Man Saves Hedgehog That Had Been Soaked with Crude Oil

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In May 2016 while inspecting oilfield pipes and equipment, we noticed a small hedgehog which was soaked with crude oil. Its body was stuck to the ground. The hedgehog could not move and was dying. Just a quick pulse was its sole sign of life.

“It’s better to put it to sleep,” my friend said. But I couldn’t do that. I decided to do my best to save him and picked him up softly.

When we returned to the office, he had almost no vital signs. I started to clean him using hand cleaner and a toothbrush to remove the oil from his body, but the oil concentration was very high and the cleaner did not work well. After researching on the internet about home remedies to clean the bodies of animals soaked with oil, we realized that the best material is edible vegetable oil. It not only has no danger, but also is effective.

The difficult point about our hero was that according to his nature, he rolled into a tight spiny ball as soon as he was touched and did not allow us to clean his body. So, I had no choice but to put him in a bathtub to make him unrolled.

That day, I put on my work clothes and had a little money in my pocket. Most edible oil prices were slightly higher than my money. I found a cheaper one at last. It was very hot that day (about 100°F) and I desired a cold beer, but I recalled the hedgehog which needed to be washed after an edible oil massage. So… a baby shampoo took the rest of my money instead of cold beer.

Finally, after four hours of effort, I could almost remove the oil from his body. The result was amazing, as he got up and started to run happily. It was there that my fatigue vanished and I felt hopeful that I could rescue him. He showed great stability and persistence to survive. So I decided to make his name Tenacious.

Story submitted by Saber Araghi from Tehran, Iran.

This story was originally shared on The Animal Rescue Site. Share your very own rescue story here!