Warning as hedgehog nearly killed by popular squishy toy

The young hedgehog was coated in glittery slime believed to have come from a discarded squishy toy.

Jo Hogbin, founder of Dottie’s Little Hog Hospital in Herne Bay, Kent, said the hedgehog, now named Sparkle, was found by a passerby on August 11, at the side of the road.

Ms Hogbin said: "Sparkle could barely move her little legs and her eye was glued shut, it was a real mess.

"We believe a child has thrown a toy out of the window that melted in the heat and she walked into it and the slime dried all over her.

"We're looking at the 'best case scenario' that it was litter [and not] somebody playing with the hedgehog with the goo.

"That would be awful."

A young hedgehog, believed to be around three months old, was found barely able to move, with one eye glued shut by the sticky, gold-coloured substance.

Volunteers at the hospital gently bathed her in an emollient solution to remove the glittery slime.

Ms Hogbin said: "Yesterday there was a big concern that one of her legs was rigid.

"I think with the heat it had set and she couldn't move it.

"She had one very long bath and then a couple of dips after.

"Her eye is now open and she's walking around in the incubator.

"She's now looking very clean and sparkling in another way, she looks absolutely beautiful.

"I think if she was left any longer that would have been it, especially in the hot sunshine in the middle of the day."

Sparkle is now recovering in an incubator.

Once she reaches adult size, she will be released into a hedgehog-friendly garden.

Ms Hogbin said this is the second recent case of a hedgehog nearly dying as a result of litter.

She said: "We recently had a six-week-old hedgehog come in that was struggling to breathe as a piece of plastic had embedded around its neck.

"That was another piece of rubbish [left] lying around."

The charity is currently caring for 200 hedgehogs, with 100 being treated at the hospital and the rest in a specially adapted garden.

Ms Hogbin is urging the public to dispose of their waste responsibly.

She said: "Never dump rubbish and put water out, wildlife is struggling and they need water more than anything at the moment."

She believes the toy likely melted in the heat after being thrown from a car window.

The hedgehog then walked into the goo, which hardened around her body.

Sparkle’s recovery is ongoing, but Ms Hogbin said the outcome could have been much worse.

The charity is appealing for donations to help support its work.

Have you seen these toys being discarded incorrectly? Let us know in the comments.