A wildlife expert went viral in October with heartwarming images captured by a trail camera in his backyard. Sharing the short video on Instagram, the clip showed off the true colors of a rather misunderstood rodent. 

The delightful footage was taken by Vermont biologist Kiley Briggs of the Orianne Society. Viewers will see a video overlay that says, "Sound on. Please. This will melt your heart." 

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A post shared by Kiley Vincent Briggs (@herpvt)

And what's that sound? A pair of porcupines noisily feasting on apples at night while seemingly engaged in a conversation. The high-pitched chatter may remind some of the Ewoks from Star Wars.

Speaking to local outlet NBC 5, Briggs explained that the video shows off the softer side of a creature that most people encounter only in an agitated, defensive — even prickly — state. 

"When people aren't watching them, when they aren't on edge, and just seeing how they're behaving, how they're interacting with each other — they're just being porcupines in their most relaxed and natural way possible," he said.

In a 2018 blog post from Orianne, Briggs wrote about the importance of porcupines to forest ecosystems. They are essentially little eco-egineers whose foraging habits create habitats for other species. Porcupines chew on bark and prune trees in search of food. This also helps cycle nutrients and clears the forest canopy, allowing more sunlight in. 

Porcupine quills can cause serious injury, but the animals are purely defensive in nature. Few predators bother with them — only the fisher cat, which is actually a type of weasel, has any real success in hunting them.  

Briggs's story highlights the value of trail cameras to wildlife conservation. Dispelling misinformation about these sometimes villainized creatures can help to demonstrate the importance of protecting their populations and habitats. 

Cameras have proven their worth in conservation efforts worldwide. The footage and data they generate can help guide environmental management strategies and local policies to better protect wildlife. 

The clip generated thousands of comments from delighted viewers. "They have no right to be that cute while also being so unhuggable!" one viewer joked. Another asked, "Why is this so precious???" 

One viewer with some experience with the animal described their pleasant, laid-back nature: "We love their little sounds and the way they hold their food with their front feet like little hands."

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