Wild Porcupine Makes Full Recovery At Blue Ridge Wildlife Center

BOYCE, VA — A porcupine that was brought to the Blue Ridge Wildlife Center with a lung infection and missing quills has made a full recovery, the wildlife center announced on Friday. The porcupine was released back into the wild.

The porcupine was originally found by the Winchester Police Department. Officials at the wildlife center said his initial prognosis was not great, but he quickly began to improve.

"We’re so glad that the porcupine made such a great recovery," said Jennifer Riley, director of veterinary services with Blue Ridge Wildlife Center.

Riley did not say where exactly they released the porcupine. However, she did note that it was close to where he was originally found.

"We just don't want people to go out looking for him," Riley noted on Friday. After the wildlife center began posting updates about the porcupine's treatment on social media, other Virginia residents began posting their own porcupine sightings. "If you see a porcupine, consider yourself lucky because there are so few in the state. Please admire them from a respectful distance"

Photo courtesy of the Blue Ridge Wildlife Center.

Porcupines are not a common site in Virginia, as they were hunted to dangerous levels in the mid-1800s. In the past 35 years, porcupines have begun to spread from areas in West Virginia and Maryland into Virginia. Experts believe that porcupines are now breeding in northwest Virginia.

The Blue Ridge Wildlife Center is a non-profit organization that is the only hospital in northern Virginia specifically for wildlife. This year, the center has cared for more than 3,500 wild animals. In most years, the center helps around 2,000 animals.