KALEIDOSCOPE ANIMALIA - INDIA
There are so many beautiful and amazing animals all over the world. India is a bio-diverse country, with nearly 6.5% of the world's known wildlife species. Approximately, 7.6% of the world's mammals and 12.6% of the world's birds are found in India. There are many reasons for a species, or type, of animal becoming endangered or extinct. Creatures may be killed for their fur, meat, or other body parts, like elephants for their ivory tusks. Killing an animal for a part of its body is called poaching. The destruction of an animal's habitat may also lead to endangerment. Still other reasons include pollution, loss of prey, hunting, and more. In the country of India, there are many beautiful animals. Some of them are endangered or even critically endangered, which means they are even closer to disappearing.
Bengal Tiger - Endangered
Hunting and human population growth are the main threats to Bengal Tigers. As human populations grow, people need more places to live. This reduces the amount of wild habitat for the tiger. People also need more food to eat and may well hunt the same animals for food as the tigers rely on for their survival.
Sloth Bear - Vulnerable
The IUCN has classified the sloth bear as vulnerable mainly due to habitat loss and poaching. Degradation and loss of forests (caused by fire, overgrazing, and over-extraction of forest resources) are believed to have resulted in a 40% decline in the sloth bear's population over the last 30 years.
Asiatic Lion - Endangered
The Asiatic lion currently exists as a single subpopulation and is thus vulnerable to extinction from unpredictable events, such as an epidemic or large forest fire. There are indications of poaching incidents in recent years, as well as reports that organized poacher gangs have switched attention from local Bengal tigers to the Gujarat lions.
Lion Tailed Macaque - Endangered
Habitat loss and divided forest ranges force the LTMs to inbreed which results in the weaker generation and less diverse gene pool. Reducing the gap between humans and LTM territory in the name of development, agriculture, plantations, reservoirs are the major cause of lion tail Macaques population decrease.
Indian Wolf - Endangered
The Indian wolf is restricted to lowland India and Pakistan, where its grassland habitat is threatened primarily by human encroachment and land conversion.
Indian Gaur - Vulnerable
The primary reason for the Gaur is its diminishing habitat and susceptibility to bovine diseases. The destruction in the grasslands has led to the decline in the availability of food for these animals. Due to the planting of commercially important trees, the lush grassland has diminished which is the prime source of fodder for this wild cattle. Also, the wild cattle have to fight for their food due to the indiscriminate grazing of domestic animals in the areas where gaurs stay. Poaching is done for their commercial value as well as due to the high demand for gaur meat in the illegal market of the Nepal - India border.
Blackbuck - Near Threatened
During the 20th century, blackbuck numbers declined sharply due to excessive hunting, deforestation, and habitat degradation. Some blackbucks are killed illegally, especially where the species is sympatric with nilgai.
Indian Rhino - Vulnerable
Initially, numbers dropped due to hunting, but today the main threats to rhinos are poaching and habitat loss. Poaching and illegal trade of rhino horns have increased sharply since 2007 and remain one of the major reasons rhinos are still endangered today. Habitat loss is the other major threat to rhino populations.
Asiatic Elephant - Endangered
Since 1986, the Asian elephant has been listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, as the population has declined by at least 50 percent over the last three elephant generations, which is about 60–75 years. It is primarily threatened by loss of habitat, habitat degradation, fragmentation, and poaching.
Red Panda - Endangered
Red pandas are endangered and are legally protected in India, Bhutan, China, Nepal, and Myanmar. Their primary threats are habitat loss and degradation, human interference, and poaching. Habitat loss is primarily attributed to logging, grazing livestock, demand for firewood, human encroachment, and farming.
Nilgiri Tahr - Endangered
The Nilgiri tahr, which used to be found along the entire stretch of Western Ghats, is presently found only in small fragmented pockets. A large part of its population has been wiped out from its historical range. The existing populations are under severe stress due to habitat loss and hunting.
Golden Langur - Endangered
Their habitat in Assam has fragmented drastically, especially after a thrust on rural electrification and massive deforestation. Obstructions such as wires, and gaps in the forest due to felling, have increased the threat of inbreeding among golden langurs.
