Bear the hedgehog inspiration for upcoming book on Shropshire wildlife sanctuary

Bear the hedgehog captured the hearts of a nation along his prickly journey at Cuan Wildlife Rescue in Much Wenlock and will now be the centre of the children's book, Bear the Hedgehog Who Lost His Prickles.

Written by Gillian Griffith and illustrated by Isobel Bushell, the novel documents the story of Bear, who was found in the garden of a worried woman in Madeley, Telford before being brought to the centre for treatment.

A mite infestation had caused his spines to fall out and the young hedgehog was given daily massages on a heated pad until his prickles successfully grew back.

However, just 10 days after being released back into the wild he returned to the centre where he was put to sleep after developing an usual condition that would have caused him further suffering.

The centre currently houses about 220 hedgehogs who are on the road to recovery and the book will also feature tips on how to keep the prickly creatures healthy throughout winter.

Charlotte Dunn, community fundraiser at the centre, said: "We were looking for a way to tell Bear's story as it was quite rare. It reached the attention of press in Australia, we thought it was a lovely story and we wanted to create a book that could be put together in a child-friendly way so we got some local people involved in the project voluntarily.

"The British Hedgehog Preservation Society have also put some helpful tips in the back of the book on how to look after hedgehogs in the garden and there's also some tips from us at the centre, so it's been a real collaborative effort.

"It's a beautiful book that will also be encouraging children to look after our wildlife."

Funds raised from the book, released on December 7, will go towards Cuan Wildlife Rescue.

Author and illustrator Gillian Griffith and Isobel Bushell are set to release more details on the upcoming book next week.