Instead of the prickly creature becoming a snack for a group of roaming lions at Londolozi Game Preserve in South Africa, the feisty porcupine stood its ground.

Of course, it helped that it was protected by its armor of quills.

The lion cubs were curious about the porcupine and surrounded it for a closer look. One lion even reached out its paw to gingerly tap the creature’s quills. The porcupine kept on the move with quills up, forcing the lions to retreat to avoid injury.

Fortunately for the porcupine, the pride of lions eventually lost interest and decided to look for prey elsewhere, leaving the porcupine in peace.

The video of the fascinating wildlife encounter has since gone viral.