India is home to a great variety of flora and fauna. Some animal species are only native to India and not found anywhere else, which makes them rare and special. Here is the list of 6 such animals:
Native to Manipur, this endangered animal is a subspecies of brow-antlered deer. They live in the floating grasslands of Keibul Lamjao National Park, located in the Loktak Lake, the largest freshwater lake in eastern India.
Native to the Western Ghats of South India, lion-tailed macaques are an endangered species of Old World monkeys. They are ranked among the rarest and have a unique white mane and lion-like tail. They are known to be not friendly to humans.
World’s rarest and smallest wild pig, Pygmy Hog, is found in India’s Assam. Pygmy Hogs live in wet grasslands and make their own home with roofs, a behaviour seen in very few species. They are less than 250 in population.
Nilgiri tahr have skinny bodies with curved horns and strong hooves, which makes them excellent mountain climbers. They have a life expectancy of only about three years in the wild and live in the tropical rainforests of the Western Ghats.
The Nilgiri blue robin or Nilgiri sholakili is native to the hills of southern India and the Shola forests of Western Ghats. These small birds are found under dense forest patches and forest floors in restricted and threatened habitats of montane grassland. Their population is reducing due to hunting and deforestation.
Native to the parts of the Ganges River in Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and Bihar, these dolphins can only live in freshwater. They are practically blind and hunt by emitting ultrasonic sounds. Ganges River Dolphins are the national aquatic animal of India.