Porcupine alert issued by Cambridge firefighters after sighting in village

 

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service has warned residents that a porcupine is on the loose.

The animal was spotted on the High Street in Harston, in the south of the county, by firefighters on Monday (August 2) morning, who had attended a fire call in nearby Foxton.

Officers from Cambridge Fire Station have also asked residents to be on the lookout.

In a tweet, they said: "Residents of Harston - while attending a fire call to Foxton this morning crews from Cambridge Fire Station noticed a Porcupine loose on the High Street in Harston please keep a look out."

In a retweet, Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service said: "Firefighters did a double take when they saw this porcupine on the loose in Harston last night'"

Porcupines are large rodents that are native to North America, Africa and Asia.

Like hedgehogs - only much bigger -they have a coats of sharp spines, or quills.

While they are generally passive if left alone, they can use their sharp quills in self defence.

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Hopefully the owner is traced before DEFRA sends out another hit team.