How a hedgehog named Mr Pokee has taken Instagram by storm with 700,000 loyal followers who help him rake in up to £3k per post
The spectacles and sock-wearing mammal has become an overnight star of social media since cute pictures of his jaunts around Germany were posted
THIS adorable pocket-sized hedgehog has become a star on Instagram - with more than 700,000 loyal followers earning the fluffy-bellied creature a staggering £3,000 per post.
Named Mr Pokee, the spectacles and sock-wearing mammal has taken social media by storm, with cute pictures documenting his jaunts around Germany attracting tens of thousands of likes.
Proud owner ,Talitha Girnus, 26, has photographed Mr Pokee against an array of backdrops including a lake, river, a field of sunflowers and Burg Eltz castle, one of Germany’s most famous landmarks.
In most of the snaps, the hedgehog – small enough to fit into Talitha’s hand- appears to be laughing as he reclines on his prickly back with his tiny, pink paws outstretched.
Sometimes he wears blue stripy socks and a pair of heart-shaped glasses – and he even has his own mini teddy bear to snuggle up to.
With more than 700,000 devoted followers, more than three times as many as Boris Becker, he is among Germany’s leading cultural exports on Instagram.
Described as “the world’s cutest adventurer”, Mr Pokee has 823 posts on his site, meaning he’s already earned around £2.5million.
Talitha, from Wiesbaden, bought the domesticated hedgehog, a species native to Africa, as a pet from a German breeder when he was eight weeks old and keeps him in a terrarium where he enjoys a diet of high-quality cat food.
She said she takes photos of her pet once a week at most because it is a lengthy process.
The marketing student told : “Just to put one sock on him requires 20 minutes of tickling his tummy to relax him. And a mealworm as a reward.
“He was shy of course right at the start and sometimes hissed and raised his quills. But he’s used to me now and trusts me because he knows my smell.”
Mr Pokee has joined a growing army of so-called “petfluencers”, animals that have amassed at least 100,000 followers on social media and earn cash for their owners through online advertising and merchandise.
In addition to cash made from her posts, Talitha also sells merchandise adorned with photos of Mr Pokee via an agency in the US where some petfluencers including “Grumpy Cat” have millions of followers.
She added: “Pokee and I do a few co-operations but I select them very carefully. And I do them rarely. I don’t want to work as an influencer as my main job - although I enjoy this work, of course.”
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She said she takes Mr Pokee with her when she goes on trips by car or train but airlines won’t allow hedgehogs.
“I could never imagine leaving him behind," she explained. "And I don’t want to give him away for several weeks because we are very used to each other.”
The hedgehogs, native to Africa, have a lifespan of four to six years but can live longer.
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