A kind woman thought she was rescuing a baby hedgehog, but it turns out the “animal in need” was just a pom-pom.
According to People, “On Thursday, a woman brought in a baby hedgehog to the Lower Moss Nature Reserve and Wildlife Hospital in Cheshire, England — only to be told it wasn’t an animal in need but a beanie hat pop-pom.”
The staff at the local wildlife hospital got a kick out of the entire ordeal and ended up naming the hedgehog/pom-pom “Hoglet.”
While many people felt confused about how the woman mistook the pom-pom for a live animal, the hospital workers said she didn’t get close enough to realize.
“From a distance, you take it at face value. She didn’t handle it at all — she scooped it in a box with some cat food and left it alone in a warm, dark place,” said Janet Kotze, veterinarian, told People. “She did everything so well. She barely peeked at it because she didn’t want to stress it out.”
The woman apparently noticed the “hedgehog” on the side of the road. She grew concerned when it hadn’t moved all night. As a result, she took matters into her own hands by quickly scooping the pom-poms into a box. She then cared for it by offering cat food and keeping it in a quiet room until bringing it to the hospital.
A Well-Intentioned Animal-Lover and a Hedgehog Pom-Pom
The well-intentioned woman was likely in her 60s or 70s, according to staff. She became shocked when the staff revealed the truth about the “hedgehog.” To the staff, it was immediately obvious, though.
“She was so concentrated on doing the right thing,” said Kotze. “She was concerned it hadn’t moved or even pooed — that would be spooky if it had.”
The wildlife hospital even took to Facebook to express their warmed hearts.
“Our hearts melted as a kind soul thought she was rescuing a baby hedgehog,” they said.
Many X users made their own comments about the situation:
“I see these folks and their kids come on weekends to our local animal farm. They’re trying,” one person said. Another stated, “Amused and empathetic — a heartwarming reminder to double-check assumptions.”