On May 17th we admitted a young porcupine. So young, she was still attached to her placenta after her mom had been killed by a vehicle.

We waited to post about her because we know she wouldn’t have gotten proper colostrum, the first mother’s milk that contains high concentrations of protein, vitamins, minerals, growth factors, and antibodies to develop immune systems. All staff and volunteers were told not to get attached because animals that don’t get proper colostrum frequently don’t survive because a simple cold can overwhelm their incomplete immune system. Colostrum is species-specific so using cow or goat colostrum does not work for other species.

When she appeared to be doing well, we cautiously posted about her so you may remember seeing some adorable photos. But then we stopped posting about her.

Porcupettes nurse for a long time, taking about 90-100 days before they wean. They can, however, eat solid vegetation at just a couple weeks old. She had lots of difficulty weaning and transitioning to the diet she would eat in the wild, possibly due to her lack of colostrum.

Her care became a rollercoaster of moving out to pre-release enclosure and being pulled back into intensive care. We didn’t want to share too much and break everyone’s hearts.

But we’re happy now to update you on her recent RELEASE! Definitely on the roly-poly side from her long transition to adult food, she should ready for whatever this winter brings.