First-ever cesarean section performed on North American porcupine

Maizey has become the first North American porcupine to have a caesarean section (Image courtesy of San Diego Wildlife Alliance)

In November 2023 at the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance in San Diego, California, Maizey, the porcupine, became pregnant with her first porcupette. Throughout her pregnancy, the wildlife care and health team monitored her to ensure she was healthy and comfortable as she continued to explore her habitat and eat her favorite snack, corn on the cobb.

When Maizey went into labor, she had a team of wildlife care and health specialists by her side. As the labor progressed, she attempted to bring the porcupette into the world herself by pacing, stretching, and rolling onto her side. However, it soon became clear that her offspring was too big to pass through the birth canal, requiring her health care teams to assess the situation and make the unprecedented decision to perform a cesarean section (C-section). Prior to Maizey, the procedure had never been performed on a North American porcupine.¹

According to the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance,¹ a team of 15 professionals was assembled to perform this first-of-its-kind procedure. The team worked through challenges, safely anesthetizing Maizey, and her baby, and properly handling her internal organs to prevent inflammation. Porcupines also have uniquely thin, sensitive, and rigid skin, which presented to be a challenge for the veterinary team making sutures.

"This groundbreaking surgery emphasizes the integral role of expert veterinary medical care in zoological facilities and highlights the advantages of innovative approaches to save species in need of conservation,” Michele Goodman, DVM, director of animal care with Elmwood Park Zoo and veterinary advisor for the North American porcupine Species Survival Plan, said in an organizational release.² “For the North American porcupine, this procedure represents a significant step forward to improve long-term survival rates and contributes to broader conservation efforts aimed at securing its future in the wild.”

Maizey's porcupette, Dakota, in their habitat

Porcupines are born with soft hairs that harden soon after birth. Due to the fact Maizey was in labor for 72 hours, her porcupette’s quills hardened and embedded themselves internally.¹ The veterinary team removed the embedded quills and explored her abdomen for any stray quills, removing them 1 by 1. Then, after 3 hours in surgery, Maizey’s baby was born on April 11, 2024. He was male, and he was named Dakota.

Maizey is recovering well from the C-section and receives around-the-clock monitoring in a private den with Dakota. The team at San Diego Wildlife Alliance shared that Dakota is spunky, playful, and enjoys exploring his habitat. Dakota has apparently also found his signature move, “the twirly bird,” where he spins in a circle quickly and then flares up his quills while he plays.

Porcupines typically breed in the fall and early winter seasons. An ‘elaborate’ courtship is conducted involving extensive vocalizations, a courtship dance, and males typically urinate on the female prior to mating.³ Gestation normally lasts between 205 and 217 days. There is typically 1 porcupette per litter, with twins being rare.

Reference

1. McCann S. Maizey’s Miracle. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. Published September 16, 2024. Accessed September 18, 2024. https://sandiegozoowildlifealliance.org/story-hub/2024/09/16/maizeys-miracle?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw9Km3BhDjARIsAGUb4nzIZyHsAOPdu-EoKIVrZFmSY1zT5oYqvL8HQOXTI7-l62jckrh37bkaArMIEALw_wcB
2. First-Ever North American Porcupine C-Section Birth Successfully Performed by San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. News release. San Diego Wildlife Alliance. September 17, 2024. Accessed September 19, 2024.
3. North American porcupine. Smithsonian’s National Zoo. Published July 11, 2018. Accessed September 18, 2024. https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/north-american-porcupine