Porcupine on the run in Turiec, as emu takes a city stroll

Turiec, a region in central Slovakia, has had a brush with the exotic. Locals recently spotted not one, but two out-of-place animals in the wild.

On Sunday evening, March 16, a porcupine was seen scuttling along a road between Mošovce and Turčiansky Michal, sparking a flurry of social media speculation, reports My Turiec. Some claimed that it had made the journey from the Czech Republic, where a similar rodent was recently caught.

Rangers from Veľká Fatra National Park are now attempting to capture the creature.  

“We searched the area using night vision, but it evaded us,” said park spokesperson Veronika Šimková, adding that hunting associations may assist in further efforts.

Meanwhile, an emu–a flightless bird native to Australia–caused a stir in Martin’s Priekopa district over the weekend. Unlike the elusive porcupine, police and residents managed to capture the runaway and return it to its owner.

Park rangers remain on call for injured wildlife, recently taking in a pale hedgehog and a common kestrel.