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Porcupine Portrait - Elk Island, Canada

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You rarely get to see a porcupine up close and personal.  Many folks find them to be pests or are afraid of the myths they've heard about porcupines throwing their quills.  These animals are akin to the pacifists of the animal world.  Their entire defence mechanism is to turn their backs on their attackers forcing the aggressor to impale themselves of their quills.  I have a fondness for porcupines and find their faces to be almost primate-like.

I made this image while lying on the ground directly in front of the porcupine with my wide-angle lens.  When this image was made, the porcupine's nose was approximately 8 inches from the front of my lens.

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