A Kent animal park has a newly-named animal following a close-knit race which saw more than 330 people vote.

A baby porcupine became Port Lympne Safari’s Park cutest rodent following its birth last month.

Pictures and footage released by the park showed the youngster full of energy in his den at the site near Hythe last week.

But with keepers only just confirming the sex of the porcupette to be a boy, a name had yet to be announced.

Port Lympne therefore teamed up with KentOnline to find him a name.

The animal conservation charity narrowed the choice to a list of four options: Libele, Phila, Ajabu and Udoti.

And, following a 24-hour poll which began at 2pm yesterday, readers have chosen Libele - which, according to Ask Oracle, can mean lightnes and joy in some African cultures.

A total of 332 selected their choice, of which Libele received 111 votes.

The baby porcupine, born on April 2, is the latest offspring for dad Tiombe and mum Umlilo.

Tiombe joined the Port Lympne family in July 2023, while mum Umlilo arrived five months later.

It is the pair’s second baby following the arrival of a girl in December.

Normally, porcupines have only one litter per year - consisting of one to three offspring - making this second arrival somewhat of an unexpected surprise for keepers.

The animal care team says the baby, and the rest of the family, are doing well.

Bosses also announced on Friday guests can now watch the family up close when they visit the park.

As nocturnal creatures, porcupines tend to be less active during the day before becoming more lively during the afternoon.

According to the National Geographic, the herbivores often live to between five and seven years old, during which time they can weigh up to 35 pounds and grow between 33 to 46 inches long, including their tail.