(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Brookfield Zoo made a pointed announcement Tuesday as it introduced one of its newest animals: a baby porcupine.
Born March 19, the “porcupette” is being hand-reared and -fed by human handlers, officials say, because its mother, a 9-year-old porcupine named Lucia, was not providing maternal care.
Baby porcupines are born with soft, bendable quills that quickly harden with keratin. The unnamed porcupette at Brookfield Zoo — its gender has not yet been determined — is the type of porcupine with a prehensile tail that is found in South America.
Both Lucia and the porcupette’s dad, an 8-year-old porcupine named Eddie, can be seen in Hamill Family Play Zoo, where guests have up-close experiences with animals. The young porcupine, once weaned, will also be a part of the program, zoo officials said.
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