One Family’s Adventures Raising a Cuddly Baby Porcupine
By Sue Roberts of the Sirikoi Lodge in Kenya
We found Nung (NUNGUNUNGU is Swahili for porcupine) when she was just a few days old. She was at the entrance to her burrow, lying next to her dead mother. We do not know why her mother had died, but suspected it was from poisoning. So we fed the baby milk from a tiny bottle with cerealac, and from the start, she had a fantastic appetite and adopted us as her family.
Nung was very affectionate, wanting to snuggle up with us in bed or with the dogs who tolerated her despite getting pricked by her sharp quills occasionally. She used to travel with us in the Land Rover and by plane, happy to be in her dark cat box (we covered it with a blanket) and she felt safe and would sleep happily until we arrived. It must have felt like the burrow where she would normally have lived.
Once we arrived, she would rush about the house and make a place for herself where she would always go if she wanted to rest, usually in a cupboard or a dark corner under a bed. If we called and she did not come, we would find her asleep in her special place. She was a very content little porcupine, even in our alien world.
One favorite place, when she was small, was to cuddle up under my hair and suck my earlobe, which was very tickly. She was most put out when I had to stop her doing this as she got bigger. She used to lie on my tummy when watching television on the bed until she again got too big and had to be persuaded to shift, at which point her quills would immediately spring up in protest, so I had to be quite careful. Also, if she got a fright or was annoyed with the dogs, her quills would spring up.
She and the dogs would come for long walks which she loved and the
dogs and kids were her friends and family. She would have mad fits of
joy, running round and round the sleeping dogs, rattling her quills and
doing a little dance. When we went to the coast, she loved running down
the beach with the dogs in the sand but would not follow them into the
water.
She was soon fully grown and would spend some time each evening
foraging around in the garden. One evening, she did not return. We
suspect she was taken by the leopard who lived in the nearby forest. We
were heartbroken, particularly the children, as she was so much a part
of our lives. We missed her cuddling up on the sofa with us in the
evening and bringing so much fun and humor to our lives.
See more from the Sirikoi Lodge on their website
Do You Rescue Too?
If you have a rescue story to share or would like to enjoy those of others, please visit The Great Animal Rescue.
Related Stories:
Chimpanzees Try Their Hands at Plumbing
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We found Nung (NUNGUNUNGU is Swahili for porcupine) when she was just a few days old. She was at the entrance to her burrow, lying next to her dead mother. We do not know why her mother had died, but suspected it was from poisoning. So we fed the baby milk from a tiny bottle with cerealac, and from the start, she had a fantastic appetite and adopted us as her family.
With a love for all creatures, Sue's team at the Sirikoi Lodge have helped orphaned wildlife of many species
Nung was very affectionate, wanting to snuggle up with us in bed or with the dogs who tolerated her despite getting pricked by her sharp quills occasionally. She used to travel with us in the Land Rover and by plane, happy to be in her dark cat box (we covered it with a blanket) and she felt safe and would sleep happily until we arrived. It must have felt like the burrow where she would normally have lived.
Once we arrived, she would rush about the house and make a place for herself where she would always go if she wanted to rest, usually in a cupboard or a dark corner under a bed. If we called and she did not come, we would find her asleep in her special place. She was a very content little porcupine, even in our alien world.
One favorite place, when she was small, was to cuddle up under my hair and suck my earlobe, which was very tickly. She was most put out when I had to stop her doing this as she got bigger. She used to lie on my tummy when watching television on the bed until she again got too big and had to be persuaded to shift, at which point her quills would immediately spring up in protest, so I had to be quite careful. Also, if she got a fright or was annoyed with the dogs, her quills would spring up.
Nung enjoys a belly rub
Enjoying her meal of strawberries
See more from the Sirikoi Lodge on their website
Do You Rescue Too?
If you have a rescue story to share or would like to enjoy those of others, please visit The Great Animal Rescue.
Related Stories:
Chimpanzees Try Their Hands at Plumbing
Mud Heals at African Oasis
Hundreds of Parrots Fly Free
Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/one-familys-adventures-raising-a-cuddly-baby-porcupine.html#ixzz2Z2efu9cp
Great
news has trickled out of North Carolina: Eleven bears have been removed
from terrible conditions in gladiator-style bear pits and now inhabit a
new sanctuary home.
