Sandy's porcupette pal at Maymont christened as Barb
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Maymont's precious, unnamed porcupette (the real name for baby porcupines) has a name: Barb.
Why it matters: The adorable sister (though not biologically) to Sandy has lovingly gone by Thing 1 since she arrived at Maymont, park animal ambassador specialist Diana Wickersham tells Axios.
Driving the news: But she's Thing 1 no more. The folks at Maymont announced her name over the weekend, saying more than 10,000 people voted.
We got a chance to go behind-the-scenes at Maymont recently and meet Barb and Sandy. Here's what we learned.
- She and Sandy (and all porcupines) love climbing.
- Wickersham, who's been learning porcupines in real time, is training them to be responsive to their keepers with treats (they love carrots and elm and pine branches).
- They're currently inside The Robins Nature Center, but are still attuned to nature, Wickersham says. They started enjoying pine more just as the needles started to change and fall.
What's next: They'll likely move to their permanent indoor-outdoor enclosure in the spring when it's ready, but you can meet them now at The Robins Nature Center for $10.