PORCUPINES – A PRICKLY ISSUE

Beatrice Wiltshire

Photo : courtesy of Anna Haw of the Landmark Foundation

Do porcupines really shoot their quills? This erroneous belief seems to have been around a long time, possibly perpetuated by childhood story book illustrations. The truth is that, if attacked, the little animal engages in some formidable posturing, erecting its quills, which are quite loosely attached and lets its enemy’s teeth sink into them. The attacker ends up with a mouth and throat full of painful barbs, as our own Jock of the Bushveld experienced.

On browsing through the gift- and curio shops, it becomes obvious that porcupine quills are increasingly being used in the manufacture of various commodities relating to the Afro-chic fad. And don’t be misled by the shop owner’s assurance that the quills were ‘picked up around the farms.’ The quills you see are usually obtained by killing the animal in the most inhumane manner by clubbing to death, hunting with dogs or the cruellest of all, using gin traps, the latter banned in more than 90 countries – but not in South Africa.

The specie has definite positive implications within a biodiversity context and porcupine research scientist Christy Bragg has written scientific papers referring to them as ‘ecosystem engineers.’ According to her, ‘studies show that productivity and diversity of plants within porcupine diggings can be many times higher compared to outside their diggings. They not only increase bulb diversity (which has important eco -tourism implications) but also contribute towards an increase in the diversity and germination of annuals, shrubs and grasses.’ This was all as Nature intended.

Going back in history, one learns that porcupine populations were inherently stable as there were

no urban or agricultural impacts on them. This stability was brought about by a self-regulating mechanism determined by population density and predation.

Then arrived the most destructive predator of all – the human being, which saw the natural balance disturbed and the start of human/animal conflict.

With an increase in agriculture and urban development, coupled with a concomitant decrease in natural habitat and predator species such as big cats, jackals, etc. this vegetarian animal turned to the ready food supply afforded by agricultural practices. With their strong incisors, porcupines were able to bite their way through agricultural fencing. In arid regions their keen sense of smell caused the thirsty animals to locate and bite through PVP water pipes, often positioned below ground level.

But this problem is not insurmountable. After discussion with farmers in the affected regions, Grant McIlrath of the Meerkat Conservation Project in the Karoo , suggested that farmers should raise their piping above ground level, perhaps on the farm fencing, to prevent porcupines from getting to them. Letsie Coetzee, Section Ranger from the Tankwa National Park, suggests that in other areas, where PVP pipes could be damaged by the sun, the problem appears to be solved by burying the pipes deep enough in the ground. It all depends on the area and its particular problems and needs.

Be that as it may, a tipping point was reached when porcupines were classified ‘vermin’ and ‘problem animals’ because of their perceived detrimental effect on farming activities. This classification led to large scale mortalities through hunting, trapping and poisoning.

Their fate was sealed when consumption of their meat entered into the equation and some game lodges now have porcupine steaks on their menus. Opportunistic farm stalls began introducing the public to the quirky commodity of porcupine quills, thereby putting an economic value on them. This led to an exponential increase in demand and killing to supply the quill trade.

Occasionally, however, some ethical farmers would contact conservation organisations, requesting help in removing problem porcupines, but this was not the norm and the fact that it is happening less frequently, is put down to the destructive impact the quill industry is having on porcupines. It appears that the animals are now being targeted specifically for their quills.

Because of their classification as vermin, porcupines were not afforded protection through either national or provincial conservation legislation. This was further compounded by the fact that little was known regarding their distribution and population. So while commercial exploitation of the species was taking place on a large scale, it was happening in a vacuum of scientific data on its effects. The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW,) through their Think Twice campaign, highlighted the plight of the porcupine within Southern Africa and the threat placed on them by commercial exploitation.

In order to address this problem and as a result of public pressure, the government drew up draft Biodiversity and Threatened and Protected Species Bills and called for input in the matter from stakeholders. In the subsequent Biodiversity Act, the porcupine has now been listed a ‘protected species,’ which by definition means ‘an indigenous species of high conservation value of national importance that requires national protection.’

Because of the Government’s policy of ‘sustainable usage’ however, this new classification does not mean that they are no longer hunted or trophy hunted. It merely means that they may be ‘used sustainably.’

There has been an exponential increase in the number of quills being supplied to the market and no documentation to trace the source or extent of each transaction – a person can deal in porcupine by-products without having to obtain a permit to do so. So there is no control over this random hunting and killing of porcupines and no means of accountability. Exports thrive.

Meanwhile our indigenous porcupine continues to be trapped (including use of the inhumane gin trap) and then shot or clubbed to death, as well as hunted with dogs. The latter method is cruel to the dogs as well, because of collateral injuries. Such is the result of the commodification of sentient beings.

It has been pointed out, also in the Farmer’s Weekly (4 August 2006) that ‘no farmer/wildlife programme has much chance of success without input from the kingpins in the debate namely the farmers.’ This is so as, apart from a few isolated eco-friendly farmers, it is mostly the farmers who have been encouraging their labourers to hunt porcupines both for their meat and their quills.

And it is all so unnecessary. When we asked one of the biggest exporters of quill products whether these quills could be manufactured synthetically, the answer was a resounding ‘no.’ However, the Inter-Continental hotel at the O.R. Tambo airport sports an eighteen metre long sculpture, all made of synthetic quills, hanging in the atrium of its Quills restaurant. So the only thing keeping this cruel trade going is the retail industry.

The next time you are browsing through gift- and curio shops, don’t be tempted to buy an item of beauty made up of porcupine quills. By doing so, you are actively supporting a cruel and unethical, consumer driven trade and could be assisting in the demise of the porcupine. A relevant, recent example would be the indigenous porcupine in Italy, which was considered a delicacy and hunted extensively within its range until it became extinct.

We can do without the lamp shades, jewellery, picture frames and even glass coasters made up of porcupine quills, but our environment cannot do without our little eco-system engineers.