Another baby boom in Feldman Ecopark – porcupine kids were born. Two cubs were born almost a month ago, and one more kid was born recently. They live together with parents in the open spacious enclosure where the cozy shelter for newborns and their mothers is equipped. Animals leave their place only after dark.
“Porcupines lead sedentary reserved life – sleep in the afternoon, show activity at night. They build multiroom holes covered with fresh grass. There females give birth to kids, usually from one to five. In Feldman Ecorpark live two males and three females now, two of them became mothers three weeks apart — Svitlana Vyshnevetska, the head of the sector Rodents and Terrarium of Feldman Ecopark told. – Porcupines are born almost fully developed – with open eyes, natal teeth and soft needles, which quickly harden, and within a week, kids can prick painfully. Newborns eat maternal milk up to three months though soon enough begin to eat vegetable food as well. Our porcupines love different vegetables and fruit – watermelons, pumpkins, grapes”.
It should be noted that porcupines are large rodents (third biggest after capybaras and beavers) living in Eurasia, Africa and America. They “are armed” with the biggest needles among all mammals. It was even considered that animals “shoot” their enemies with this terrible weapon. However, prickles just rather weakly hold and can drop out or remain to stick out in wounds of careless predators, this fact sparked the legend. There are about ten species of porcupines, the animal collection of Feldman Ecopark comprises three of them: American, Indian and crested porcupines. The representatives of the last species have recently gave birth to kids.
It should be reminded that this summer, bobak marmots and capybaras were born in Feldman Ecopark, and more recently, stork nestlings hatched at the Swan Lake.
Besides, it should be reminded that the Feldman Ecopark’s animal collection comprises more than 2,000 animals of nearly 300 species.
