One tends to think of porcupine roaming in the wild but they are quite common here in the neighbourhood, though they not always welcome. For the keen gardener who prizes the display of flowering bulbs they can become pests. Being herbivores they are partial to a diet of juicy geophytes and digging up corms / bulbs is a nightly escapade.
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Nature on the Edge 
Not to mention the bane of dog owners!
Terrific photograph!
They’re so amazingly adaptive!
True, and have become very comfortable in the urban eco-niche.
I wonder if any detailed studies have been done on exactly that subject?
Would be interesting to find out. I’ll put the question to the ADU at UCT. They have their finger on the pulse of fauna/flora studies. Interesting observations too from Carol (in comments below) on beneficial actions for plants re. propagating aspects.
Lovely photograph! It reminds me of the porcupine that regularly visits the camping area in the Addo Elephant National Park.
They appear to be creatures of habit. Would be interesting to know how far they ramble in a night.
Good grief is this your doorstep? and do they attack dogs?
Actually it’s my neighbour’s doorstep out onto their patio. They wander between our houses. They’re shy creatures and generally not aggressive, the problems arise when dogs chase them. They’re notorious for turning a full arsenal of back quills into the face of their attackers. My sister’s dog had a close encounter and very close call with quills being lodged into the chest area (just missing the heart). Had to be extracted by the vet.
Great picture. We also have porcupines in our neighbourhood. At least one digs under the fence to come into the garden. Although they dig up the arums to eat the corms, interestingly it seems to disperse offsets and lots of little plants sprout up from the dug up patch. Waiting to see if the same thing happens to wild freesias. Our dogs have learnt to respect them! Live and let live ☺
Those digging claws are effective! Interesting observation Carole on the porcupine’s role of plant propagation with the arums. Will be interesting to follow up on the freesias.
Watch out for spines!
🙂 family pets have been ‘pinned’, luckily nothing serious though.