Porcupine carcass washes up on Cape Town beach

Posted on 17 January 2023

Just a few days after an aardvark washed up on Sunset Beach, the carcass of a porcupine was discovered at a Cape Town beach this morning, leaving residents in a state of confusion.

Picture: Facebook/ Cornelia Jansen

This morning, pictures of the dead animal were posted on social media, leading to many comments on community Facebook groups. This comes amid growing suspicions that the recent discoveries may be related to the illegal trade in African animals.

These nocturnal rodents will sometimes forage for food during the day, eating bark, roots, fruits, berries and farm crops.

They are often eaten in Southeast Asia, particularly in Vietnam, where their prominent use as a food source has contributed to declines in porcupine populations.

Their quills and guard hairs are commonly used for traditional decorative clothing.

The images were posted by Cornelia Jansen, who said that the discovery had caught her off guard. ‘I took the photos close to Koeberg, near Van Riebeekstrand, at around 7 am this morning,’ she told us. ‘Obviously, I was very surprised.’

‘You may come across a seal carcass or dead marine birds on the beach, but finding a porcupine was definitely unexpected.’

‘There is something very suspicious going on here,’ Di Binns commented on the Bloubergstranders Facebook page. ‘Have both of these poor species’ bodies been reported to the appropriate authorities?’

‘It’s just not right that these beautiful animals are being stolen & transported to another country & dying in the process.’

‘These animals could not have been in the water for a long time… if they come from a ship, it must be close by,’ added Lorraine Möller.

Meanwhile, images of a dead tortoise that was found at Eden on the Bay are also circulating on social media.

Picture: Facebook/ Lee Lee

The images of the animal that appears to have a rope attached through a hole in its shell were also shared on the Bloubergstranders page by Lee Lee, resulting in further calls for authorities to intervene and investigate the recent discoveries.

Over the weekend, the Cape of Good Hope SPCA commented on the death of a female aardvark that washed up at Sunset Beach, Milnerton, on Friday. Photographers Alex and Juanita Aitkenhead discovered the body and suspect the involvement of animal trafficking.

Picture: Facebook/ Lee Lee

Dr Luca Mendes, the attending wildlife veterinarian, performed an autopsy and determined that drowning was not the cause of death.

The conclusion is that the aardvark was already dead by the time it went into the water, either having been thrown overboard by a ship close to shore or somehow put into the sea from land.

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ALSO READ: Aardvark washes up on Cape Town’s Sunset Beach, Milnerton






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