Diana MacPherson from Ontario found a CBC video that I was able to embed here. Like many end-of-the-week videos, it shows a nice human rescuing an animal, in this case a North American Porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum) that got tipped over trying to climb a snowbank. Dexterously wielding an ice scraper, the nice Canadian woman (are those two adjectives redundant?) not only rights the hapless rodent, but digs it a ramp so it can get up the snowbank.
Good thing, too, as it seemed unable to get upright in the snow, leaving it with its unprotected belly exposed to predators.
Be sure to turn the sound on by clicking on the microphone icon at lower right.
The details:
Raelene Prieb lives between Yorkton and Melville [Saskatchewan]. She was on her way home on Monday when she spotted a porcupine in a turtle-like state, on its back and unable to get up.
Rather than pick the prickly rodent up with her hands, she instead grabbed her window scraper. The porcupine grabbed on and managed to roll over. When the porcupine was upright, it looked at the snowbank, which had presumably felled it. It attempted to scale it.
“I didn’t know if I should kinda push him up [the snowbank],” Prieb said. “I didn’t really want to touch him.”
The critter’s attempt did not go well and it tumbled back onto its backside. Prieb once again helped it up, then used the same scraper to clear a path through the snowbank, allowing the animal to finally get on its merry way.
When Prieb got home, she uploaded the video to her Facebook profile unedited, unaware that the settings for the video were set to public.
The video blew up.
At one point, she excitedly told her daughter that it had more than 5,000 views. It has since eclipsed 1.2 million.
As for why she thinks the video is so popular, she said people are drawn to a feel-good story.
“People need to see compassion and mercy and grace out there,” Prieb said.
Wonderful! But, I still would have spent less time taking video footage. The little guy was frightened. That notwithstanding, bravo for her!
Would not taking video have made him (her?) less frightened?
No; but, it would have quickened his aid. I did applaud her, by the way…
I don’t think we know that. It took time to realize that it couldn’t make it without an assist. When she did realize, she helped.
Fair enough.
I don’t see how. She made the ramp as soon as she thought of it.
Oh dear, I am making no friends here. Sorry all; it was merely my opinion and I concede that I am not always right!
No problem!
🙂
I think you just made a lot of friends.
“I concede that I am not always right!” is usually a winner. 😉
cr
I posted my response before I saw GBJames. Didn’t mean to pile on.
But, I loved the trail she made for him!!!!
This is so cool!
OT: Anyone know what these three birds are?
https://twitter.com/natureisscary/status/977003753206435841?s=12
Interesting. The intense play behavior of Orre and Tjäder (en: Grouse) is often remarked on; when they mistakenly choose a play area in villages they often end up shot because they can attack children.
Dunno about the predator bird though, there are so many possibilities.
Could the raptor be a chicken hawk?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetrao
Capercaillie, and that’s a young golden eagle
+1
Approaching 4.5 million views at the time I watched it.
The squirming legs are so pathetic and adorable at the same time. Poor thing falling in for a second time! I probably would have tried to shove it up the snow banks which would have been a far worse experience for the porcupine. It’s nice that she noticed the poor guy on his back and pulled over to help. Lots of people would just keep driving by.
Who knows how long he might have been that way. He looked exhausted! Poor little guy, good for her!
How do you milk a porcupine? ….
…. carefully.
Very heart-warming! Thanks, Diana!
Never knew they were rodents!
This poor creature is clearly not competent to survive on its own.
Poor little animal, too scared to turn around as a farewell to that simple window scraper being used twice for unexpected charitable purposes…
.-
Canada may have all of Pennsylvania’s porcupines. They are a menace to anyone who is lucky enough to own a cabin in the middle of Penn’s Woods.
I think “Oh no ,not again ” ran through his mind the second time he fell down .