This pile of strongly scented entrails will become a higher priority target, attracting some of the predators' attention, buying him precious time and safety for his retreat.
This abandonment is entirely worthwhile; he no longer needs to use entrails to make bait for fishing, as the protein he has stored is enough to last him until the end of the challenge.
In a short span of less than fifteen minutes, the weight of this porcupine has been reduced by at least a third.
Now, he needs to take the remaining, still thorny "spiked body" back with him.
Carrying it directly on his back is impossible; those spikes would teach him a lesson. Dragging it also requires solving the friction and potential danger caused by the spikes.
He stands up, looks around, and the beam of his headlamp sweeps through the dark forest, finally settling on a few tall, silver-white birch trees not far away.
