Wild Babies
Baby Porcupine
Safe Handling
Do not use any blankets/sheets/towels as with most other animals. Porcupine quills have barbs on the end and if a blanket is put over them the quills will get stuck in the material. Use hard plastic objects like a plastic bin lid, shovel, cardboard, or brooms to scoot the animal into a holding container.
Baby porcupines are born precocial, eyes open and fully furred with soft quills that harden up within a few hours. Mother porcupines will leave their young at the base of the tree they are foraging or resting in; always look up to check for mom. She should collect them within a few hours or before nightfall.
Porcupines naturally move quite slowly and seem to waddle. They cannot throw their quills, but will use their tail as defence to slap quills into predators.
Resources
What you are witnessing may be perfectly normal behaviour. Look For:
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Weakness or unconsciousness
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Vomiting or diarrhea
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Discharge from the ears, eyes or nose
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Large patches of missing/damaged feathers, fur or shell
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Foreign objects stuck to or wrapped around the body
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A deceased parent or siblings nearby
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Bleeding
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Open wounds
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Fly eggs or maggots
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Cat attack - even without visible or obvious wounds
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Broken, injured or missing limbs – hindered movement
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Non-stop shivering or crying