rare, but a local wildlife centre has now admitted its third.

The Wildlife Orphanage, in Barlby, recently welcomed baby Jericho, who was spotted by a Selby resident in the daytime.

Jericho, who has white spines and pink eyes, snout and paws weighs in at a tiny 88g or 3oz.

Annette Pyrah, who runs the Wildlife Orphanage, said: “We are like an albino magnet.

“We’ve had an albino dove, a bat, a mallard duckling and hedgehogs.

“However, baby Jericho is the tiniest albino we have admitted.

“He was in a dreadful state - huge ticks had attached themselves to him and he was very dehydrated.

“We worked round the clock to save him.”

There are mixed views on how well albinos fare in the wild and Annette was worried about releasing the previous specimens, however, she was reassured by experts at two hedgehog hospitals in the London area.

She said: “Once Jericho has reached a good weight he will be returned to the wild.

“Presently he is enjoying life in our pre-release area, which re-acclimatises hedgehogs to outdoor living following a period of care in our Wildlife Cabin.”

For information and advice on what to do if you find a sick or injured animal contact the Wildlife Orphanage on 07711 883 072 or www.wildlifeorphans.co.uk. For donations, their address is Low Mill, York Road, Barlby, YO8 5JP.