# @victoriapolice on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/C59u5zqx8oj
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/16156035-victoriapolice-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/thumbnails/31a5f61ec4.jpg
- **Posted:** 2024-04-20T01:18:30.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Victoria Police (@victoriapolice) — https://gondola.cc/victoriapolice

## Caption

Why are we posting pictures of these Wish-Echidnas, you ask? 🦔 ⁣
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Well, we’re here to tell you about an exceptionally memorable shift for Detective Senior Constable Tippett. ⁣
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Det Sen Const Tippett, now working with the Prahran Family Violence Investigation Unit has been on the job for 14 years, but this was the first time she had seen two spikey balls in a cage during a routine search warrant. ⁣
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While her colleague insisted it was a guinea pig, Det Sen Const Tippett, who confessed to following the adorable creatures on Instagram, pursued her instincts and began to dig a little deeper. ⁣
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She put in a call to the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action deeca_vic and was able to confirm not only that it was a hedgehog, but also that it was illegal to import, and represented a major biosecurity risk to Australia. ⁣
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From here, the first ever hedgehog seizure in Victoria was conducted.
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Penalties for importing, keeping, breeding, and trading illegally sourced exotic pest animals like the African pygmy hedgehog can result in up to $210,000 in fines or two years in prison. ⁣
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The detection has also been the catalyst for a new crimestoppers.vic campaign ‘Your Pet, Our Pest’ which was launched in late March 2024: www.crimestoppersvic.com.au/current-focus/your-pet-our-pest/ ⁣
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Have you seen a sus looking guinea pig? Report it anonymously to Crime Stoppers Victoria on 1800 333 000. 

#hedgehogs #animalsofinsta #babyanimals #cutebabyanimals #babyhedgehog

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## Tags

hedgehogs, cutebabyanimals, animalsofinsta, babyhedgehog, babyanimals

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