Porcupine hunting in Zimbabwe

Porcupine is Zimbabwe’s largest rodent and is found throughout the country. The African Crested Porcupine have long (12 inch/30cm) black and white quills used as a defence mechanism for protection against predators. During an attack from a predator, they keep turning their back to protect their head and soft underbelly. Porcupines forage at night, digging for roots, bulbs, tubers and even feed on tree bark much like a Beaver. They favour Tamboti trees which too many animals are unpalatable. Humans barbequing their meat using Tamboti firewood will suffer terrible stomach cramps. Porcupines are usually solitary and mostly hunted at night where permissible but may also be encountered early in the morning when making their way to their burrow. They can cause extensive damage to agricultural crops. Porcupines are considered as a species of least concern by the IUCN. However, if trophies are imported to the United States, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has special rodent import regulations that concern the importation of these trophies.