Malta’s fattest-known hedgehog Garfield has sadly passed away due to liver failure caused by fat deposits.

Garfield was recently rescued by the Wildlife Rescue Team, after she was kept illegally as a pet, resulting in overfeeding and a lack of movement.

“Today, with a broken heart, we sadly announce that during the night Garfield crossed over the rainbow bridge,” the Wildlife Rescue Team said in a Facebook post.

“Our vet performed a necropsy during the morning to determine the cause of death. The findings show liver failure due to extreme fat deposits in the liver, causing the liver to stop working,” they explained.

“This was a direct cause of Garfield’s obesity. It was caused by months, if not years, of Garfield being overfed and not allowed to exercise and run around.”

“Internally, the damage caused to the organs by the amount of fat stored in her body, was too severe to ever be reversed. This is not cute, this is animal cruelty.”

The team stressed that this is exactly why protected animals that should be out in the wild cannot be kept as pets.

“All our volunteers are deeply saddened by Garfield’s passing, our only consolation being that for the last few weeks Garfield was able to walk around, interact with other hedgehogs, and be a proper hedgehog herself.”

It also appealed to the public to admire our wildlife in their natural habitat and reminded that it is against the law to keep any of our wild animals as pets.

“Fly high Garfield. Now you’ll be able to run to your heart’s content.”

“Special thanks go to our dedicated vets and volunteers, who on a daily basis strive to give the best possible care to our animals in rehab. Thank you to all of you who followed her journey and asked how she was doing. Your support keeps us going through these tough times.”