World Wildlife Day 2024: Here Are The 10 Most Endangered Animals In India

An endangered species or animal is an entity that faces extinction. Unfortunately, some well-known and revered species are on India's endangered animal list. In fact, many plant and animal species are endangered in India.?

This World Wildlife Day, let's have a look at them.?

1. Bengal Tiger?

Apart form India, Bengal tigers can also be found in neighboring regions such as Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and parts of China | Image: Pexels

Apart from India, Bengal tigers can also be found in neighboring regions such as Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and parts of China. Tiger population declines are mostly caused by habitat loss and rampant poaching. However, not all is lost; various conservation measures are underway to help increase the population of tigers.?

Strict anti-poaching laws exist in India, and Project Tiger, which was founded more than fifty years ago in 1973, works diligently to track tigers and protect tiger reserves around the country.? ?

2. Asiatic Lion

The Gir National Park in Gujarat is the only area where Asiatic lions can be found in the wild | Image: Pexels

The Gir National Park in Gujarat is the only area where Asiatic lions can be found in the wild. These lions are slightly smaller than African lions, numbering between 600 and 700, making them one of India's most endangered animals.

Historically, the Asiatic lion was found throughout Iran (hence the name Persian lion), Arabia, and Baluchistan. However, their numbers fell to less than 500 in 2010, bringing them dangerously close to extinction.

3. Asian Elephant?

Asian elephants, of which the Indian elephant is one of three subspecies, have been listed as endangered in India since the 1980s. Asian Elephants, which are smaller than their African counterparts, may be found throughout India and are regarded as an essential indicator of forest and grassland habitat quality.?

4. Great Indian Bustard?

These big flying birds were once numerous in India, but there are now only about 200 surviving. The Great Indian Bustard is often found in similar areas as the Indian antelope (Blackbuck), and its numbers are being threatened by poaching and habitat destruction.?

5. Snow Leopard?

Snow leopards live in a dozen Central and South Asian countries | Image: Pexels

Snow leopards, which live in a dozen Central and South Asian countries, are deemed vulnerable due to their small and diminishing populations. They can be found in the north-east of India, near the Himalayas, as well as in China, Nepal, and other neighboring countries with snowy, mountainous terrain.?

It is impossible to estimate their actual population because snow leopards are elusive, tough to track, and adept at hiding.?

6. Red Panda?

Red Pandas can be found in Nepal, China, Bhutan, Myanmar, and India, particularly in the north-eastern portion of India, where they are the state animal of Sikkim.?

Red Pandas are currently threatened by habitat destruction, deforestation, and poaching, which is why they appear on nearly every endangered species list in India and Asia.?

7.?The Indian Rhino

The Indian Rhino, commonly known as the Greater One-horned Rhino, is one of the world's largest rhino species.?

The one-horned rhino was once on the verge of extinction due to rampant poaching for its horn until the 1990s, but its recovery and population revival is one of Asia's most significant conservation achievements. ???

8.?The Kashmiri Red Stag

The Kashmiri Red Stag, also known as Hangul, lives in Kashmir and its adjacent territories in India.?

While there were about 5000 of these Indian elks in the early 1900s, their numbers had dropped to around 200 by the beginning of the twenty-first century, making them severely endangered creatures in India.??

9.?Indian bison

Indian bison, also known as Gaur in Hindi, is a big bovine and the state animal of Goa and Bihar. These enormous, horned ox-like creatures can be found throughout South and Southeast Asia, preferring to live in evergreen forests and glades.? ?

10.?The Nilgiri Tahr

The Nilgiri Tahr is an ungulate native to South Indian states such as Kerala and Tamil Nadu (where it is the state animal). This stocky mountain goat, which is closely related to sheep, lives in altitude grasslands and stunted woodlands. Nilgiri Tahrs have short, coarse fur and bent horns.?

These species are currently listed as endangered owing to habitat degradation and hunting.? ?

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