Hedgehog Ollie, Left Almost Without Spines, Becomes Online Hit While Recovering in England

A hedgehog named Ollie is recovering in the care of the charity Prickles in a Pickle, which specialises in rescuing hedgehogs, in the county of Devon, England. Illness has left the animal without almost all of his spines, and his unusual appearance has drawn wide online attention. According to the British newspaper Daily Mirror, a video of Ollie has been viewed more than 13 million times.

Serious condition on arrival

Staff at the organisation took Ollie in when he was in very poor health. Every time the hedgehog opened his mouth, he began to bleed. Vets found that the animal had a fungal skin infection, known as ringworm, as well as a bacterial infection. These illnesses caused him to lose most of his spines.

The charity's co-founder, Judy Thomson, explained that the crusts around his snout were so thick that he could not open his mouth properly to eat, which caused him great pain.

Recovery continues

Since arriving in the rescuers' care, Ollie has been recovering gradually. According to Thomson, his skin has improved and there are far fewer crusts. The hedgehog is already eating on his own and is able to maintain a stable weight.

However, his health is not yet good enough for him to be released back into the wild. Thomson acknowledged that keeping a wild animal in captivity for a long time is not desirable, but said it is acceptable while his condition is improving.

Online users have compared Ollie to both a potato and a rolled-up sock.