India GO
Mammal · Hystrix indica
Indian crested porcupine
साही (sahi)
IUCN LC · Least concern
A large nocturnal rodent covered in black-and-white banded quills that it rattles and reverses into a threat rather than shooting.
How to recognise it
Shed quills on a path are the usual sign. The animal itself is seen at night near burrows, feeding on roots and bark.
Where to see it
Chandigarh
In the November 2025 camera-trap survey of Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary, run with the Wildlife Institute of India, porcupines were recorded mostly at night, the same pattern as the sanctuary's leopards.
Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary
Pune
Trail cameras set on Vetal Tekdi and the neighbouring hills inside Pune since 2025 have photographed crested porcupines, alongside jungle cats, palm civets and golden jackals.
Vetal Tekdi