Porcupine Born at Museum!

A new baby porcupine born is getting ready to meet visitors in June. See the newborn in the video below! In honor of this happy event, the Museum is extending free admission to mothers who visit with their children or grandchildren on Mother’s Day, May 9.
We discovered the baby porcupine with its mother, Honeysuckle, in her natural habitat
exhibit at the Museum on March 31. Since then, the mother and baby have been behind
the scenes to ensure that the baby would get a good, healthy start.
The porcupine, now weaned, will meet visitors on every weekend in June at about 1:30 p.m., following the Desert Dwellers show, in which visitors meet live animals, from owls to badgers close up, and learn about them. After that, the baby will appear in educational programs.
The day that the baby porcupine was born, a wildlife specialist discovered the newborn, which weighed about a pound, while giving a daily talk to visitors at the porcupine exhibit. It is difficult to tell if a porcupine is pregnant, and the birth was early in the year for porcupines.
“Having a new baby porcupine is not only exciting, it is also a great teaching moment,” said Vice President of Programs Dana Whitelaw. “When one of our animals gives birth, we can’t help but see a connection, even between porcupines and humans. This goes to the heart of what the Museum is all about – to excite, inspire, and teach.”
A contest for Museum members to name the new porcupine will be held in June. Around that time, the porcupine will have grown enough for Museum wildlife specialists to see whether it is male or female.
In the meantime, visitors can see Honeysuckle daily in her habitat. The father porcupine, Thistle, is at a behind-the-scenes wildlife area so that Honeysuckle can have a space all to herself for awhile.