Ollie the hedgehog becomes viral sensation

Ollie the hedgehog has become an unlikely internet sensation and, according to his carer, something of a porn star.

The elderly hedgehog was found in daylight, an immediate cause for concern for a nocturnal animal, and brought into the care of Prickles in a Pickle.

He was severely dehydrated; his face was so crusted and cracked that opening his mouth to eat caused his skin to tear and bleed and, most remarkably, he had lost all of his prickles.

But Ollie’s fortunes changed when Prickles in a Pickle co-founder Judy Oliphant posted a video of one of his treatments online.

The footage shows the grumpy old hog rolled into a remarkably naked ball while Judy lovingly massages a generous helping of cream into his wrinkled skin.

Thirteen million views later, Ollie has acquired a rather unexpected following.

And, judging by some of the comments, the internet appears to have developed some very strong opinions about Judy’s lubrication technique.

“I’ve had a lot of comments on my voice, suggestions I could do voiceover work, and comments on my lubrication style,” Judy said.

“There were some interesting comments,” she joked. “I think I’m now a porn star!

“But it has created a lot of awareness for hedgehogs, and that’s what it’s all about really.”

The accidental internet stardom has also proved surprisingly lucrative.

Judy says the video has generated more than £3,000 in additional donations, around 3,000 new followers, and an increase in “Payday Pledges” - regular donations which help the charity meet its veterinary bills.

But despite Ollie having lost all of his prickles, Judy’s description suggests at least one prick is still reporting for duty when the cream comes out.

“He’s a very grumpy hedgehog until it’s time for his spa treatments, then he gets a bit too happy,” she said.

Thankfully, Ollie’s real-life recovery is progressing well.

He has responded well to steroids and a new cream treatment, and some prickles are beginning to grow back.

“He’s very grumpy, but he’s getting there,” Judy said.

“When he came in, he was very distressed, and his skin was very dry and cracked. Now he is a lot more affable, and there is some regrowth coming through.”

Ollie is also gaining weight and responding well to red-light therapy, which Judy says helps stimulate cellular reproduction.

“He’s a very pampered hedgehog,” she added.

His treatment will now continue until he has regrown enough prickles to be released back into the wild.

The next step is a consultation with a secondary vet to determine how best to proceed.

“The vets and us are singing from the same hymn sheet in doing what is best for these animals,” she said.

Prickles in a Pickle, based in Stoke Fleming, is a registered hedgehog rescue which takes in sick and injured wildlife.

The charity says it now rescues more than 1,300 hedgehogs a year and relies on donations to fund its work.

It costs the charity an average of £57 to nurse and rehabilitate a hedgehog, while its “Payday Pledge” scheme allows supporters to donate from £1 a month.

So while Ollie may have accidentally become the internet’s most unlikely adult-film star, his viral career is ultimately doing exactly what Judy hoped.

It is putting hedgehogs – prickly or otherwise – firmly in the public eye.