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Porcupines Burned in Caldor Fire Recover at Lake Tahoe Wildlife Shelter

Two porcupines were recovering at a wildlife shelter after sustaining burn injuries from the Caldor Fire that forced evacuations in South Lake Tahoe, California, footage from Thursday, September 16, shows.

The fire had burned 218,857 acres (about 342 square miles) and was 71 percent contained as of Friday, according to Cal Fire.

This footage filmed by Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care shows two porcupines receiving treatment at their facility.

The first clip shows a rescued porcupine being carried to the checkup table. The second and third clips show her being examined.

The shelter said in a caption that the animal “had her tilapia skin-grafting procedure done today!” All four of her paws were burned, the shelter said, “the back being severely worse than the front. Her tail quills had been burned off, and the rest of her hair had been singed. This tells us that she was not engulfed in flames like the other porcupine but walked on hot coals.”

The fourth clip shows the other porcupine that was rescued snacking in his enclosure. The last clip shows him heading into his den to sleep.

“He was rescued a few days ago,” the shelter wrote in another caption. "He rolled up into a ball before being engulfed in flames during the wildfire. His paws were unharmed, but all his hair and quills were burned off, as well as his eyes and nose being burned shut.

“We are thrilled with his progress and can’t wait to see how he progresses the next few days,” Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care said. Credit: Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care via Storyful