Baby porcupine is 1st of its species born at Brookfield Zoo

Baby porcupine is 1st of its species born at Brookfield Zoo | iNFOnews.ca
This July 8, 2018 photo provided by The Chicago Zoological Society shows a baby prehensile-tailed porcupine at Brookfield Zoo, in Brookfield, Ill. The baby, called a porcupette, born at the zoo on July 2, is being hand-reared by animal care staff when it became clear that his mom was not providing him proper maternal care, as she was not allowing him to nurse.Prehensile-tailed porcupines are native to South America and live in high-elevation rain forests. (Jim Schulz/Chicago Zoological Society via AP)

BROOKFIELD, Ill. – A baby porcupine is the first of its species to be born at Brookfield Zoo.

The zoo in Chicago’s western suburbs says the male baby porcupine, known as a porcupette, was born July 2. He weighed almost 1 pound (0.45 kilograms), and had soft quills that hardened after a few days.

The yet-to-be-named baby’s parents are Lucia and Eddie.

Zoo officials say they monitored Lucia and her baby for a while before determining she wasn’t allowing him to nurse. Veterinary and animal care workers are now bottle-feeding the young porcupine, and they say he’s thriving.

The new prehensile-tailed porcupine, with a small, hook-like tail, will join his parents in the Hamill Family Play Zoo at approximately 10 weeks of age.

News from © iNFOnews.ca, . All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community?

Create a free account

iNFOTEL

Related Articles