There have been many unlikely friends in the animal kingdom, but what about a dachshund and a porcupine? It looked as though this rejected porcupine was going to have to grow up on his own. But then an unexpected friend came his way…
Pushed Out
Diablo, the porcupine, was born at Cotswold Wildlife Park, UK, to Prickle and Hannah. However, there was an issue. Hannah was still caring for her twins, and Diablo’s arrival came as quite the surprise. The little porcupine was rejected by his parents. The zookeepers knew they had to step in if Diablo took a chance.
Taking Him In
Estelle Morgan stepped up to the plate and took Diablo home to hand-rear the porcupette. Here, Estelle fed Diablo every couple of hours to make sure he got all the nutrients he needed. The first few days are the most important in their life, and it looked as though Diablo was a fighter.
A Growing Friendship
Estelle wanted to try and keep Diablo’s life as normal as possible, so she decided to introduce the rejected porcupine to her dachshund, Fig, for some social interaction. The pair were a little wary of each other to start, but this was the beginning of an incredible friendship.
Best Of Friends
Now, Diablo apparently jumps around and bucks all over the place whenever he sees Fig as the pair can’t wait to play with each other. As if that wasn’t enough, Estelle loves getting to watch them spend all day running around the yard together.
Thankfully, both Fig and Diablo have learned how to love one another. This rejected porcupine was once facing the edge. Luckily, Estelle’s quick thinking not only means that Diable got his chance to fight for survival, but he got a new best friend in the form of Fig, too.