Thorny Pork

Spring! Since I came here in December, the only animals I'd seen before a few weeks ago had been elk, bighorn sheep and a few deer on the sides of roads. Within the past few days, and without even really looking, I've already spotted squirrels, gophers, many new types of bird and the back end of a porcupine.

What's more, I received a call the other night from a new staff member saying he was in the cafetaria and was unable to leave because he could see a white wolf looking in at him through the window! I don't think he was very impressed by my suggestion that it was a goat, and it turned out there actually is a wolf pack that roams between here and Banff...

Last night the man who delivers the midnight papers reported there were two porcupines on the driveway. I dashed out just in time to see one waddling away. They're about the size of an obese cat with a wide spiny tail, and really, really not like a hedgehog. Apparently it's quite uncommon to see the round here, so noone believes me when I tell them. Serves me right I suppose for doubting the wolf story.

According to Wikipedia: "The name "porcupine" comes from Middle French porc d'épine "thorny pork", hence the nickname "quill pig" for the animal."