A man has been charged over the kidnapping of Piggie the echidna, who’s been returned to her Gold Coast home.

Piggie, who was stolen from her enclosure on Saturday morning, was found on Monday evening after being tucked back under a fence at the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary.

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A 24-year-old man has been charged with animal cruelty and receiving tainted property and will front the Southport Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

Two men were caught on camera taking the four-year-old monotreme from her enclosure, and police say more charges could be laid.

The charge of receiving tainted property suggests the 24-year-old was not the person who physically removed the animal.

The sanctuary’s senior vet Michael Pyne says Piggie is feeling sore.

But a battery of tests including X-rays and ultrasounds has revealed she’s otherwise OK.

“There’s no serious injuries, she’s just been knocked around a lot and she’s just very sore and sorry for herself,” he told the ABC.

Piggie’s two abductors were caught on camera breaking into an enclosure about 10pm on Saturday. They tried to steal two echidnas before fleeing with the more friendly Piggie.

Grave fears had been held for Piggie, the first echidna successfully bred at the sanctuary, as she was unlikely to have survived long without specialised care.