Dan Shaw with BEMP students, putting a microchip and radio collar on a porcupine so that students can later track the porcupine’s movements in the bosque.

BEMP ON THE RADIO – Click HERE!

BEMP was recently invited to be on Albuquerque’s Public Radio station KUNM for the Children’s Hour (originally broadcast on Nov 11, 2017). BEMP Co-Director (and porcupine expert!) Dan Shaw and about 20 kids joined host Katie Stone, and shared all about BEMP’s favorite animal – PORCUPINES! Jayden and Elena were the  BEMP students who helped Dan educate the listener audience about porcupines. One thing the students talked a lot about is keeping dogs on leashes so that the dogs don’t stress out wild animals like porcupines and so that dogs don’t end up with a face full of quills! BEMP is one of the only organizations studying this charismatic animal in the Southwest.

At one point the host asked if porcupines can shoot their quills – and Jayden and Elena told the listeners that NO, this is a myth – they can’t shoot their quills. AND… their quills have an antibiotic property on them so that if a porcupine gets stuck by its own quill, it won’t get an infection!

And here’s a great quote from a student: “You know those things you put the sewing needles into? That what spawns a porcupine!” hee hee!

Thanks to KUNM for hosting BEMP and for sharing about this wonderful creature!