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This may sound like a conspiracy theory, but McFlurries look the way they do because of Big Hedgehog – or more specifically, big hedgehog heads.
For those unfamiliar, McFlurries are the soft-scoop ice cream served at McDonald's on the rare occasion that their machines actually work.
That's not really a joke, as the ice cream machines are so unreliable that they were recently investigated by the feds. When they are actually served, and not confiscated by the feds for further investigation, they come in a cup with a lid that's just big enough to jam your spoon in. This design was not the original, and some of the older McDonald's fans may remember that pre-2006 there was a lot more room at the top to get out that sweet, sweet ice cream.
The reason for the design change, it turns out, was due to hedgehogs constantly getting their adorable little heads trapped inside the McFlurry tubs while trying to get themselves a treat.
The British Hedgehog Preservation Society campaigned for the change, and in 2006 McDonald's made the opening smaller, in order to make it too tiny for hedgehogs to get their heads trapped inside.
Unfortunately, the design change hasn't entirely eliminated the problem.
"This poor little hedgehog had a visit to us at the weekend after getting stuck in a McFlurry lid," Larkmead Vets wrote on Facebook in 2017. "After Nurse Poppy cut the lid off he had to be anaesthetised to have his wounds cleaned, made where he was struggling to escape! Please be careful where you dispose of your rubbish – sugary smells can be very appealing to animals. Happily he has made a full recovery and is now back snuffling around."
In essence, your McFlurry looks the way it does because of hedgehogs getting trapped inside them, but they are so determined to get at the ice cream that they are still getting themselves stuck every now and then. Best dispose of your packaging correctly, lest it become an undignified hat for a poor hungry hedgehog.
