Poking Around with a Porcupine at Roger Williams Park Zoo

You can’t touch George the porcupine but you can feed him a piece of banana. And this little guy can eat – he loves his banana slices, sweet potato chunks and he goes wild for corn on the cob. George is the guest of honor at one of Roger Williams Park Zoo’s Wild Connection Encounters. 

If porcupines aren’t your cup of tea, you can spend quality time with a red panda from the Himalayans and, coming soon, you’ll have the opportunity to meet an Aldabra tortoise or African elephant. As you may have heard, the elephants will be moving on to a new home soon, so this might be your one and only chance to meet them. 

During your visit, the zoo’s experts will give you the rundown on your new animal friend. George is a South American porcupine who came to Roger Williams from the Charles Paddock Zoo in Atascadero, California. On June 23, he will be 10 years old! Porcupines like George generally live 15-17 years. 

Unlike what you may have seen in movies and cartoons, porcupines cannot shoot their quills, but the barbs definitely sting to the touch, so you will need to keep a safe distance. George comes to guests when he’s ready to eat a piece of banana out of the palm of your hand. 

Zoo staff share fun facts about the animals, including what they like to eat, how long they sleep, and sometimes mating habits – George is single at the moment. Guests also learn how the zoo’s preservation work helps animals like George thrive and survive. A visit helps support these critical conservation efforts. Wild Connection Encounters must be scheduled in advance, and they do sell out, so book yours at RWPZoo.org/animal-encounters.