New team of porcupines attracts visitors in Patna zoo

Patna, Aug 2 : A team of new porcupines is becoming a major attraction in a zoo here.

Patna's Sanjay Gandhi Zoo boasts of ten new Indian porcupines including a porcupette, a baby porcupine.

According to reports, a man found these rare Indian porcupines at his residence in Patna. He then handed over these porcupines to the authorities of Sanjay Gandhi Zoo.

"After giving them medical treatment and food to eat, we kept them in a separate cage. All the ten have been kept in that cage. There is a baby porcupine also. These Indian porcupines are under schedule 4 of the endangered species," said Subash Verma, Deputy Director, Sanjay Gandhi Zoo, Patna.

The Indian porcupine is a large rodent covered with multiple layers of quills. It grows more that three feet long and weighs around 32 pounds.

No doubt it has become quite an attraction among the locals who are thronging in large numbers to have a glimpse of the rodent.

Kaushal, one of the visitors was happy that he could see the porcupines that are generally considered to be shy by nature.

"I saw the porcupines, they are really good. You don't get to see such porcupines generally, so I am very happy," said Kaushal.

Indian porcupine or the Indian Crested Porcupine (Hystrix indica) is considered to be a member of the Old world porcupines.

It is generally found in South Asia and the Middle East and adapts itself to several habitats like the mountains, tropical and subtropical grasslands, scrublands, and forests.

The quills of the rodent grow from its shoulders to about one third of its length. It has broad feet and claws for digging the earth.

ANI