When Piggie the echidna was released by her kidnappers into Gold Coast bushland, she tucked herself under a log, curled up into a ball and waited to be rescued.
The four-year-old monotreme was returned to the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary yesterday evening after 44 hours of misadventure that followed her being stolen from her enclosure by two men.
Currumbin's head vet Michael Pyne told AAP he was "thrilled" to have her back.
"She was found on the far side of the sanctuary in bushland near the Gold Coast highway," he said.
"They weren't brave enough to bring her back to us so they just dumped her in an area where they couldn't be seen.
"She found the best hiding place and tucked herself under a log and bunked down there."
Dr Pyne said Piggie had undergone a full series of blood tests, ultrasounds and x-rays, and was in relatively good health despite being a bit sore from being improperly handled.
"You can tell she's uncomfortable in the way she's moving but nothing too serious," he said.
"She had a bit of a snack last night so we're really happy with how she's going."
Dr Pyne said he believed her abductors, who were caught on security cameras removing Piggie from her nesting box, had committed a prank that had got out of control.
"I think it was just some crazy people thinking this was something fun to do, and then suddenly they realised that the whole of the Gold Coast hated them and were out to get them, and they woke up and realised they did something stupid," he said.
One man, who is believed to have led sanctuary staff to where Piggie had been released, has been arrested over the incident and is expected to appear in the Southport Magistrates Court on Tuesday charged with animal cruelty and receiving tainted property.
Dr Pyne said there were no plans to beef up security.
"We have good cameras throughout the sanctuary and if people are stupid enough to come inside the sanctuary and go near our animals they'll get caught," he said.
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