RIP Darcy The Flying Hedgehog, We Hardly Knew Ye

The first time we were introduced to Darcy, he was crouching hidden in the palm of his human’s hand.

It was May 2011, and we had no way of knowing how far this little hedgehog would go.

After a few trial point-and-clicks, and some lackluster filter experimentation, the Darcy aesthetic was set: sharp, clean, often all-white backgrounds, evocative shadows, and one or two props.

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His Instagram account grew swiftly, peaking at close to 420 000 followers.

But fame never changed him, or his love for lesser spikes.

 

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If there was one passion that guided this hedgehog through life, it was his deep, unbridled love for sitting inside things.

He would sit inside a bowl:

He would sit inside a teacup:

He would sit inside a pot:

He would sit inside a shoe:

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Mostly, though, he just enjoyed flopping around in a hand.

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When videos came to Instagram, we were all delighted.

We held his tiny paw quietly, and patted it with our thumb.

He seemed happy and loved.

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The warning bells rung out on January 5, when a photo was posted along with the message: “Perhaps, this is the last picture. We can’t take a new picture because Darcy is too old. Thank you all.”

If you look closely at his eyes, you can see the wrinkles.

And then, over the weekend, the saddest photo of them all: the cover of a book commemorating the life of the world’s favourite hedgehog, who had finally succumbed to old age.

“I am grateful to have met Darcy, and that people around the world could get to know Darcy, too. I have put together a small book of memories of Darcy. When you’re feeling sad, or things aren’t going well, I hope that looking at this book will put a smile on your face. Everyone, thank you very much for your support.”

Heaven just got a little spikier. Relive all the magic here.