I'm not one for stopping on the side of the road to inspect some roadkill, but this one was special. I usually try to avoid catching a glimpse of the mess. The animals I've seen hit and still partially alive throughout the years will forever haunt me, but this one caught my eye. I've never seen a live porcupine in or outside of NJ. I've seen its quills and I've seen other people's photos of them in NJ but I have never seen one. So I left the car running and jumped out for a quick peek. Poor thing was intact (thankfully) and didn't smell (also thankful). Then I drove for a minute or two and thought that I really wanted a pic. So I turned around, properly parked, and ran back with camera.Which leads me to my new questions, how fast was porcy going when it was crossing the road? Seems weird that it would be intact...all internal injuries? How fast can they go on foot? Do they make noises? All new questions.
3 comments:
Is there a number you can call if you see injured animals on the road that have been hit? I know there is one in CA for injured birds--which I realize are not the same as larger animals, but they advise you on whether or not there is hope for the animal and what to do (I know that's really vague, but you know what I mean).
That's quite a find, and its good that you got the photo as documentation. Looks like it got "clipped" rather than "run over". They're not known for their speed, so are perhaps a bit vulnerable. I used to see them DOR in northern California, but its a rare sight these days. USFS waged a campaign against them -- they were a nuisance in early second growth forest.
You can call NJDEP hotline and they will be able to direct you to a local wildlife rehabber. However, if it's a common or nuisance species they probably won't want to help.
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