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

Get our free mobile app

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.

City of Amarillo
City of Amarillo
loading...

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.

City of Amarillo
City of Amarillo
loading...

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.

Wildlife of the Texas Panhandle

The Texas Panhandle is filled to the brim with wonderful species of wildlife. Here are some of the incredible animals that share their home with us.

Here's Some Of The Exotic Animals You Can Own In Texas

Shockingly, Texans can legally own these exotic animals--provided you've filled out the massive amounts of paperwork required.

13 Deadly Animals in Texas

More From 101.9 The Bull