A Prickly Subject
Susan B. Eirich, PhD
November 20, 2023
A marvel of evolution, the porcupine depends on its unusual armor for protection
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From our wildlife ambassadors to rehabilitation patients and local wildlife, these posts tell the stories of animals that call Earthfire Institute home.
A marvel of evolution, the porcupine depends on its unusual armor for protection
Below is a fascinating example of porcupine intelligence. The idea might be strange to many of us, but when you think of it, all animals must have an adaptable intelligence in order to survive. In this case, a porcupine communicating his needs to a human. But not just any human—specifically
Our very sleepy and seasonably plump bears recently settled in for their long winter’s nap, but that doesn’t mean work on their new gardens has slowed down. The landscapers are busily trying to finish up ahead of winter, planting over 200 trees and shrubs, laying out irrigation, ensuring the wetlands
We all know the look. It’s the same look a child has when they’ve been caught with their hand in the cookie jar. Many of us have seen cute viral videos of dogs and cats displaying the same guilty look when they’ve been caught red-handed doing something they know they
Fall is in the air and Mother Nature has already given us our first dusting of snow here in the valley. The days are shorter and cooler, so the construction crews continue busily working long days and weekends to beat the changing weather and meet scheduling deadlines. Recently, our General
We are already four months into construction on our new Bear Gardens, which means we are approximately halfway through the build. Construction is scheduled for completion by January 1! The bears will be hibernating for the winter by then, so we anticipate moving them to the new gardens when they
She came to us tiny, cold, and limp, a baby chipmunk barely a few weeks old. Prospects didn’t seem good. But it is amazing what warmth and tiny doses of Pedialyte can do. Within a day she was eating well, and very soon thriving. She grew. She grew plump. We
Yesterday, I had a conversation with an ant. A tiny little red one. Well, maybe it wasn’t a conversation, as it was sort of one-way, but I enjoyed it. Most of it was nonverbal—an appreciation and admiration of its strength and persistence. The sink was full of them—excited, industrious, and
When the bears wake up, it is a wondrous occasion. The land begins to pulse with their powerful presence. They emerge slowly, tentatively—is it time yet? A nose. Sleepy little eyes. Fuzzy ears. One front leg reaches out of the den entrance. Another. Slowly, the front of the body emerges.
A few weeks ago, our very beloved fox Loki passed away due to kidney failure. He was with us for nine glorious years, quite long for a fox that had been so inbred. He was the result of a long-term breeding experiment in Russia to study the process of domestication.
A marvel of evolution, the porcupine depends on its unusual armor for protection
Below is a fascinating example of porcupine intelligence. The idea might be strange to many of us, but when you think of it, all animals must have an adaptable intelligence in order to survive. In this case, a porcupine communicating his needs to a human. But not just any human—specifically
Our very sleepy and seasonably plump bears recently settled in for their long winter’s nap, but that doesn’t mean work on their new gardens has slowed down. The landscapers are busily trying to finish up ahead of winter, planting over 200 trees and shrubs, laying out irrigation, ensuring the wetlands
We all know the look. It’s the same look a child has when they’ve been caught with their hand in the cookie jar. Many of us have seen cute viral videos of dogs and cats displaying the same guilty look when they’ve been caught red-handed doing something they know they
Fall is in the air and Mother Nature has already given us our first dusting of snow here in the valley. The days are shorter and cooler, so the construction crews continue busily working long days and weekends to beat the changing weather and meet scheduling deadlines. Recently, our General
We are already four months into construction on our new Bear Gardens, which means we are approximately halfway through the build. Construction is scheduled for completion by January 1! The bears will be hibernating for the winter by then, so we anticipate moving them to the new gardens when they
She came to us tiny, cold, and limp, a baby chipmunk barely a few weeks old. Prospects didn’t seem good. But it is amazing what warmth and tiny doses of Pedialyte can do. Within a day she was eating well, and very soon thriving. She grew. She grew plump. We
Yesterday, I had a conversation with an ant. A tiny little red one. Well, maybe it wasn’t a conversation, as it was sort of one-way, but I enjoyed it. Most of it was nonverbal—an appreciation and admiration of its strength and persistence. The sink was full of them—excited, industrious, and
When the bears wake up, it is a wondrous occasion. The land begins to pulse with their powerful presence. They emerge slowly, tentatively—is it time yet? A nose. Sleepy little eyes. Fuzzy ears. One front leg reaches out of the den entrance. Another. Slowly, the front of the body emerges.
A few weeks ago, our very beloved fox Loki passed away due to kidney failure. He was with us for nine glorious years, quite long for a fox that had been so inbred. He was the result of a long-term breeding experiment in Russia to study the process of domestication.
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Our website presents an aspect of relating to wild animals that many of us don’t realize is possible. We believe that all Life is deeply interconnected and we have much to learn from each other through meaningful, guided interaction led by professional animal handlers. Authentic reconnection results in action to protect wildlands and wild beings.
Earthfire Institute is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. EIN 82-0525968
