Porcupines released at the Sanctuary

One man’s loss is another man’s gain!?

Neighbours Dean and Nadia Boswell were experiencing unwanted nighttime raids on their vegetable gardens. So Dean decided to catch the culprits! A couple of nights later he was successful in trapping to adult porcupines. We transferred them to inside the Sanctuary fence where they will hopefully do less harm. Let’s hope that they are a pair. Needless to say, no one volunteered to check!

Porcupines are the largest rodents in South Africa and are unmistakable with their body covering of long black and white quills. These can raise these quills and make a rattling sound when alarmed – we experienced this when one of them showed his displeasure at being trapped and transported in a particularly grumpy tantrum. Porcupines mainly eat bulbs, roots and bark; hence the fact that the Boswells’ potato patch proved irresistible!

As they are nocturnal we are unlikely to see these new creatures out and about very often, because during the day they hole up in burrows, but visitors may be lucky to spot evidence of them when walking the nature trail.In many areas porcupines are considered problem animals, but we are excited that these two have joined the African Bird of Prey Sanctuary family and we hope that they will be happy here.