Paka And The Porcupine
Let's take a look at some interesting facts about porcupines:
- A group of porcupines is called a ‘family’.
- Porcupines typically weigh between 5.4 to 9.1 kg and have a body length ranging from 63.5 to 78.7 cm.
- Porcupines can be covered by more than 30,000 quills, according to National Geographic. The quill is covered with scales which act like fishhook barbs, causing it to keep moving deeper into the tissue.
- Porcupines are a mammal and a rodent.
- To communicate they make grunts and high-pitched noises, rustle their quills and even stamp their feet.
- Porcupines are herbivores, and in certain regions, they also gnaw on trees for food, which can result in “ringbarking” and eventually kill the tree.
A high population of porcupines can be a menace. Porcupines, being herbivores, primarily feed on leaves, herbs, and green plants, but they are also known to gnaw on trees for nourishment, particularly for the bark, cambium, and inner wood. This behaviour can cause a problem known as “ringbarking,” where the porcupine strips the bark completely around the trunk of a tree. Since the bark is essential for transporting nutrients between the roots and the leaves, this can severely damage the tree and often leads to its death. In areas with a high porcupine population or limited food sources, this behaviour can have a noticeable impact on the local vegetation. - They live in a variety of habitats, including forests, deserts, and grasslands, and are found in different parts of the world, including North and South America, Europe, and Africa.
- Today, the porcupine’s worst enemy is the car. Many are killed on roads and highways.
Porcupines caught on Camera traps around the Okonjima Reserve.
The Porcupine
Pop Quiz: How far can a porcupine shoot its quills? HINT: Its a Trick Question!
A rumour has been floating around for centuries that porcupines can hurl or shoot-out their quills at enemies. The truth is a different story… … so what is the truth about ‘porcupine projectiles’?
Porcupines are solitary, slow-moving animals that largely keep to themselves unless threatened.
Porcupines are equipped with an incredible defence mechanism that can leave a lasting impression—literally.
They are covered with quills, which are actually modified hairs made of keratin. The quills are stiff and hollow with microscopic, backward-facing barbs at the tip.
Their quills, usually lie flat against the body, until they encounter a threat, at which point they “puff up” and erect the quills upright to appear larger, swinging their spiny tails – and even reversing in the direction of the threat within a blink of an eye – until the threat either leaves them alone or gets a sharp stab in the face or paw. A challenge that can end with bloody paws and fresh facial piercings. Just one quill misjudged can teach a leopard, a lion, honey badger or even a domestic dog – a painful lesson.
What makes porcupine quills particularly dangerous is their barbed structure, similar to tiny fishhooks. Once embedded, the quills get stuck in the flesh and are very difficult to remove. Worse still, the barbs make the quills burrow deeper into the animal’s tissue, causing more damage the more the predator moves or tries to dislodge them.
The injuries can be severe, and if the quills are lodged in critical areas such as the mouth, eyes, or deep in the paw, predators may suffer fatal infections, instant blindness or be in so much pain that they are unable to hunt, often leading to starvation. For many animals, one encounter with a porcupine is enough to teach them a painful lesson they won’t soon forget.
And the Leopard...
Leopards do kill and eat porcupines, but there’s a learning curve ahead for any youngster wanting to try this rodent. A face full of quills and quivers will usually dissuade a young inexperienced predator.
Lions don’t often attack porcupines, but they can when prey is scarce or if they are young and inexperienced hunters. Driven by hunger they may persist in their efforts to make a meal out of porcupine. Leopard are naturally more curious and relentlessly persistent hunters. It’s this never-give-up attitude that makes the leopard such a successful predator across a broad array of habitats.
But porcupine hunting is no easy feat and only the most experienced cats can dispatch the prickly prey without injury. Research suggests, however, that it’s usually the leopards that come out victorious in these showdowns.
The best tactic when trying to avoid a porcupine’s potentially lethal quills – is to flip it on its back to attack the soft and exposed underbelly. To counter this a porcupine will try and face rear-on to its would-be attacker, rattling its quills in intimidation and occasionally rushing backwards at it/them in an attempt to stab.
It’s a tactic that takes time to master, and young cats like Paka still have much to learn. This is the second time in two years that we’ve had to dart him to aid in his quicker recovery. Quills can sometimes work their way out of the skin over time if left untreated. However, in most cases, the tiny barbs on the shafts of porcupine quills cause them to move inward, deeper into the tissues, rather than working their way out, unless the leopard successfully rips them out itself. Migrating quills can become lodged in joints or even penetrate vital organs like the brain, leading to a life-threatening situation.
Once darted we use some needle nose pliers and grab the quill as close to the animal’s skin as possible and then remove quickly and straight out of the body.
About PAKA
Paka is approx 9 years of age and weighs in at 47.55kg’s currently. His weight has fluctuated a lot but we are keeping an eye on him. We suspect his mother is Shira and his father is Sefu. He first joined our research project in 2018. His first encounter with a Porcupine was in 2022 and his most recent was this year in May. He had quills stuck in his neck, mouth & paw.
We don’t know if Paka succeeded in killing the porcupine or if he lost the fight once again. If it’s the latter, let’s hope he has finally learned his lesson.
PS - What do YOU do in case of a Porcupine encounter?!
The best course of action if you encounter a porcupine is to leave it alone. These solitary creatures have no interest in interacting with humans.
However, if you or your pet comes into contact with a porcupine and gets quilled, seek immediate medical attention. Porcupine quills absorb moisture and body heat, causing them to expand and burrow deeper into the skin. If possible, snip off the ends of the hollow quills to release internal pressure, and then promptly seek professional care to ensure the quills are properly and fully removed.
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