Many of us remember Sonic the Hedgehog from our childhoods. That spinning blue hedgehog who was faster than lightning and was the start of some of Sega’s most popular video games.
But we all know that hedgehogs aren’t blue in real life.
Sonic the Hedgehog got his blue color and super speed in a lab accident. But that’s exactly what the folks at Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) came across, a real-life blue hedgehog. But he wasn’t naturally blue like Sonic, this poor little hedgehog was covered in thick blue paint.
The paint-covered creature was discovered by a family in Taunton who was gardening and spotted the chunky blue ball scurry by.
The family immediately called the RSPCA who came to retrieve the unlucky animal.
According to The Dodo, the hedgehog was rushed to the RSPCA’s West Hatch Wildlife Center for immediate medical attention.
“Thankfully she was still alive and is now getting the help she needs,” animal collection officer Clara Scully said in a press release. “We’re unsure what happened to her — whether she was painted intentionally, or if she fell into the paint somehow.”
The shelter’s staff named their new hedgehog Sonic, after the blue video game character.
But getting rid of that paint wasn’t as easy as giving him a name. Though the majority of it has been removed, there are still some spikes that are left blue.
“The substance was very rubbery and hard to remove,” Dr. Bel Deering of the RSPCA told SomersetLive. “It was quite caustic and so where it touched the skin there are some sore patches that will need to be monitored.”
Thankfully, Sonic is in good health and is expected to recover.
“Sonic has been eating well and is getting stronger,” Deering said. “She had to be anesthetized to have the substance removed and there is still a blue tinge on the spines.”
Now the RSPCA is asking people to keep a look out for hedgehogs and says these incidents happen all too often.
“Unfortunately, the injuries and deaths we see are often caused by everyday garden items like strimmers, sports netting, and pond or fruit netting,” said RSPCA scientific information officer Llewelyn Lowen. “Even simple gardening activities such as forking over a compost heap can have deadly consequences for these little creatures.”
He cautions people to make sure they properly store away things like paint so critters can’t get to them.
“With a little caution, these kinds of horrific injuries are completely avoidable. We urge the public to become more hedgehog aware,” Lowen said.
“Simple things like checking before you start strimming or using your garden fork, remembering to put sports netting away when it’s not in use and keeping drains covered can really make a difference and help protect the welfare of these iconic creatures.”
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