Animals You’ll Only Find in Incredible India
Indian Rhino Once found in abundance from Pakistan to Myanmar, it is now limited to the grasslands in India and Nepal. There are about 3,700 one-horned rhinoceros in the world, the majority of which are found in the Kaziranga National Park in Assam. The Indian rhino is also found in the Chitwan National Park in Nepal.
Asiatic Lion An endangered species, the Asiatic lion lives in the Gir National Park, Gujarat—this is the only population of this species that split from the African lions. They were once found in the Middle East as well as Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal, but due to excessive hunting and drought, there were just a few left in the early 20th century.
Bengal Tiger India has more than 70% of the tiger population, with 50 tiger reserves and more than 3,000 tigers. There are few that live in China, Bhutan, and Nepal. As the national animal of India, it enjoys a special status in the country and draws tourists from all over the world to its national parks and sanctuaries.
Great Indian Bustard There are only 150 great Indian bustards in the world now. It is one of the heaviest flying birds but prefers flat, dry grasslands and is known to be shy. Once thriving in the Indian subcontinent, hunting of the bird has brought it to the brink of extinction—it is still prevalent in Pakistan.
Lion-tailed Macaque In the rainforests of the Western Ghats of India, you will find these primates in the trees, distinct due to their leonine tail. The lion-tailed macaques are known to be arboreal in nature—they love the trees and feed off them.
Kashmir Hangul The Kashmir stag or hangul is a sub-species of the European red deer and is confined to the Dachigam National Park. This stag with giant antlers is the state animal of Jammu and Kashmir. In the 1900s, there were about 3,000-5,000 of these species found in Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, but today, about 150 remain in the state.
Nilgiri Tahr The Western Ghats are home to this elusive goat that lives at an altitude of about 6,500 feet. These tahr, with a population of about 3,000, were everywhere in the Western Ghats once upon a time, but now can be seen in the Nilgiri Hills, Anamalai Hills, and other southern parts of the Western Ghats.
Barasingha Barasingha, a 12-horned swamp deer (bara = 12 and singha = horns), lives in the Kanha National Park in Madhya Pradesh. The state animal of Madhya Pradesh almost went extinct in the 1960s, but the population has grown after consistent effort—there are now 800 of them in the park, which is also the home of the tiger.
Western Ghats Shortwing The Western Ghats shortwing is also known as white-bellied shortwing or the white-bellied blue robin. It is found in the Shola forests of the Western Ghats, and it is another endangered species. It was dealt with a blow when the Shola grassland was replaced by tea and coffee plantations and the numbers plummeted.
Andaman Cobra The Andaman and Nicobar Islands have a variety of species, including turtles, cobras, macaque, and turtles. The islands have fragile ecosystems, and out of the 572 islands, only 36 are inhabited. Nicobar is completely out of bounds for tourists, but on the Andaman, wildlife lovers can explore Mount Harriet National Park, a short distance from Port Blair, that’s known for its biodiversity.
Ganges River Dolphin The Ganges river dolphin is another endangered species found in freshwater rivers in India. It is the national aquatic animal of the country. The dolphins were once plentiful in Rivers Ganga and Brahmaputra, along with their tributaries in India, Nepal, and Bangladesh, but as the freshwater flow has decreased, the numbers have reduced considerably.