African crested and North American porcupines are occasionally kept in zoos and as exotic pets. Their nocturnal, solitary nature and specialised dietary and environmental needs create distinct welfare challenges that require careful management.
Porcupines in zoo settings require nocturnal house facilities or exhibit designs that allow visitors to observe them during natural activity periods rather than forcing wakefulness in daylight. Dietary provision must include calcium sources — bones or mineral supplements — to satisfy the gnawing motivation that in African crested porcupines serves an important nutritional function. Space for natural foraging movement and substrate for burrowing are essential. As exotic pets, porcupines present significant handling challenges: quill injury to owners is common, and the animals experience chronic stress in domestic environments. Most welfare organisations strongly advise against porcupine keeping as companion animals, and several jurisdictions ban it.