THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES WAS CALLED IN TO A SIOUX CITY HOTEL RECENTLY TO DEAL WITH A RARE VISITOR TO SIOUXLAND.
A PORCUPINE WAS IN THE PARKING LOT OF THE COMFORT INN BACK IN MARCH.
D-N-R WILDLIFE BIOLOGIST VINCE EVELSIZER, SAYS THAT’S A CALL THAT DOESN’T HAPPEN OFTEN.
PORCUPINE1 OC….IN IOWA” :13
D-N-R STAFF WERE ABLE TO CATCH THE ANIMAL AND SAFELY RELOCATE IT TO A MORE SUITABLE WILDLIFE AREA OUTSIDE OF TOWN.
IOWA HAS SEEN MOOSE AND BEAR WANDER IN FROM OTHER STATES — AND THAT’S PROBABLY WHAT HAPPENED IN THIS CASE.
PORCUPINE2 OC……MINNESOTA. ::10
THE PORCUPINES ARE KNOWN FOR THEIR SHARP QUILLS, BUT EVELSIZER SAYS THERE IS SOME WRONG INFORMATION OUT THERE ABOUT THEM.
PORCUPINE3 OC…………TO GET OUT. :25
EVELSIZER SAYS THE PRICKLY ANIMALS USUALLY ROAM AROUND IN THE NIGHT, SO SPOTTING ONE IS A TREAT.
IN GENERAL, PORCUPINES ARE NOT A BIG SAFETY THREAT TO PEOPLE, AS THEY LIKE TO DO THEIR OWN THING.
Updated 10:30 p.m. 4/4/23 with Dar Danielson
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THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES WAS CALLED IN TO A SIOUX CITY HOTEL RECENTLY TO DEAL WITH A RARE VISITOR TO SIOUXLAND.
A PORCUPINE WAS IN THE PARKING LOT OF THE COMFORT INN BACK IN MARCH.
D-N-R STAFF WERE ABLE TO CATCH THE ANIMAL AND SAFELY RELOCATE IT TO A MORE SUITABLE WILDLIFE AREA OUTSIDE OF TOWN.
THE D-N-R SAYS IN A POST ON ITS FACEBOOK PAGE THAT THE PORCUPINE WAS NOT DANGEROUS AND THEY WERE ABLE TO COLLECT SOME QUILLS FOR DNA SAMPLES TO TRY TO DETERMINE WHERE THE ANIMAL TRAVELED HERE FROM.
PORCUPINES ARE RARE IN IOWA AND PRIMARILY LIVE IN FORESTS IN NEIGHBORING STATES NORTH AND WEST OF HERE.
Photos by Iowa Dept. of Natural Resources
