Wild Words Safari

Guess who’s who in the wild—meet India’s furriest, funniest, and most fascinating mammals through clever riddles!

Use the clues to locate 15 wild mammal names in the puzzle. They can appear forwards, backwards, diagonal, horizontal, or vertical.

1. I am a nocturnal primate, with large eyes and slender body, I signpost trees by spraying urine on my palms and leave scented handprints on the branches.
2. I am among the most trafficked animals in the world. I love termites and ants and curl myself up into a ball when threatened.
3. I am a shy, fanged deer, prized for a fragrant treasure I carry, yet I wear no antlers to crown my head.
4. I am a notorious primate infamous for snatching things in public places and raiding crops. I also share a common factor with hominins.
5. I am a small nocturnal wanderer, armed with spines not for attack but defence, and I curl into a living pincushion when danger nears.
6. I am called a mouse hare and have a guniea pig-like appearance. I produce a soft green pellet which I munch again.
7. I am a sea cow but I am a mammal. I am an elephant’s distant cousin and I graze upon seagrass.
8. I am an antelope carrying a spiral headgear and are native to the Indian subcontinent.
9. I am a spiny rodent with long black-and-white quills; I step backwards into threats to drive them home.
10.  I am a teddy bear look-alike who loves eucalyptus leaves.
11.  I am jumpy with my joey in my pouch.
12. I am a reddish, raccoon-faced climber who eats bamboo leaves and has a ‘false thumb’ for a better grip.
13. I am black and furry with a V-shaped chest mark, often giving my cubs a piggyback ride.
14.  I am a tailless ape who brachiates through evergreen canopies, swinging branch to branch in northeast India.
15. I am covered in spots, the quickest creature on land, and I can purr.

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