It’s a girl! See the fast-growing porcupette

The results are in: the zoo’s prickly new arrival is a girl! DNA testing has confirmed that Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium’s first-ever prehensile-tailed porcupine baby is female, and she’s growing quickly.
The porcupette was born Aug. 17 to first-time mom Quillow and dad Nigel. Quillow remains attentive to her baby and continues to care for her, but keepers have noticed that the youngster doesn’t appear to be nursing as much as expected. To give the baby some additional support, the keeper team is providing supplemental bottle feedings during nighttime hours. Because coendous are nocturnal, the porcupette would normally be most active and feeding overnight.