Passing Motorist Delivers Baby Porcupine By C-Section After Its Mother Is Killed By Car

Jared Buzzell never thought he'd be hand-rearing a baby porcupine, but after a bizarre turn of events on a roadside in Maine, he's now filling in as mom to the prickly newborn.

Earlier this week, Jared was driving with a friend when he saw a porcupine get hit by the car in front of him. He decided to stop and check on the animal, but when he discovered it was dead, his curiosity took over.

Jared tells news station WMTW that his uncle had once told him about a mineral which forms in porcupines' gastrointestinal systems, called bezoar stones, onced believed to possess medicinal qualities. Wanting to see if it was true, Jared grabbed his knife to try to find it.

He admits that the thought of a roadside dissection sounds a bit strange, but it did pay off -- albeit not with what he was looking for. As it turns out, the dead porcupine was pregnant, and the baby in her womb was still alive.

"Cut the sack open and out fell the porcupine," says Jared. "Cut the umbilical cord, put it in a hat. We thought it was dead, then I started massaging it, and all kinds of stuff starting coming out of its lungs, so it started breathing."

Since then, Jared has been caring for the helpless animal, feeding it baby formula every few hours from his daughter's toy bottle.

"It's adorable," he says.

Within the next few days, once the baby porcupine has gained enough strength, Jared says he plans on handing it over to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator.