Utica Zoo celebrates National Hedgehog Day

In addition to Groundhog Day, today is also National Hedgehog Day, according to the Utica Zoo.

While some people think hedgehogs are related to porcupines, that’s actually not true.

We met an African Pigmy Hedgehog, Fin, at the Utica Zoo. He’s an ambassador animal at the zoo who goes out to schools and events to educate the local community.

“It’s Hedgehog Day, too, so they’re celebrated this year on the same day,” said Kathleen McGill, education program coordinator for Utica Zoo.

“A lot of different places work together. There are certain animals and certain species, there are certain days that we celebrate – sometimes nationally, sometimes internationally – to kind of bring about and learn about different conservation issues and protecting them.”

There are 99 species and about 200 animals at the Utica Zoo. You can take a winter stroll through the zoo anytime between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Friday.