v. important

photo by @joelsartore | This albino #porcupine was hit by a car near Halsey, #Nebraska, last summer. After dragging herself to the side of the road, she was picked up by a biologist and was transferred to @newildliferehab for emergency care. She suffered broken bones, teeth and internal bleeding with bruising over most of her body. Her wounds required over three months of intensive care at the start of her rehabilitation. Now, after more than 9 months in care, she has healed, although permanent damage to her teeth will prevent her release back into the wild. This majestic porcupine is symbolic of the impact cars and people can have on wildlife. She is also #rare – albinism occurs in less than one in every 50,000 North American porcupines in the wild. Nebraska Wildlife Rehab (NWRI) rescues and rehabilitates native wildlife for its return to the wild and educates people everywhere about the importance of wild animals and wild spaces and how to live in harmony with wildlife. #photoark #wildlife #porcupine #albinism #nature #wild #photooftheday

A photo posted by National Geographic (@natgeo) on Mar 21, 2016 at 8:08am PDT