A Porcupine’s Journey of Resilience and Motherhood
In the heart of the San Diego Zoo, amidst the rustling leaves and gentle whispers of nature, there exists a tale of resilience, love, and life. Meet Maizey, a North American porcupine whose story has captured the hearts of many, not just for her endearing quills and curious demeanor, but for her remarkable journey into motherhood.
As a wildlife ambassador, Maizey connects guests to conservation and inspires them each year to save and protect wildlife worldwide.
A Joyful Expectation
In November 2023, Maizey became pregnant with her first porcupette, or baby porcupine, filling everyone’s hearts with joy, excitement, and anticipation. As she carried her precious cargo, wildlife care and health teams monitored her progress closely, ensuring her health and comfort every step of the way. During her seven-month pregnancy, Maizey continued enjoying her favorite snack, corn on the cob, and exploring her habitat.
As fate would have it, Maizey encountered unexpected complications during labor, posing challenges for both Maizey and her offspring and leading to a momentous decision that would make history.
Labor of Love
In the early morning hours, a team of dedicated wildlife care and health specialists waited with bated breath as Maizey went into labor. As her labor progressed, Maizey paced, stretched, and rolled on her side in an attempt to bring her offspring into the world herself.
But nature, with its unpredictable twists, had a different plan in mind. Despite her valiant efforts, Maizey faced an insurmountable challenge. Her offspring was too big to pass through the birth canal, and she needed a cesarean section (C-section) to bring her porcupette into the world safely. This complex procedure had never been performed on a North American porcupine and would be the first ever.
From the moment she arrived at the Zoo, Maizey has enchanted countless guests with her inquisitive nature and easy-going attitude.
A Pioneering Procedure
With careful consideration and the expertise of our wildlife care and health teams, the decision was made to perform the unprecedented, life-saving procedure to ensure the safety of Maizey and her precious porcupette.
A team of fifteen worked meticulously, collaborating and problem-solving every step of the way. Minutes passed like eternity until the moment arrived. On April 11, 2024, our team welcomed Maizey’s newborn into the world—a testament to the resilience of a mother’s love.
In utero, porcupettes have soft hairs that harden soon after birth.
Overcoming Obstacles
While Maizey’s story marks a medical success, the unprecedented C-section was anything but ordinary. As they prepared for the procedure, Maizey’s veterinary team knew they would face a bevy of challenges. From safely anesthetizing a mother and baby to carefully handling Maizey’s delicate internal organs in order to prevent inflammation, each surgical moment required planning, patience, and precision.
In utero, porcupettes have soft hairs that harden soon after birth. But in Maizey’s case, because she had been attempting labor for 72 hours, some of the porcupette’s quills had begun to harden and embed themselves internally. This required meticulous removal by our veterinary team, who took their time exploring Maizey’s abdomen for any stray quills and removing them one by one.
Because of our dedicated wildlife care and health experts, Maizey’s male porcupette, Dakota, has a bright future ahead.
Every step of this groundbreaking procedure presented a new challenge and opportunity to collaborate and innovate. Unique among mammals, porcupine skin is thin, sensitive, and rigid, making suturing the skin a precarious and arduous procedure. Veterinarians rose to the challenge and, after three hours in surgery, Maizey’s dedicated team of wildlife health specialists placed the last suture in her delicate skin.
A Bright Horizon
Thanks to dozens of dedicated wildlife care and health experts, Maizey and her male porcupette, Dakota, have a bright future ahead, inspiring guests with their story of resilience and shining a light on their remarkable species.
Maizey is recovering from her surgery well and receives around-the-clock monitoring to ensure she is thriving. Dakota is a spunky and playful porcupette and enjoys exploring his habitat and learning new porcupine skills, like his signature move “the twirly bird,” where he quickly spins in a circle and flares up his quills as he plays. Both mom and porcupette are resting in private dens while they recover from their history-making procedure.
Dakota is a spunky and playful porcupette and enjoys exploring his habitat and learning new porcupine skills.
The success of Maizey’s C-section and the birth of Dakota isn’t just a milestone for our Zoo; it’s a symbol of hope and possibility. It showcases the incredible bond between wildlife and people, and the extraordinary lengths our dedicated teams will go to protect and nurture life, no matter how prickly the situation may seem.
