The goal of the Montana Wildlife Rehabilitation Center is to rehabilitate and release injured and orphaned wildlife “back to the wild.”

But sometimes the animal can’t be returned to its habitat if its injuries have been too extensive for the animal to protect or care for itself.

In May 2006, a baby porcupine was admitted to the wildlife center, as she had been badly injured from a dog attack. The dog’s owner, realizing the severity of the situation, first looked for the mother. When she could not be found, he took the kit home and contacted the wildlife center.

The center’s staff and volunteers fed the baby porcupine by syringe for the first two months of her life. Initially, she did not want to eat, but the staff would not give up. They spent many hours coaxing her to take her milk and medications.

Their efforts finally paid off. After a few months, she not only recovered but proved to be one spunky little porcupine, waddling daily around the compound.

Unfortunately, her injuires had been severe enough to require amputation of her tail. A porcupine is not an aggressive animal, but if threatened it will attack by lashing out with its tail. A tailless porcupine would be defenseless against predators, so this little porcupine could never be released to live in its natural habitat.

The staff, therefore, looked for and found a wonderful home for her at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs, Colo., where she will spend the rest of her days playing and living peacefully with other “ambassador” porcupines on exhibit. Guests at the zoo will be able to observe porcupine behavior and better understand their world.

It is important to remember that many of Montana’s wildlife will be giving birth to their young in the next two months. Keep dogs on leashes when walking or hiking with them, or keep them in fenced areas so they can successfully coexist with our wildlife neighbors.

Porcupine pointers

A porcupine may have as many as 30,000 quills, which are hairs with barbed tips on the ends and hollow shafts.

The porcupine has quills on all parts of its body except its stomach. Porcupines cannot “throw” their quills at people or pets. You must actually touch the quill, even very slightly, for it to stick to you.

If left alone, porcupines will continue on their way and leave you alone. However, most pets have not learned that lesson and can be seriously or painfully injured from encounters with porcupines.

When a porcupine is born, its quills are soft, but begin to harden about an hour after birth. The baby will begin to forage for food after only a couple days, and it will stay with its mother for about six months.