Kösen hedgehog

In dangerous situations, hedgehogs roll in as fast as lightning, and their spiked dress then serves as protection. The pointed spines consist mainly of keratin; adult hedgehogs wear up to 8,000 of them loose on the body. Only in case of an immediate threat do they tense up a lot of small muscles and put up the sting. An extra sphincter is behind the rolling together of the body. If necessary, hedgehogs can remain motionless for several hours in this state, even several weeks during hibernation. Luckily our hedgehog is not rolled up and very soft.

Genuine stuffed animals made in Bad Kösen are collector’s items, but what they are actually made for is life in a nursery. Up to 100 parts are necessary to make a Kösen animal with securely fastened safety eyes and stuffing of non-flammable silicone hollow fibre (in case of the teddy bears and the larger specimen, they also add some plastic granulate for anatomic accuracy). Unlike many other manufacturers, who mostly use materials made in Asia, they stick to plush that comes from weaving mills in Germany, Belgium and France. It has a firmer quality and can thus be sewn more tightly – ultimately the reason for the animals’ durability. Besides, this plush fabric is resistant to hair loss. The Kösen animals are among the finest you can find, not only in craft but also in design. For every model, thorough studies of anatomy and movement are conducted in the animals’ natural environment or at the zoo; blueprints and clay models follow. Thanks to the co-operation with the neighbouring Burg Giebichenstein, a well-known training centre for product design in Germany since the beginning of the 20th century, the Kösen stuffed animals have won several design prizes.