The heaviest hedgehog in Scotland is “refusing” to return to the wild because she loves her snack food so much.
The huge hedgehog, called Edinburgh after she was rescued from the capital, made headlines in July last year after tipping the scales at more than 5lb.
The rescued hog was put on a strict diet at her shelter in Fife and by February this year had lost half her body weight.
But attempts to get Edinburgh to return to the wild have so far failed.
She is refusing to leave charity boss Sandy Boyd’s garden in Wormit preferring to stay and snack on her favourite food of meal worms.
As a result her weight has already yo-yoed back to a hefty 3lb well above the 2lb 3oz average for an adult hog.
Edinburgh weighed just 14oz when she arrived at Wormit Hedgehog Care Centre in the autumn of 2012.
Her love of fatty mealworms resulted in her weight soaring to the point where she could not properly roll up to defend herself from attack.
With the arrival of spring, Sandy decided the time was right to release svelte 2lb 6oz Edinburgh, along with four other rescued hogs.
Sandy let them all loose in his garden and while the other four made off to explore the world, Edinburgh stayed put.
He told The Courier yesterday: “We’ve got nest boxes we use. I take them out meaning the hedgehogs can disappear on to the nature trail to Newport one way or to Wormit the other.
“But this one comes out at night and then just goes back into the box.”
Sandy said the lure of her favourite snack was one of the reasons Edinburgh stayed around and had started to beef up again.