A RARE albino hedgehog was rescued from a garden this week.

Four-month-old Maggie and her siblings were spotted by concerned members of the public and avid hedgehog fans in a garden in Aldbourne.

Worried about their chance of surviving hibernation, all five were rushed into the care of wildlife rescue charity Oak and Furrows in Leigh, near Cricklade.

A normal sized hedgehog should weigh in at around 550g but when the five hoglets arrived at the animal rescue they were between 198 and 300g.

Maggie’s unusual ivory colouring means she is sure to hog the limelight as the condition, caused by a rare genetic disorder, is seldom seen in the wild.

Chrissy Ball from the centre said: “It is very rare, we do get blonde hedgehogs with light coloured spikes and black eyes but Maggie is very different as she has no pigment whatsoever and red eyes. She’s very cute.

“The homeowners were feeding the hedgehogs in their garden and noticed the babies walking around in the day time, which is a worrying sign.

"They contacted us and we knew we had to take them straightaway. They were dehydrated when they arrived but they are steadily putting on weight.”

And Maggie is far from a tricky customer as Chrissy revealed she already has a friendly and inquisitive nature.

“They are very curious creatures, every time we lift them out they put their noses in the air and are looking around, they’ve definitely got their own personalities,” she said.

Nursed back to health on a specialist diet of puppy milk and food along with vitamin enriched pate the litter, known as an array, will stay with staff until spring time.

Usually hedgehogs hibernate for up to four months but the baby animals low weight meant they would be unlikely to survive the big sleep.

“Because they are so underweight they run out of fat reserves and that means they won’t wake up from hibernation,” said Chrissy.

By keeping the hoglets at a stable temperature the experts at Oak and Furrows will be able to prevent them going into hibernation

As albino hedgehogs have a reduced chance of survival in the wild staff will be working closely with experts to ensure Maggie is safely released. The litter joins another 50 hedgehogs currently in the care of the charity.

To donate visit justgiving.com/oakandfurrows or call 01793 751412

“If you see hedgehogs walking around in the day time it probably means they are frantically searching for food to eat. Contact us immediately if you do see this,” said Chrissy.

Oak and Furrows has been providing care to sick and injured wild animals since 1996. The charity provide care for around 60 animal patients at any one time. From fallen fledgling birds to hibernating hedgehogs and deer .