Recently, a veterinary office in Nordfjordeid had an extra guest. Someone had found a small porcupine, and wondered whether it would be out now at this time of year. – Porcupines should have gone to sleep by now, says Charlotte Carlson, at Eid veterinary office. It is important that the porcupine fatten up well in the autumn, so that it has enough fat reserves to get through the winter. Adult porcupines should weigh around 900 grams before they hibernate, baby porcupines half that. This little crab weighed only 390 grams. – As it was so small, I picked it up, says Carlson. Not a pet At the veterinary office, the porcupine gets warmth, food and water. Here it can be until spring. Karlson points out that you are not allowed to keep wild animals in captivity. – When you take in a porcupine, it is not to keep it as a pet. It is only to help it over the winter, because it will be out again in the spring. Porcupine after rehabilitation. Photo: Owned veterinary office It is not often that the veterinary office receives porcupines, but they have a duty to help. This year they have two little porcupines, who will live there over the winter. Red-listed species Head of Animal Protection Sogn og Fjordane, Beate Green, says that the porcupines that have not gone into hibernation now need help. Some will say that the porcupines you find outside now are a weaker individual and that this will be the course of nature. Is it then right to help? – Yes, porcupines are a somewhat dangerous species, so it is important to help them, so that the population grows even more, says Green. If you find a porcupine outside now, you must bring it in before it disappears. Use gloves or mittens and lift it into the box, and then contact a vet, says Green. – The fact that people are concerned that everything should be nice and decorative around them means that porcupines can no longer find food in the paddocks, so it is perhaps a bit our fault too, that they have not had enough food, says Green. In 2021, porcupines ended up on the red list for the first time, which is close to freezing in Norway. Duty to help The Animal Welfare Act states that if you find an animal that is clearly sick, helpless or injured, you have a duty to help this animal as far as possible. This applies to both wild and domesticated animals. If it is a wild animal, there are rules in the game regulations that lay down guidelines for what help can be provided. It states, among other things, that you can take care of a sick or injured game for rehabilitation, if the game can be returned to its natural environment within a short time. This must always be done in consultation with a veterinarian. – As a general rule, it is not allowed to capture wild animals, and it is important to involve professionals if wild animals need help, says expert advisor at Animal Protection Norway, Eva Breuer Hustoft. Must apply to the municipality When winter comes, it can be tempting to give the four-legged friends something to eat. The legislation states that feeding wild deer is prohibited in Norway. The exception is if the snow conditions are such that it becomes difficult for the animals to find food themselves, or in situations where animal trampling creates difficulties in traffic. Then you can apply to the municipality for a permit for feeding. When it concerns animals such as porcupines, there is nothing in the legislation that it is forbidden to put food out for them when spring comes. – As a general rule, wild animals cope well in the nature they were created to live in, says Breuer Hustoft. How to handle an injured animal Bring the animal to a vet if possible. Vets have a duty to help injured animals, including wild animals. In case of injured big game, you can contact the game board in your municipality by calling the police on 02 800. For injured birds, you can contact the Bird Watch at BirdLife Norway (formerly the Norwegian Ornithological Association) on the 24-hour telephone number 901 22 901 Larger birds such as swans, geese and the like fall under the category “injured game” and it is then the game board that should be contacted via 02800 If you discover an injured porcupine, you can contact the Hedgehog Aid on 92 28 00 21 Source: Animal Protection
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Porcupine got help at the last minute – this is what you should do if you find an animal in need – news Vestland
