Man caught travelling without a ticket with hedgehog in his clothing

Federal police stopped a 36-year-old man without a valid ticket at Hannover’s main station after he travelled by ICE from Braunschweig.

During a search, officers found a knife with an 8.5-centimetre blade in his trouser pocket.

They also found a live hedgehog in his sweater’s front pocket, after the man said it was his pet.

The animal appeared distressed and tried to get out of the confined space.

Officers placed it in a large carton and released it in Eilenriede, a woodland in Hannover.

The man is being investigated for travelling without paying, a weapons-law offence and an animal-welfare offence; the knife was taken from him, and he received a 12-hour ban from the station.

Police say hedgehogs are protected wild animals and should not be carried in clothing or other cramped containers because this can cause stress or injury.