The badger was found in a "petrified" state at the harbour

The badger is recovering from its ordeal in Fraserburgh - but cannot be returned safely to the wild until it is known which sett it came from.

The Scottish SPCA said it was taking the "unprecedented step" of asking for an anonymous phone call.

The organisation's hotline can be called on 0870 737 7722.

'Clinging on'

The badger was found at the weekend and experts do not believe it would have wandered through the town and harbour area on its own, so they suspect foul play.

A piece of rope was also found, which may have been used to try and drown or hang the badger.

If this badger was released into an unfamiliar area with its own local population it could suffer terribly Chief Inspector John Carle Scottish SPCA

Scottish SPCA Chief Inspector John Carle said: "Finding an adult badger in the harbour of a busy town was extremely worrying to say the least.

"But this badger is not out of deep water yet as it must be released into the sett where it came from, or into a completely badger-free sett.

"Badgers are extremely territorial creatures, and if this badger was released into an unfamiliar area with its own local population it could suffer terribly.

"We are appealing for anyone with information on where this badger has come from to please phone us, even if that caller wishes to remain anonymous."

The Scottish SPCA has received a number of calls regarding the incident, but as of yet no significant leads have been established to find out where this badger came from.

Referring to the actual discovery of the badger, Mr Carle said: "It was petrified and clinging onto the rung. However it should make a full recovery."