A baby hedgehog was found with one eye glued shut after she was covered in toxic glittery slime.
The vulnerable animal is believed to have come into contact with a discarded children’s toy.
Animal charity Dottie’s Little Hog Hospital said the three-month-old hedgehog was brought to them after being discovered on the side of the road in Herne Bay, Kent.
The animal, who has been named Sparkle, was barely able to move, with one eye glued shut by the sticky, gold-coloured substance.
Charity founder Jo Hogbin said the outcome could have been worse.
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‘We think the slime came from a child’s slime toy that had been discarded,’ she said in a post on Facebook that has received more than 11,000 reactions.
‘Poor Sparkle must have come into contact with it and ended up absolutely covered in the stuff.
‘It was sticky, thick and setting fast, and it had worked its way all over her body, making it difficult for her to curl up properly. The substance was more than likely toxic.
‘This was a serious hazard to wildlife when it is discarded outside. Sparkle was incredibly lucky that a kind member of the public spotted her lying in the road and brought her straight to us.’
After multiple baths and a few days’ rest, Sparkle is now slime-free and looking much more comfortable.
She will stay at Dottie’s until she reaches adult size, when she will be released into a hedgehog-friendly garden.
The incident is just the latest case of a hedgehog almost dying due to littering.
A six-week-old hoglet was found with a piece of plastic embedded around its neck, while five hedgehogs were found covered in paint in the space of a month earlier this year.
‘Please, if you have children who use slime or similar products, make sure every last bit is disposed of properly and never left where wildlife can come into contact with it,’ Ms Hogbin said.
The charity, which is home to about 200 hedgehogs, is asking people to stay vigilant and show kindness towards the animals.
Putting out water can be a useful way to help, especially given the recent weather, or giving out meaty cat or dog food.