Last updated: January 13, 2022
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Keep Your Distance: Porcupine Leaves Lasting Impression
(Photo courtesy of Alexandria Zboyovski @Alicat_woof. Used with permission.)
An unexpected encounter with a porcupine on Cadillac Mountain, and the response of the community afterwards, left an indelible impression on Alexandria Zboyovski and her husky Bane in December 2018. The resident of Erie, PA, went on a winter hike up the mountain with the dog secured to a harness around her waist. Park regulations require all pets to be restrained on a leash no longer than six feet (2 m).
“Unfortunately, he pulled me while I was photographing and I had no idea that the critter was a porcupine,” she writes. “If he had not been leashed and out of my sight … I do not want to think about.”
Photo courtesy Christian Chaves. Used with permission.
Quills by the hundreds coated the roof of the dog’s mouth, gums, snout, and paws.
"Truly this was the most horrific scene I could ever have imagined as a watched my boy suffer and struggle immensely. I was not sure Bane was going to make it as we waited for the park rangers to arrive and get us to the vet.”
“It was a painful, scary, and expensive experience for sure. I am just happy my boy is alive and well. Porcupines are cute, but they do not mess around.”
"Forever grateful to the people of Bar Harbor who were so kind and helpful. While this may be a #MaineThing, it is not a fun thing … The only thing to add is how truly grateful I was for the park rangers who were working the day that this happened. Bane would not have survived without them coming to our rescue.”
Learn more about visiting the park with your canine companion at go.nps.gov/AcadiaPets
Used with permission.
Park rangers also responded to a separate incident in which two dogs tangled with a porcupine on Parkman Mountain. The owner reportedly let go of their leash for just a moment while he reached down to pick some blueberries. One dog spotted the porcupine, then the other.
Used with permission