Odiereblog

I went to buy some foodstuffs and on my way back I came across some Hausa men with a wooden cage by the roadside. Inside the cage were three porcupines.  It was the first time I came across such animals in real life. I was scared to pass or go near. The quills looked sharp enough to go through anything. But some kids were gathered around, laughing and trying to poke the porcupine in the cage with sticks.  Then it happened. One of the kids got poked by a quill that poked through the cage bars. He yelped and jumped back. Immediately, the men secured the cage properly and chased the kids away, shouting for them to leave the animals alone. Standing there, heart still racing, I couldn’t stop wondering: _How do porcupines live? What do they eat? Why are they covered in those dangerous spikes?_  And what I found is that the porcupine is one of nature’s most misunderstood and fascinating survivors. The Porcupine: More Than Just Spikes Porcupines are rodents. Yes, they...