A British shelter plans to take in a baby hedgehog even though it is a hat pompom

Philippe Folgado // Photo credit: DENIS CHARLET / AFP 7:54 p.m., March 28, 2024

However, it started with good attention. In the UK, a woman drove to a wildlife sanctuary with a "hedgehog" she thought she had picked up from the side of the road. But the veterinarians at this shelter finally realized that it was... a pompom that had fallen from a hat. 

“She did everything so well that she barely glanced.”

This woman "aged around sixty years old" went on Friday March 22 to the Lower Moss Nature Reserve and Wildlife Hospital, a refuge for wild animals, located in the suburbs of Manchester. She said she saw something on the side of the road that looked like a hedgehog: "She didn't handle it at all: she put it in a box with cat food and left it alone in a warm, dark place,” Janet Kotze, the clinic’s on-call veterinarian, tells 

. “She did everything so well she barely even glanced at it because she didn’t want to stress him out.” 

Animal lover cared for hat bobble all night thinking it was a sick baby hedgehoghttps://t.co/4MaJLQL2OU

— The Independent (@Independent) March 26, 2024

Faced with this gesture which was intended to be benevolent, the rescuers of the shelter communicated with humor about this rescue like no other: "Our hearts melted when a good soul believed in saving a baby hedgehog, before discovering that he was was a fluffy pom pom from a hat! This adorable

still received all the love he deserved, as well as a little care. Remember that kindness has no limit, even when it comes to a fake furry friend!” 

This rescue also allowed them to provide warnings to all British people about the rescue and preservation of these small mammals that can be encountered on the roads: "If you see a hedgehog during the day, it's a sign that something is wrong. Put him in a box with a heat source and contact a local veterinarian. Let's keep our spiny friends safe!"