Hedgehog Sparkle Nearly Dies After Being Coated in Glittery Slime From Dumped Squishy Toy
Tiny Sparkle was found barely able to move after becoming covered in glittery slime, with rescuers warning that dumped rubbish can be deadly for wildlife.
The three-month-old hog, affectionately named Sparkle by rescuers, was discovered at the side of a road on August 11 and rushed to Dottie's Little Hog Hospital in Herne Bay, Kent.
The youngster was in such a sorry state that rescuers feared she might not survive.
Charity founder Jo Hogbin believes the sticky mess may have come from inside a squishy toy which was dumped or thrown from a car window.
In the record-breaking heat, the toy may have melted, leaving a trail of glittery goo which poor Sparkle then walked straight into.
Her legs and body became coated as the substance dried, while one eye was completely stuck shut.
Rescuers gave the stricken hedgehog a long emollient bath before treating her with several further dips to painstakingly remove the slime.
At one point, there were fears one of Sparkle's legs had become rigid.
But after her ordeal, the tiny survivor began walking again and was able to open her eye.
Jo said the heat may have caused the slime to set hard around her leg, making it almost impossible for her to move.
She warned that Sparkle could have died if she had been left outside much longer, particularly in the blazing midday sunshine.
The charity is currently caring for around 200 hedgehogs, with roughly 100 receiving treatment inside the hospital and the rest living in a specially adapted garden.
Once Sparkle is fully grown, she is expected to be released into one of the charity's hedgehog-friendly gardens, where she can roam freely through a hedgehog highway.
Jo urged people to think twice before dumping rubbish and asked the public to leave out fresh water for struggling wildlife.
“Never dump rubbish and put water out,” she said. “Wildlife is struggling and they need water more than anything at the moment.”