Porcupines spotted in France – ‘an absolute first’

A porcupine has been filmed in the wild in a commune in the south of France, confirming the first ever sighting of the species in France. 

The animal was captured on municipal surveillance cameras at around 00:30 on September 22 in Castellar, a commune near Menton (Alpes-Maritimes) on the French Riviera. 

After checking the images and confirming the species, the commune shared the news on Facebook.

“Present in neighbouring Italy since antiquity and observed for many years very close to our Alpine borders, the porcupine has finally crossed over,” the mairie said.

“It is officially in the commune of Castellar, in Alpes-Maritimes, that it makes its very first notable incursion into French territory.”

Origin of the species

The species is expanding its range in Italy and may have reached France naturally.

“I think it is potentially a species from Italy, since it is expanding rapidly there,” René Bonvallat, from the Alpes-Maritimes departmental service of the French Office for Biodiversity (OFB) told The Connexion. “It is capable of travelling long distances to find food and moves around quite easily.”

“We had never seen it here before, but species move, and since it was already present nearby, we knew it could potentially reach us,” he said, describing the movement as a natural migration for the species.

The porcupine's potential impact on local wildlife and agriculture, however, remains unclear, as it has not previously been established in France.

“We do not know the species very well either, since it has not been present in France until now, so we have not studied its biology,” Mr Bonvallat said.

The animal could potentially affect crops because it feeds on tubers and fruit. However, Mr Bonvallat said that it remains a protected species and that damage caused by porcupines in Italy had not led to any relaxation of protection rules.

A positive step for biodiversity

Further photographs or footage could help establish whether the Castellar porcupine sighting is an isolated case or whether the species is beginning to spread into the Alpes-Maritimes.

Some residents of Castellar and nearby Monti have claimed to have seen porcupines in the area in the 1980s, but no evidence was provided to confirm these earlier sightings.

“At a time when news about biodiversity loss is often alarming, this spontaneous arrival is excellent news,” the mairie said. “It demonstrates the gradual recovery of new habitats by large wild animals.”

The porcupine is a protected species in Europe. Anyone who sees one should avoid approaching or attempting to capture it and can report the sighting to the French Office for Biodiversity (OFB).