Endangered Species of

INDIA
Abhay Vinayak
XII C
 Introduction
India has a vast wildlife. Many exotic animal and plant species are
found in this beautiful country. But sadly, the population of these
beautiful species are declining because of humanity’s greed.
These majestic creatures are being illegally poached for their
body parts which are sold for very high prices in the black
markets. Nowadays, the Indian Government has taken initiatives
to protect these creatures from illegal poaching to prevent them
from going extinct. For this purpose national parks and
sanctuaries have been set up.
In these Presentation, we are going to look at some of these
endangered species found in India.
 Bengal Tiger
Bengal tigers account for about half of the
world’s total tiger population, 70% of which
can be found living in India. Though this big
cat is an adaptable animal that lives in
various habitats including forests, mangroves
and wetlands, and has the ability to cope
with hot or cold temperatures, Bengal Tiger
population have plummeted over the years.
The animal has been endangered following
decades of persistent poaching for its skin
and body parts, trophy hunting and severely
reduced habitat from urban development.
The species now lives in just 7% of their
historical habitat range, with fewer than
2,000 individuals left in the wild. In a densely
populated country like India, human-wildlife
conflict is also a contributing factor to its
dwindling numbers.
Asiatic Lion
The Asiatic lion is about 10-20% smaller than
its African cousins with a larger tail tuft and a
distinct belly fold. As the name suggests, the
Asiatic Lion was historically native across
south-west Asia to eastern India. But now,
the species’ entire population can only be
found in India and restricted to the Gir
National Park and environs in Gujarat. Listed
as an endangered species by the
International Union for Conservation of
Nature (IUCN) since 2010, the Asiatic lion
only has about 500-650 individuals left in the
country. While the animal is mostly confined
to the Gir Forest, many farmers still use
crude and illegal electrical fences to protect
their crops where lions often get caught up in
it. Likewise, nearly 20,000 open wells dug by
farmers in the area for irrigation have led to
many accidental drownings of lions.
 Snow
Leopard
Much like the Asiatic Lion, snow leopards used
to have much larger habitats and prowled across
the mountain ranges of Asia. Now, they can only
be found in Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh,
Uttarakhand and the western and eastern parts
of the Himalayas, with population numbers
down to about 500 in India. Unsurprisingly, this
drop is the result of human interference,
namely animal poaching for its pelt and body
parts, and a rapid decline of prey due to
increasing domestic livestock, which depletes
the high altitude pasture lands. Conflicts
between remote communities and snow
leopards have also been a threat to the species,
as well as hydroelectric and mining projects,
which reduces the leopard’s natural habitat. As
female snow leopards tend to produce only one
to two cubs once every two years, it also makes
it harder for the species to recover its numbers.
One-horned
Rhino
Also known as the Indian rhinoceros, this animal
is mostly found in India and the foothills of
Himalayas. One-horned rhinoceros has been
heavily targeted for their horns for decades,
which allegedly have medicinal properties, and
killed as agricultural pests. The population is
also impacted by frequent flooding seasons,
forcing rhinos to move to higher ground and
outside of national parks, increasing risks of
human-wildlife conflicts. These factors have
consequently driven the population to near
extinction at the start of the 20th century,
dropping down to as little as 200 animals. But
with the help of strict and targeted conservation
measures, current population numbers have
risen back up to around 3,700 in northeastern
India and the Terai grasslands of Nepal, making
it “one of the most successful conservation
efforts in history”.
 Blackbuck
Due to severe poaching – hunted especially
in the princely states of India for their pelts –
and habitat loss, the blackbuck, or Indian
antelope, is now one of the most
endangered species in India. In 1947, there
were around 80,000 blackbucks. But that
number had fallen to 8,000 in less than 20
years. Despite conservation efforts that help
population numbers go back up to around
25,000, factors such as preying stray dogs –
which India has one of the highest rates of –
pesticides and moving vehicles all continuing
threats to the species. You can find
blackbucks in small herds in open grasslands,
dry scrub areas, and thinly forested areas
across India, and have been introduced in
Argentina and the United States to help
increase their numbers.
 Lion-Tailed
Macaque
Endemic to the small and severely
fragmented rainforests of Western Ghats of
South India, the lion-tailed macaque is a
recognisable monkey identifiable by its silver-
white mane that surrounds its head.
Estimates place the total wild population of
the macaque around 4,000 individuals, and is
projected to decline more than 20% in the
next 25 years should threats like hunting,
roadkills and habitat loss persist. These rare
primates are mostly shy and tend to remain
in the upper canopies of rainforest, which
continues to dwindle due to deforestation
and land clearing. The species’ easy access to
human food is also changing their
behaviours, driving the animal to spend less
time foraging for food.
 Resplendent
Tree Frog
This mysterious frog species was only
discovered in 2010 at the highest peak of the
Western Ghats, and has a striking orange hue
and several big glands covering its body
surface. The resplendent tree frog is so rare
that they can only be found in the Anamudi
summit in Kerala within the Eravikulam
National Park. Scientists estimate that there
are only about 300 remaining animals and
recommend top-priority conservation for this
species.
Kashmiri Red
Stag
The Kashmiri red stag has been listed as a
critically endangered species by the IUCN for
decades and is among the top 15 species of
high conservation priority by the Indian
Government. As a result, the species is now
largely restricted within a 141 sq km area in
Dachigam National Park. In the early 1990s,
the number of red stags was estimated to be
around 5,000 but dramatically decreased to
about 150 in 1970, and around 110-130 in
2015. Habitat fragmentation, land
encroachment for grazing, and very low
fawn-female ratio are attributed to be the
main causes behind red stag’s population
decline. Many ongoing conservation drives
are attempting to tackle these issues to help
protect this critically endangered species in
India.
Nilgiri Tahr
This endangered mountain goat species only
has about 2,500-3,000 individuals remaining
in the wild. Much like the other animals are
on the list, wildlife poaching and habitat loss
has led the nilgiri tahr to be contained within
the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, covering
less than 10% of their former range. But for
these mountain goats, climate change is
expected to be an even bigger threat. The
animal lives in high-altitude mountainous
grasslands and rocky cliffs of the Western
Ghats, and is projected to become unsuitable
habitats for the goats as global surface
temperatures rise.
 Indian Bison
(Gaur)
The largest and tallest in the family of wild
cattle, the Indian bison is an animal native to
South Asia and South-East Asia but one that
is severely threatened by wildlife poaching
(for its meat, horns and medicinal products),
shrinking habitats and food scarcity from the
destruction of grasslands. Famously the
inspiration behind the branding of the
popular energy drink, Red Bull, the bison has
unfortunately lost more than 70% of its
population in many parts of their range. The
gaur is listed as a vulnerable species by the
IUCN and is protected by India’s 1972 Wild
Life Protection Act, which calls for the
reintroduction of native plants and
regulation of indiscriminate cattle grazing
around areas where the gaurs roam.
 Great Indian
Bustard
The Great Indian Bustard is a most
endangered species of bird found only in
India and adjoining region. Bustard is one of
the largest flying species of bird with weight
up to 15 kg and about 1 m tall from the
ground. The largest land bird habitat in the
scrub, tall grass, semi-arid grasslands and
semi desert regions of Rajasthan. Due to
heavily hunting and habitat loss, the bird is
disappearing from the many regions of India.
It’s state bird of Rajasthan. There is a wildlife
sanctuary called Great Indian Bustard
Sanctuary at Solapur, Maharashtra.
Thanks for Reading