WATCH: Porcupine Go Head-to-Head With A Pride of Lions

When the going gets tough, the prickly get going—especially in the case of a plucky porcupine that recently fended off 17 lions in South Africa’s Londolozi Game Reserve.

A porcupine at the Londolozi reserve in South Africa fights off a pride of 17 lions by shaking its tail and running backwards towards the predators. The porcupine survived after holding its own against the lions, who eventually lost interest. Londolozi’s Lucien Beaumont, who captured the footage, says the altercation is something he has wanted to see for years.

Porcupines are rodents with a coat of sharp spines, or quills, that defend them from predators. They are indigenous to the Americas, Southern Asia, Europe, and Africa.