Snapshot: Family Time and a Pensive Porcupine
National wildlife refuges are great for wildlife photography. Photographer Gabi Randall and her grandmother might not have found the wildlife they were looking for, but they did get an unexpectedly fun encounter instead.
One September morning last year, Gabi Randall and her grandmother took a trip to Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge at — according to Gabi — “dark o’clock” to see if they could catch a glimpse of a moose. Gabi had previously captured some great moose photos in the area, and her grandmother was hoping for a sighting after having not seen one in a while.
Although their mission to find a moose wasn’t successful, the pair was delighted by Gabi’s very first porcupine sighting.
They didn't find the moose they were looking for, but they did come across fun wildlife. Photo by Gabi Randall
“I saw what looked like a big lump of grass wandering around a field. I’d been hoping to find a porcupine for quite a while, but they’re surprisingly hard to track down. It was early in the morning and the porcupine wasn’t too bothered by my presence and poked its head up to get a good look before returning to its foraging,” she said.
It was a particularly exciting moment for Gabi — she’s always loved porcupines from afar and thinks they’re fascinating creatures. Getting to see all the diverse wildlife we have in Washington is one of the reasons she loves getting out on trail.
“I love how thoughtful and pensive the porcupine looks,” she said. “I absolutely love porcupines — they’re one of my favorite mammals that we have in the state … It’s amazing how many different animals we have in Washington, and all it takes is a bit of luck to spot some exciting ones out on the trail. We have over 100 different mammal species that live in the state!”
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