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A baby prehensile-tailed porcupine was born at Brookfield Zoo on July 2. The baby, called a porcupette, is being hand-reared by animal care staff when it became clear that his mom was not providing him proper maternal care. (Brookfield Zoo) A baby prehensile-tailed porcupine was born at Brookfield Zoo on July 2. The baby, called a porcupette, is being hand-reared by animal care staff when it became clear that his mom was not providing him proper maternal care. (Brookfield Zoo) A baby prehensile-tailed porcupine born at Brookfield 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. (Brookfield Zoo) Maggie Chardell, a lead animal care specialist for the Chicago Zoological Society, is assisting in hand-rearing a baby prehensile-tailed porcupine born at Brookfield Zoo on July 2. (Brookfield Zoo) A baby prehensile-tailed porcupine was born at Brookfield Zoo on July 2. The baby, called a porcupette, is being hand-reared by animal care staff when it became clear that his mom was not providing him proper maternal care. (Brookfield Zoo) Maggie Chardell, a lead animal care specialist for the Chicago Zoological Society, bottle feeds a baby prehensile-tailed porcupine born at Brookfield Zoo on July 2. (Brookfield Zoo) Maggie Chardell, a lead animal care specialist for the Chicago Zoological Society, is assisting in hand-rearing a baby prehensile-tailed porcupine born at Brookfield Zoo on July 2. (Brookfield Zoo) A baby prehensile-tailed porcupine was born at Brookfield Zoo on July 2. The baby, called a porcupette, is being hand-reared by animal care staff when it became clear that his mom was not providing him proper maternal care. (Brookfield Zoo) Lucia, a 5-year-old prehensile-tailed porcupine at Brookfield Zoo, gave birth to a porcupette on July 2. (Brookfield Zoo) BROOKFIELD, Ill. (AP) -- 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.