Spiky newborn makes Easter appearance at Reaseheath’s Zoo

A spiky newborn with attitude is making his first public appearance at Reaseheath College’s zoo in Nantwich over Easter.

The baby porcupine, known as a ‘porcupette’, was born in  March to one of the college’s three female porcupines. The youngster was given its first health check last week by zookeepers, who found he was male and that, at 958 grams, he had more than doubled its birth weight. He is quickly becoming independent and showing his rather grumpy character!

The porcupette is on display in the zoo’s courtyard enclosure, along with his mother, grandmother and other family members.

Other newborn zoo animals include a pancake tortoise and a muntjac faun named Marius. A two year-old male Asian Small Clawed Otter called Wonga has also joined the collection from a visitor attraction in Devon. The newcomer is settling in well with Reaseheath’s  female otter ‘Ying’ and can be seen in the otter enclosure.

Reaseheath’s animal collection also includes meerkats, spider monkeys, ring tailed lemurs, a serval cat, birds of prey and many reptiles, amphibians, fish and companion animals like rabbits.

As well as touring the enclosures and joining in educational activities, families can learn how to reduce their carbon footprint by joining the Pole to Pole campaign. The campaign has been adopted by leading zoos and aquariums in Europe and North America and aims to influence the energy consumption of visitors.

Additional activities over the holiday weekend include an Easter egg hunt. Zoo visitors also get a 10% reduction off plants and vegetables in Reaseheath’s Crop Shop.

Reaseheath Zoo is open to the public until Easter Monday, 21st April, 10am to 5pm (last entry 4pm)

Admission: £15 family (2 adults and 3 children); £5 adult;£4 Children/ concessions. Under 3s free

More details visit www.reaseheath.ac.uk/zoo or email zoo@reaseheath.ac.uk