She didn’t hesitate — and now he’s family.
A few years ago, Kari Vollmer settled into her new home in Maine, surrounded by peaceful forests and wildlife. Not long after moving in, she began to notice curious tracks crisscrossing her yard — and then, a few tiny quills scattered near her porch.
She had her suspicions about the mysterious visitor, but it wasn’t until one quiet afternoon that the truth waddled out of the woods: a large, gentle porcupine.
Vollmer decided to name him Alfred.
At first, Alfred kept his distance, wandering through the yard without paying her much attention. But slowly, a bond began to form. Within weeks, Alfred was stopping by regularly — sometimes in daylight, sometimes under the stars — to relax near the house as if it were part of his territory.
“Well, look who’s here tonight, humming away on my porch,” Vollmer wrote on Instagram. “Hello, old friend!”
Over time, she learned Alfred’s little habits — like his tendency to scurry up a tree whenever the UPS truck appeared, spooked by the noise.
One day, though, Vollmer noticed something was wrong. Alfred was limping badly, barely putting weight on one of his front paws. Concerned, she contacted local wildlife experts. They explained that bringing him into a rehab center wasn’t an option, as a contagious virus among porcupines made it too dangerous. Instead, they advised her to keep an eye on him and offer nutritious fruits to aid his recovery.
So she did.
Vollmer discovered that Alfred absolutely adored apples. He would chomp through them with enthusiasm, his powerful teeth crunching noisily. Watermelon, carrots, even avocado — he loved them all.
Soon, Alfred became a daily visitor. He learned her routine, often waiting in the yard if she came home later than usual, eager for his snack.
Vollmer made sure to keep a balance — one treat a day, no more — to ensure Alfred remained wild and self-sufficient. He wasn’t a pet, she reminded herself, but a neighbor she deeply cared for.
Thanks to her kindness and consistency, Alfred’s limp gradually disappeared. He had healed.
“When he first appeared, I was honestly afraid of him,” Vollmer later wrote. “I’d never seen a porcupine before … but over time, he became like family. I look forward to his visits every day.”