Baldy was born without any spines (Picture: Caters)

As bizarre as a zebra without any stripes, a camel without a hump, or a cheetah without any spots, we bring you a hedgehog without any spikes.

Baldy was discovered in a garden in Duntocher, Dunbartonshire, but may never live in the wild because of his rare condition.

He’s being looked after by staff at Hessilhead Wildlife Rescue centre in Ayrshire and they say he is ‘confident and healthy’, despite being totally spineless.

Gay Christie, who run the rescue centre with her husband Andy said it was a total mystery and she had never seen anything like it in the whole 28 years they had ran the centre.




She said: ‘When we opened the box he arrived in the first reaction was shock, to see this strange looking animal.

He won’t be able to go back to the wild unless he grows his spines (Picture: Caters)

‘We’ve never seen anything like this before.

‘This is a first for us, and we’ve had at least 500 hedgehogs through our doors this year alone.’

Without his spines Baldy’s skin is very sensitive and dry and is being treated daily with tea tree oil.

‘I think he will definitely stay with us over winter,’ Mrs Christie added.

‘Apart from having absolutely no fur or spines he is actually healthy and active.

‘We think he survived so long because the weather has been warm and he would have been able to maintain his body weight.

‘He is a confident little hedgehog and he’s cute.

‘We will continue to monitor him and will just have to wait and see what happens.’