Firefighters came to the rescue of a hedgehog which found itself in a tight squeeze after getting stuck between gate railings.
The RSPCA and Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service were called to rescue the prickly creature after it was spotted squashed inside the metal bars in Old Station Road, Newmarket.
The male hedgehog was wedged so tight he could never have escaped alone and rescuers had to use specialist equipment to widen the bars so he could be lifted to safety.
RSPCA inspector Richard Lythgoe said: "It is hard to imagine how this little thing got himself into such a tight squeeze.
"I can only imagine he misjudged the width of the bars - or perhaps did not see them clearly, as hedgehogs are short-sighted.
"He was so firmly wedged in between the bars of this gate that the fire crews had to completely stretch them to get him out - and even then all his little spines were squashed down.
"They did a brilliant job, and there's no way I could have got him out without them. He most definitely wouldn't have been unable to escape without help.
"I gave him some food and drink, and kept an eye on him, for 36 hours. He seemed to recover completely from his ordeal, so he was released back to the wild - hopefully a little wiser."