Nale and Elan, Cheyenne
Mountain Zoo’s Porcupines, are first-time parents! Nale (nah'-lay) gave birth
to a porcupette, or baby Porcupine, on May 8. The baby
was born weighing a little over a pound and appears healthy. Zoo
veterinarians will not be able to determine if it's a boy or a girl for
approximately 30 days, at which time Zoo staff will name the newest Porcupine
addition.

Photo Credit:  Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

"Porcupettes are
born with their quills – they are soft when they are first born but harden
quickly," Roxanna Breitigan, Animal Care Manager, said. "They are
also precocious from the start. Nale's porcupette is active and crawling around
the exhibit." 

Nale joined the Cheyenne
Mountain Zoo family at the end of June 2012, and Elan was smitten with her
right away.

"He started
courting her almost immediately," Breitigan said. 

Porcupines typically
breed in the fall and their gestation is seven months long. Zoo staff started
looking for signs of delivery starting on May 4 – Nale's first possible
due date. 

One of the keepers knew something was up when Nale’s behavior changed one morning. "She noticed right away that Nale didn't
eat on Wednesday morning, wasn't climbing any trees (Nale is an
expert climber, so that was very unusual for her) and was stretching a lot. [She] kept a watchful eye and was there when the baby was born," Breitigan
said. 

In the wild, males don't
usually have a role in raising their young, but Elan is being a good dad. He is
curious, interested, remains calm and keeps a watchful eye on his family from
his favorite branch.