Hedgehog painted in Leeds colours 'could have died'

A hedgehog that had been painted blue and yellow "could have died" without treatment and care, a wildlife charity has said.

The adult female was found in a woman's garden in Yeadon, Leeds, and appeared to have been sprayed with the Leeds United colours or to look like Sonic the Hedgehog.

The fumes from the substance meant the hedgehog could not breathe properly or curl up into a ball, and its rescuers had to scrape the oil-based paint from each spine and administer pain relief.

Diane Cook, from Prickly Pigs Hedgehog Rescue in Otley, said: "It might seem funny painting a hedgehog blue like Sonic, but it's an unbelievably stupid thing to do."

She added: "It was clear that it wasn't done accidentally because she didn't have any paint on her tummy or legs or her feet, so it wasn't as though she'd fallen into some kind of wet paint.

"Quite literally, all of her spines on the top of her head were just absolutely covered."

As the hedgehog had no way of defending itself from predators, it could easily have been killed.

The paint also restricted the mammal's movement, so it could have eventually succumbed to starvation or malnutrition.

She also said the paint was similar to emulsion used for decorating or even one used for road markings, and the fumes had given the hedgehog "really bad breathing problems".

The creature could also be poisoned from toxins after trying to lick it off.

Cook, who runs the hedgehog rescue centre from her converted garage, said: "Whether it's Sonic-related or football-related, I don't know, but it's just absolutely appalling that somebody would pick a wild animal up and then actually subject it to this.

"It would have taken some time to do as well as it wasn't a quick spray paint.

"If the lady had not found her I honestly don't think she would have survived, to be honest."

Once the paint is off the hedgehog will be microchipped and returned to the garden where it was found.

According to the Wildlife Trusts, hedgehog numbers have declined by between 30% and 75% since 2000, and in 2024 the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) updated their status on its Red List to "Near Threatened".

West Yorkshire Police said in a statement: "Unfortunately someone in the LS19 area of Leeds has sprayed a hedgehog blue.

"This has caused unnecessary suffering to the animal and it is being treated by rescue, and if anyone has any information about the incident please call 101."

Cook added: "She's in the best place and we're doing everything that we can and we won't stop doing everything we can."

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