Rarely seen ‘porcupette’ caught on NPS video, proving not all babies deserve hugs

Most people have no idea what a “porcupette” is, or that seeing one in the wild is a big deal.

However, the National Park Service proudly says it got video of one days ago at Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve in Alaska and shared it on Facebook. The video proves not all baby animals are meant to be hugged — or qualify as adorable.

“Have you ever seen a ‘porcupette’ — a baby porcupine?” the preserve asked on Facebook. “Despite the abundance of porkies around here we rarely do, so this was a lucky sighting. It was about the size of a medium cat. ...Don’t you want to just hug it?”

The video shows a creature that is not unlike a beaver, but with wildly teased 80s-style hair and a stumpy tail.

It is seen walking with a distinct waddle, and it’s hard to tell at times the front end of it from the back end.

Still, some people used the word “cute” to describe it on Facebook.

“But I’ll take a pass on hugging him. Ouch!” Rhonda Breiser wrote on the park’s Facebook page.

“My spirit animal,” Stephania Puppania joked.

“Master of social distancing,” Barbara Fones Logelin posted.

Porcupines are a very big rodents with an “extremely muscular” tail. The critters can grow to 31 inches in length and 30 pounds in Alaska, according to the state’s Department of Fish and Game.

“When it is alarmed and its quills are bristled, the porcupine also emits a pungent odor as a warning,” the state says. “Porcupines make a wide variety of sounds ranging from whimpers to screams.”

National Park Service officials made a few puns in the post, noting the baby “will stick with Mom” for the summer before striking out on its own. Its mother was nearby in a tree when the video was filmed, the park said.

This story was originally published August 12, 2020 at 6:13 AM with the headline "Rarely seen ‘porcupette’ caught on NPS video, proving not all babies deserve hugs."