Penelope Wilson
Penelope Wilson
September 27, 2023 ·  2 min read

Tiny Hedgehog Goes Camping With His Tiny Equipment, and the Photos Are Adorable

I never knew the day would come when I would be so jealous of a hedgehog. His camping game is top-notch and he sure knows how to have some real outdoor fun!

Azuki is a pygmy Japanese hedgehog who spent a lot of his life serving up major cuteness on Instagram. With his dreamily round figure, warm eyes, tiny pink fingers, perky ears, and a button nose, you just can’t get enough of his cuteness. 

In 2018, Azuki went camping and showed us all exactly how it’s done. [1] With his miniature Coleman camping gear and equipment, Azuki took to the woods to live his best life. He had lush breakfasts fit for a king, went kayaking, fixed up a barbecue, and had a great time cozying up in his little tent. 

Azuki has featured in hundreds of photoshoots and in every one of them, he came out and owned it for his 400,000 Instagram followers. The hedgehog was born in 2016 to his Japanese owner, Shuichi Tsunoda. He was bred in 2018 with another adorable hedgehog, Momo, and they had a baby girl, Monaka, later that year. Sadly, in January 2019, Azuki passed away. The Instagram account has remained “hedgehog_AzukI” in his loving memory, but it’s filled with pictures of Monaka now, who looks exactly like her father.

Monaka’s mother, Momo, died this year on May 10. She’s all alone now but she’s determined to be the happiest hedgehog in the world.

In September 2019, Azuki’s owner, Tsunoda published a book titled: “The Adventures of Azuki the Miniature Hedgehog and Friends”. Tsunoda explains that in Japan, hedgehogs are seen as a type of rat, and generally, they don’t have a good image. By publishing the book filled with adorable photos and stories of Azuki’s life, he hopes to raise awareness of how truly wonderful the animals are. 

Azuki, the much-loved Japanese miniature hedgehog who became an Instagram sensation, with over 407,000 followers, sadly died on the 20th January 2019. His daughter, Monaka, born on the 8th of April 2018, is following in her father’s footsteps. This is a collection of adorable photographs of Azuki, Monaka, and their friends baking, playing pool, reading, and enjoying other mini-adventures.

More Photos: via Instagram

Enjoying the earthy scenery

“Give me a push into the water and let me show you how it’s done!

“My campsite isn’t going to warm itself now, is it?

What’s a camping trip without a proper barbecue?

“I’m in a good place right now.”

Camping is more relaxing than you could ever imagine.

Sources

  1. Tiny Hedgehog Goes Camping, And His Pics Are The Best Thing You’ll See Today.” Bored Panda. Stella. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
  2. Monaka & Azuki the hedgehog.” Instagram.
  3. THE ADVENTURES OF AZUKI THE MINIATURE HEDGEHOG AND FRIENDS.” Little Brown. Shuichi Tsunoda. Retrieved June 9, 2020.