In Council celebrating the 4th of July comes with a parade, fireworks and porcupine races

Idaho Statesman.com ^ | 2 JUL 10 | KATY MOELLER

[kbennkc]

After all, nothing says "so long, suckers" like a race for glory in which drowsy rodents are steered with brooms and plastic garbage cans across a high school football field.

No animals are injured in the annual running of the porcupines, say locals in western Idaho's Adams County. And neither are the humans, though some have been barbed by quills.

Read more: http://www.idahostatesman.com/2010/07/02/1253632/a-prickly-tradition.html#ixzz0sWw4gaoW

[kbennkc]

We Idahodians are possessed with reliable enough information to sort of believe, both Porky Pine racing and the Bunny Bop preceeded the Texas armadillo races and rattle snake round up.

[momtothree]

I have never seen a porcupine up close. Only on t.v. Do they run fast or is it just funny to watch? On Maryland’s eastern shore, there are crab races. No, they don’t move fast just a hoot to watch.

[kbennkc]

A sort of a shuffle seems to be their most rapid gate. As part of their defensive adaptation is camouflage , they are usually not seen at all because they remain still. They can easily be caught by people, repeatedly by the same dog, my old Shepard-collie, whose only memory consisted of holding grudges.