Sweet Porcupine Loves To Be Pet
Nature is full of interesting animals. Some of them can be dangerous while others might not be dangerous but you still might not want an encounter with them.
Take a porcupine, for example. Porcupines are interesting little critters who are covered in spiky quills that act as their natural defense mechanism.
Since they’re rodents, porcupines could otherwise be chow for larger predators, but their spikes give them a chance to stay safe in the wild. Of course, this means that as humans, we might not want to get too close for fear that we might have a mishap when handling a porcupine.
But one zookeeper in Nashville, Tennessee, Jawnie, showed off a rather heartwarming video of cuddle time with their resident porcupine, Charlie. Jawnie was asked in a social media post whether or not Charlie can be touched or not. And surprisingly, it turns out that Charlie very much enjoys being scratched!
In response to the video, Jawnie posted on Instagram, “Being able to touch Charlie like this is great for his health care! He gets to enjoy scratches and massages that double as health care which becomes more important as this little 10-year-old porcupine ages.”
She went on to explain that as these critters age, they often require their quills and skin – as well as their teeth – to be regularly checked by a veterinarian. Of course, with their genetic make up that can be a little tricky, but luckily for Jawnie, she says that Charlie is a dear when it comes to letting her check him.
In order to check his skin, she first has to gently move his quills to the side so she can have a proper look at his skin. She has shared that he even “lets me check his adorable little hands and feet.”
Furthermore, Jawnie shared that, “some Prehensile Tailed Porcupines can get diagnosed with gastrolithiasis (stones in the stomach) that can generally be felt by palpating the stomach, which Charlie lets me do!” She added that unfortunately, some porcupines won’t let you near them to properly care for them until it is “too late.” But we have a feeling that Charlie will be the picture of perfect health as he loves so much hands-on attention.
People in the comments section were touched by the sweet little porcupine’s bond with his zookeepers.
One person commented, “Porcupine with a love language of touch. That’s rough buddy.”
While another joked, “Spicy fur.”
Of course, it was perhaps best described by the comment, “Porcupines are easily the best example of cruel irony in the natural world. They’re outrageously sweet and affectionate, they love hugs and cuddles, yet they’re one of the few animals we can’t even pet easily.”
Check out the TikTok post below:
@zookeeperjawnie Reply to @spookybunny420 #InLove #porcupine #charlie #Homemade #quills #prehensiletailedporcupine #probablyforyou #zookeeper #animaltrainer #vetcare ♬ Lofi – Domknowz
What do you think of Charlie? Have you ever pet a porcupine before? Let us know!
