UPDATE:

Greater Sudbury Police say an arrest was made regarding the hedgehog stolen from Northern Exotics on Monday. On Wednesday, around 1:45 p.m. “a 17-year-old girl was arrested and charged with theft under $5,000 in relation to this matter,” said GSPS spokesperson Kaitlyn Dunn. “She was released on an undertaking with a court date of Jan. 30.” Her name cannot be released as she is a young offender. Meanwhile the hedgehog has still not been returned to the store, according to owner Dennis Epp. He said he remains concerned about the animal’s welfare and is urging anyone who knows about the whereabouts of the hedgehog to contact him.

ORIGINAL STORY:

A small, adorable beast with a spiky back got nicked earlier this week from a pet store in the Donovan.

“A hedgehog was stolen from our store on Monday,” said Dennis Epp of Northern Exotics on Kathleen Street. “It’s really frustrating and we’re quite concerned.”

Epp said the animal is an African pygmy hedgehog, which has particular dietary needs and isn’t adapted to cold temperatures.

“They have quills but it doesn’t really insulate them,” he said. “If it gets too cold they try to go into a dormant state, but these ones aren’t conditioned for that, and it usually costs them their life, so it’s important to keep them above room temperature.”

The weather has been anything but warm lately — temperatures at night have reached -24 C with the wind chill — and the young woman who took the hedgehog left with the animal in her purse.

Epp said the suspect was captured on surveillance camera and he’s pretty sure he knows who it is. The same young woman was shown in security footage making off with a rabbit in late October.

In that case, the rabbit was sold to someone else, who ended up contacting the store and paying to keep it, he said, but so far nobody has come forward with knowledge of the hedgehog’s whereabouts — let alone the hedgehog itself.

Epp posted about the recent theft on his store’s Facebook page, generating thousands of hits. Police were also alerted to the incident.

“We received the call just after 10:45 a.m. on Wednesday regarding the theft of a hedgehog,” said Greater Sudbury Police spokesperson Kaitlyn Dunn.

“I do believe an individual has been identified, but until we are granted an arrest warrant we can’t release the name.”

Epp said the hedgehog is worth $200, but his main concern right now is the animal’s welfare.

“We would like whoever has it to at least do their research and make sure it is properly cared for,” he said.

Ideally, of course, he wants the animal back.

“It’s tough for us — we’re a small business,” he said. “We don’t want anything taken from us, but especially not a living thing.”

Anyone with information about the hedgehog theft is encouraged to contact Greater Sudbury Police at 705-675-9171.

jmoodie@postmedia.com