Top 5 Endangered Animals in India

India is a diverse country. It is located in such a perfect place on the planet that it can cater to a variety of species. The tropical climate helps many plants and animals to survive and grow. In India, there is a large variety of flora and fauna which makes it rich in biodiversity. 

There was a time when India had many kinds of animals and plants, but due to hazardous human activities, the number is decreasing day by day. Ignoring that, we can say India is still the home to some of the most beautiful creatures on the planet. 

There are almost 400 wildlife sanctuaries and national parks in the country which act as a home to all the wild animals as well as the endangered animals. The animals and birds in India are rated as Endangered or Vulnerable. There is also another category called the Critically Endangered (CR). 

The category is decided to depend upon the number of animals left and also according to the recent change in population. In India mainly the Big Cats are considered to be endangered.

These are the animals that need to be saved:

Ganges Dolphin:

The Ganges dolphins are the river dolphins that are found in the river Ganga and Brahmaputra and their tributaries. This dolphin is also the national aquatic animal of India. Due to reasons like water pollution, it has become hard for these dolphins to survive in these waters. 

They can’t be seen as frequently as they would years ago and this shows how water pollution can affect marine life.

The Royal Bengal Tiger:

The Asiatic Lion, Snow leopard, and Bengal tiger are not so good in population. The Bengal tiger in is also the national animal of India was once on the verge of extinction. Due to excessive poaching at a time the total population of tigers in whole India was estimated at 1706 – 1909 in the year 2010. 

Due to major reforms and government plans, this has been changed. Today with the help of proper care and poaching laws the population of these tigers has grown to an estimated 2603 – 3346 individuals. 

This change is one of the prime examples that if humans want they can save these animals. Even after the increase in numbers, tigers are still considered to be endangered due to the needs of the market of Asia which keeps the tigers at continuous risk from poachers.

Red Panda:

This small mammal is found on high trees in Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, and Darjeeling in India. 

This animal is considered endangered because the population of Red Panda has decreased about almost 50% from the last three generations and it is still projected to get lower. 

The loss of natural habitat in the hills in form of deforestation is causing a decline in the number of these mammals.

One-Horned Rhino:

The one-horned rhino is the largest of all the rhino species. At a time they were spread all over the northern part of India but due to attacks on them for being seen as agricultural pests and being hunted for sport, the rhino population decreased significantly. 

At the end of the 20th century, only 200 of these animals were remaining. The conversation of Rhino is one of the most famous stories of animal conservation in Asia. Today the population of Rhinos has increased to almost 3600.

Indian Bustard:

One of the heaviest flying birds in the world, the Indian Bustard is now a rare sight in India. They are found in some parts of Gujarat and Rajasthan but today only less than 1000 survive due to loss of habitat and excessive hunting.

Think about this: you grew up watching various animals and birds but now you can only watch them rarely. If you are lucky you can maybe find them in a zoo, but what about the next generation. 

What about Your kids? These animals are precious and we should do everything we can to save them.

Written by: Bhavish Doshi

Edited by: Gourav Chowdhury