New porcupette born at Hogle Zoo

SALT LAKE CITY — On May 14, Utah’s Hogle Zoo announced the birth of a North American porcupine, also known as a porcupette, born on April 27, to first-time parents Blackberry and Barton.

Weighing just over two pounds at birth, the healthy porcupette is currently nursing and beginning to sample solid foods. It may take up to six months before the zoo’s animal care team can determine the porcupette’s sex.

The birth took place naturally in the Aline W. Skaggs Wild Utah exhibit and marks a noteworthy success, as approximately 40 percent of first-time porcupine births result in stillbirth. Porcupettes are born with soft quills, which harden within hours, allowing them to move about and defend themselves shortly after birth.

Visitors to the zoo may catch a glimpse of Blackberry and her baby in the Wild Utah exhibit. Depending on their needs, the pair may be found in either their indoor or outdoor habitat. The young porcupine will remain with its mother for at least eight months before being transferred to another accredited facility, where it will serve as an ambassador for its species.

This birth represents an important step forward for the North American porcupine Species Survival Plan (SSP), a collaborative program managed by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). The SSP works to maintain healthy and genetically diverse animal populations in human care.