Amarillo Zoo Welcomes New Resident Quill A Three-Legged Porcupine

The Amarillo Zoo has announced a new resident coming to town. Get ready to say hello to Quill "Porky" Smith, a three-legged porcupine.

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The Three-Legged Fighter

According to the press release, Quill is quite the fighter. He is missing his left front leg. He's missing his leg due to being shot in the wild.

The exact circumstances aren't exactly known.

Thanks to the Wild West Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, Quill has recovered amazingly well. However, because of his injury he isn't able to be returned to the wild.

Quill "Porky" Smith, The Lovable Porcupine

According to the press release, he's an amazing animal that has made himself right at home. At the moment, he's in a temporary enclosure while staff prepare his forever home.

He's quickly becoming a favorite at the zoo. They say that he loves giving hugs. He stands on his hind legs and grab on to keepers.

The Reason Why Quill Can't Be In The Wild

In the press release, they detail just why Quill can't be released back into the wild. It has to do with a porcupine's defense mechanism.

One of the primary ways a porcupine will protect themself is by climbing. Given the fact that Quill is missing one of his front legs, you can understand why he needs to be in the care of those who can look after him.

Despite his injury, staff say that his is still very mobile and gets around pretty well on the ground.

Quill "Porky" Smith is four-to-five years old, and is a North American porcupine.