Porcupine spotted in Hungary, no one knows how it got here

A porcupine was recently spotted in Hungary. No one knows how the animal got to Kiskunság National Park. Porcupines are not part of Hungary’s fauna. Nonetheless, one was captured by a trail camera near Bócsa on 18 November 2020.

While porcupines also have spines, they are actually not related to hedgehogs. Porcupines are rodents, and most specimens grow up to 60–90 cm long and weigh about 5–16 kg. They occur in various shades of brown, grey and white. They move slowly and use an aposematic strategy of defence. Porcupines’ spiny protection resembles that of the unrelated hedgehogs.

Porcupines are indigenous to Africa, but today they can be found in Italy and the Balkans too, Sokszínű Vidék writes. Porcupines are a very adaptable species, and they can be found in a wide variety of habitats, including forests, deserts, rocky outcrops, and hillsides. They can be found in rocky areas up to 3,700 m high.

They can also travel long distances in search for food. They do not hibernate, so they usually spend the winter months in holes. They are nocturnal but are occasionally active during daylight.

Porcupines do not belong to the Hungarian fauna. As National Park workers did not find any trace, they do not know how the animal got here or where it is now. The camera only captured it in the wild. The two most likely sceneries are that it came to Hungary through Serbia, or it escaped from captivity.

Interestingly, this was the second time a specimen was spotted in Hungary. Another porcupine was captured in Szeged earlier this year.

If you have seen the porcupine, please contact the Nature Conservation Service of Kiskunság National Park at + 36 30 555 6171. It is important that everyone should refrain from trying to catch the animal, as it can be dangerous.

Porcupines are usually peaceful creatures, but when they feel threatened, they raise their quills and clatter their teeth, causing a warning noise to let predators know not to come closer. They attack by running sideways or backwards into their predators. A porcupine’s tail can swing in the direction of the predator. If contact is made, the quills could be impaled into the predator, causing injury or death.

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Source: sokszinuvidek.24.hu