A motorist driving through Debert, Nova Scotia came to the aide of a severely injured porcupine earlier this month. The animal was so weak it fell over when he approached it—but it wasn’t until the motorist took it to the Cobequid Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre that the extent of the injury was revealed.
Staff determined that the porcupine had two holes in its head, both located just above its eyes. They initially believed the animal had been shot, but after close examination by Dr.Helene Van Doninck, they realized this was not the case as no traces of lead were found.
Van Doninck says she thinks the porcupine was attacked by a predator, most likely by a fisher, which is a member of the weasel family.
During the examination, it was also determined that the injured animal was pregnant with a stillborn.
The injured porcupine is being kept under the care of staff at the rehab centre. They are feeding it a diet of apples and applesauce. Hopes are high for the recovery and when she is strong enough, she will be released back into the wild.
It is important to remember that approaching any animal in the wild is dangerous and that because this specific animal was wounded, it was submissive to the help it received.
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