8 orphaned hedgehog cubs refuse to eat, but then a mother cat arrives to save them
A baby animal absolutely needs it's mother during the first days and months of life, as without her they would feel lost and would hardly be able to overcome the first difficulties of life. At least this is what happens for most mammals, including hedgehogs, who could not survive the first few days of life without their mother's heat and milk. Fortunately, however, nature never ceases to surprise us and, even in the most desperate cases, it seems to find unexpected solutions. At the Vladivostok Zoo, Russia, eight orphaned hoglets refused to eat; the zoo workers, however, wanted to make a last ditch attempt ...
via Dailymail
All eight baby hedgehogs refused to take the milk necessary for their survival through the syringes or bottles that the zoo staff tried to offer them. Desperate, the zoo workers wanted to make one last attempt: they presented the 8 orphans to a cat mother named Musya, who had just finished weaning her kittens, hoping that her maternal instincts and her milk could save the life of the little hoglets. Incredibly, this move turned out to be a winner!
Musya was still producing milk and the little hedgehogs seem to have quickly gotten used to her smell, recognizing her as their mom.
It doesn't matter if Musya and the little hedgehogs belong to two completely different animal species, because in these cases it seems to be the incredible maternal instinct that makes the difference. Thanks to her milk and her care, the eight hedgehogs survived: for them, the world is no longer so scary!
Obviously, no one at the Vladivostok Zoo was convinced that the experiment would work 100%, but as soon as things seemed to work, the emotional reward was great for them too. Just watch the video of how the little ones seem to be perfectly at ease in the company of their mother Musya, to understand that a mother's love can really come from anywhere. Congratulations to this unusual and beautiful family!
