Baby porcupine - known as a porcupette - is 1st of its species born at Brookfield Zoo

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A baby prehensile-tailed porcupine was born at Brookfield Zoo on July 2. The baby, called a porcupette, is being hand-reared by animal care staff when it became clear that his mom was not providing him proper maternal care. (Brookfield Zoo)

BROOKFIELD, Ill. (AP) -- A baby porcupine is the first of its species to be born at Brookfield Zoo.

The zoo in Chicago's western suburbs says the male baby porcupine, known as a porcupette, was born July 2. He weighed almost 1 pound (0.45 kilograms), and had soft quills that hardened after a few days.

The yet-to-be-named baby's parents are Lucia and Eddie.

Zoo officials say they monitored Lucia and her baby for a while before determining she wasn't allowing him to nurse. Veterinary and animal care workers are now bottle-feeding the young porcupine, and they say he's thriving.

The new prehensile-tailed porcupine, with a small, hook-like tail, will join his parents in the Hamill Family Play Zoo at approximately 10 weeks of age.