{"id":221824,"date":"2025-10-18T08:40:10","date_gmt":"2025-10-18T08:40:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/221824\/"},"modified":"2025-10-18T08:40:10","modified_gmt":"2025-10-18T08:40:10","slug":"woman-sees-paw-prints-by-her-house-and-finds-a-mystery-visitor-in-need-of-help","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/221824\/","title":{"rendered":"Woman Sees Paw Prints By Her House And Finds A Mystery Visitor In Need Of Help"},"content":{"rendered":"

A few years ago, Kari Vollmer moved into a new house in Maine. Surrounded by lush woods, Vollmer was intrigued by the strange animal prints showing up in her yard.<\/p>\n

Kari Vollmer<\/p>\n

Then she saw tiny quills.<\/p>\n

Kari Vollmer<\/p>\n

Vollmer must have had her suspicions, but it wasn\u2019t until a large porcupine lumbered out of the forest one day that she finally realized exactly who she was dealing with.<\/p>\n

Kari Vollmer<\/p>\n

At first, the porcupine, whom Vollmer named Alfred, seemed uninterested in her. They gave each other plenty of space.<\/p>\n

But over the next few weeks, Alfred took a liking to Vollmer. He came around often \u2014 both day and night \u2014 to say hello and lounge in her yard.<\/p>\n

Kari Vollmer<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, look who showed up tonight, loudly humming on my porch,\u201d she wrote in a post on Instagram<\/a>. \u201cHello, old friend!\u201d<\/p>\n

She learned Alfred\u2019s quirks, like his habit of climbing trees when the UPS driver arrived because he was scared.<\/p>\n

Kari Vollmer<\/p>\n

So, of course, when Vollmer spotted Alfred hobbling towards her one day, she knew something was wrong. The poor porcupine walked with a significant limp and couldn\u2019t put weight on one of his front paws. He was injured.<\/p>\n

Vollmer reached out to local wildlife professionals, but they couldn\u2019t help. A virus spreading among porcupines in the shelters would put him at risk. Instead, they told her, she should feed him fresh fruits to help him heal and monitor his progress.<\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t take long for Vollmer to realize Alfred loved apples. He devoured them, crunching away with his giant front teeth. He gobbled up watermelon, avocado and carrots.<\/p>\n

Kari Vollmer<\/p>\n

Soon, Alfred showed up every day for his snack. He also learned Vollmer\u2019s quirks, like her schedule. If she arrived home later than usual, he\u2019d be there waiting for his treat.<\/p>\n

Vollmer made sure to only provide one snack a day for Alfred, because she wanted to make sure he stayed wild. He wasn\u2019t a pet; he was a neighbor.<\/p>\n

\"click<\/p>\n

Alfred made a full recovery thanks to Vollmer\u2019s kindness and dedication.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen he first showed up here, I was scared of him,\u201d Vollmer wrote on Instagram<\/a>. \u201cI\u2019d never seen a porcupine before \u2026 he\u2019s become family and I enjoy his visits so much.\u201d<\/p>\n

If you want to follow Alfred’s adventures, you can find him on Instagram<\/a> and TikTok<\/a>.\u00a0\"'Unusual'<\/a>‘Unusual’ Fox Too Friendly For The Wild Demands Belly Rubs From His CaretakersHe’s built a little differently …<\/a>