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A 27-year-old has been charged with assaulting a teenage boy - with a hedgehog.
Police allege that Whakatane resident William Singalargh picked up the creature and threw it about 5m at a 15-year-old.
"It hit the victim in the leg, causing a large, red welt and several puncture marks," said Senior Sergeant Bruce Jenkins, of Whakatane police. "He was arrested shortly afterwards for assault with a weapon, namely the hedgehog."
The incident is alleged to have occurred around 8pm on Saturday, February 9. Police would not confirm if the pair knew each other, or if alcohol was a contributing factor in the incident.
It is also unknown whether the hedgehog was dead or alive at the time but it was dead when it was collected as evidence.
Singalargh's lawyer Rebecca Plunket would not comment on the case. Her client will appear in Whakatane District Court on April 17 for a defended hearing on a charge of assault with a weapon. The maximum penalty is five years' imprisonment.
