United Kingdom's Largest Zoo Welcomes the Most Precious Baby Porcupine
The new addition of a baby animal in any zoo is a cause for celebration, so it's easy to understand why everyone at the UK's Whipsnade Zoo is in high spirits. A baby porcupine was recently born at the zoo, and they're just as cute and little as you'd imagine.
As soon as you see the newborn porcupine in @abcnews' March 6 video, you'll be in love, too. They're the sweetest-looking baby, and Mama is so proud! In fact, everyone at the UK's largest zoo is excited for the occasion, and they just couldn't keep a secret about the 3 week old any longer.
Needless to say, viewers are so glad the zoo finally spilled the beans! Not only is the baby porcupine--also known as a porcupette--as cute as can be, but they're also healthy, happy, and playful!
OMG! This baby porcupine isn't as small as I was expecting them to be, but even so, I'm curious how the mother can give birth with all those spikes in the way. It seems like it wouldn't take much to turn a beautiful situation into a dangerous one, Fortunately, it seems like everyone got through the birth unscathed!
Related: National Park Service Shares Joyful Video of Baby Porcupine 'Playing Air Guitar'
Although zoo keepers haven't confirmed the baby's sex yet, they will be able to do so soon when their exotic animal veterinarians do their regular exams. Regardless of their gender, zoo staff decided to name them Dakari, which is Nigerian for 'rejoice.' That's the perfect gender-neutral pet name!
People are definitely rejoicing with this newest addition around, and it's easy to understand why. Watching him munch on lettuce is enough to keep me entertained for hours, but there's something special about celebrating this unique, spiky animal. After all, it isn't every day that I get to see a porcupine--even on video!
Building a Family
Even though the baby was born to mom Kimya in the early hours of February 13, they weren't the only valentine for the experienced mom. She also has another baby porcupine named Oti, who is just waiting to be cuddled and loved.
In fact--that's how zookeepers found the new family one morning! The trio was all huddled together to share body heat when porcupine keepers first noticed the baby animal, and you can bet it was the highlight of the day.
Although the little one wasn't exactly a surprise, the exact timing of the birth could have been. Porcupines experience a much shorter gestation time than people do, so Kimya's 94-day pregnancy didn't leave quite so much time to prepare. All in all, the baby porcupines' are growing up and thriving in their perfect conditions, and zoo visitors can say hello at Wipsnade Zoo anytime.
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