This porcupine trapped in a pit of water flared its quills as a rescue team attempted to hoist the animal out.

Animal Rescue Society was called after the porcupine was found struggling in a pool of water near Ahmednagar, Maharashtra.

Rescuer Akash Jadhav went into the water and attempted to catch the distressed animal with a catchpole. However, the porcupine hid in a corner and began flaring its quills toward Jadhav.

The rescue team managed to eventually hoist the 15-kilogram animal out from the pit and place it in a container.

Akash Jadhav said: “It weighed just 15 kg, but was strong enough to tire me out. We struggled to restrain and put it inside the container. I hope it will do well in its new home.”

The team later released it back into the wild.

A porcupine fell into a pit with water near Ahmednagar in western India.

It was unable to get out and after swimming itself to exhaustion, the porcupine hung on to a small piece of solid ground inside the pit.

Fearing that it may drown as the water was rising with the rain, a passerby called Animal Rescue Society, and a team went to the spot to save the poor animal.

As soon as rescuer Akash Jadhav got down the pit with a catchpole, and slipped the noose around it, the porcupine flared out its quills warning him to back off.

Akash and team managed to pull it up and put it inside a large plastic drum. It was taken to a forest and released.

Akash Jadhav said: “It weighed just 15 kgs, but was strong enough to tire me out. We struggled to restrain and put it inside the container. I hope it will do well in its new home.”