Little kindnesses pay huge dividends in aviation and a British Columbia saga is living proof. Mackenzie the porcupine found a home in a light plane that crashed in the rugged northern Interior of the province and was discovered after the wreckage was trailered 600 miles to the southern city of Penticton for salvage. Local groups rallied to nurse the creature back to health and pilot Jayson Biggins then brought the story to an end with volunteer flight to the site of the crash so Mackenzie could be released in the same forest near the town of MacKenzie. The story has gone viral online and was picked up by major networks in Canada.
Best Of The Web: Mackenzie The Porcupine Flies Home With Help From Friends
A young female porcupine is back roaming the British Columbia forest after being found in plane wreckage.
Great uplifting story, wonderful people. I’ve done some PilotsnPaws flights but never flew a porcupine!
Uh . . . what caused the crash?
Good story, Russ. I just hope that Mackenzie does not suffer the same fate as an unfortunate sea otter following the Exxon Valez oil spill way back when. The otter was found, covered in oil and near death, by some cleanup personnel following the massive oil spill. To demonstrate their concern for the wildlife, Exxon flew the otter down to SeaWorld in San Diego where their experts nursed it back to health. Fully recovered, the little critter was then flown back to Alaska and taken out into Prince William Sound. To great fanfare from the crowd on the boat, it was released back into the water, where it was abruptly eaten by a passing Orca. Nature doesn’t always appreciate peoples’ good intentions. I guess that Mackenzie is better equipped to defend against forest predators. May she live long and prosper.
Good point, and apropos here. It’s a cute story, but a bit too much so for my tastes.
First little “Mackenzie” doesn’t know or care about her name - she’s a wild animal, oblivious to naming. Secondly, let’s not lose sight of the very real fact that cute little “Mackenzie” can and WILL hurt you, given the opportunity. It’s what porcupines do - it’s in their DNA.
It’s probably a good idea not to get too carried away with human-centric fantasies in situations like this.
Well, tastes do change for better or worse. The fact Mackenzie was found in the wreckage indicates a hunting and survival instinct is intact. It has been mentioned to me by folks who have first hand experience that she and her ilk have a fondness for tires. Perhaps that’s why she was located at the wreck. Locals in isolated areas leave old tires around their planes I’m told to save their aircraft tires. Talk about weird tastes.
"First little “Mackenzie” doesn’t know or care about her name - she’s a wild animal, oblivious to naming. "
So my aircraft, devoid of consciousness to boot, is not ‘Wayfarer’?
She’ll be probably hard to start now…