We grew up with an '80s Victa, but it was one of the super 600 slashers with a newer 5hp engine. He probably didn't have a slasher, but the rest of their lineup used similar engines and weren't especially underpowered.

If his model was anything like ours, a hedgehog could probably crawl between the blade disc (not the blades but the thing they're attached to) and the chassis and get itself wedged in there.

Probably a reel mower. A wet fart will clog a reel mower. They were real popular back in the day.