Close encounter of the spiky kind

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This article was published 19/08/2022 (1285 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Brandon family was surprised by a prickly visitor in their backyard earlier this week, prompting wildlife advice from local police.

A porcupine wandered onto the Ninth Street property of the Healey family in the south end of the city Tuesday morning.

Tenille Healey recalled the encounter in an email. The creature scurried into their backyard as she returned from walking the family dog. The porcupine proceeded to run down to the gates, climbing up a fencepost and landing in their garden.

After capturing the moment on camera, the family called Brandon Animal Control, while keeping their gates open hoping their spiky trespasser would leave on its own. It didn’t seem to be too bothered by his situation, Ian Healey said, describing the porcupine’s body language as “chill.”

It did leave, eventually, and got comfy in a neighbour’s tree.

“I know they are nocturnal, so he just crawled up the tree and slept most of the day away,” he said. “He left just as the sun was going down, walked through the gate and was heading south on Ninth Street. He may have gotten caught up in someone else’s bushes, but there were a lot of people watching him.”

The family is more bemused than concerned over the visit, Healey said, adding his eldest daughter named the porcupine Spikes.

Healey said he previously lived in the east end of the city, where it’s common to see deer and foxes roaming the streets, but this is the first time he’s seen a porcupine outside his home.

“This is their land, too, so we know if you just give them space, don’t leave out garbage and we follow city dog bylaw rules and don’t let the dogs out alone, [it will be OK],” he said. “I just find this funny one would show up in my backyard. He came in here of his own volition, and he was capable of leaving.”

Porcupines are not known to be aggressive but do have a reputation for defending themselves vigorously if cornered, according to the Live Science website. Porcupines are the second-largest rodent in North America, next to the beaver, and are famous for their sharp quills covering all but their faces and bellies, of which they can have up to 30,000. When provoked, they will often turn their backs to their attackers, shake their back, swing their tails and grunt or hiss as a warning.

Contrary to popular belief, they don’t throw quills, but will either back up quickly, or slap their attacker with their tails. Quills penetrate the skin and break off the porcupine’s body, staying embedded in the target’s flesh.

The quills are hollow and barbed, making it difficult to remove without medical attention. If left in the flesh, they can cause infections and are painful.

Porcupines may appear to be clumsy and slow-moving on the ground, but are natural climbers, spending most for their time in trees.

Although Brandon is surrounded by fields and green space, the city hasn’t noticed any surge in wild animal encounters, said Brandon Police officer Const. Myran Hamm.

“I’m amazed at how well porcupines can climb when you see them plodding along on the ground,” he said. “I’ve seen them traverse climb chain-link fences and crawl over barbed wire without any problems.”

Most people understand animals live here, too, he said, adding most know the best course of action is to give them space and let them go about their business.

And to be safe, people shouldn’t let pets roam around unattended, should dispose of garbage in secure cans, and keep fences and gates locked.

“If someone comes across an injured or aggressive animal, the best thing to do is keep your distance and contact Animal Control,” Hamm said. “Beyond that, leave them alone.”

» kmckinley@brandonsun.com

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