AnimalsNational symbols
- National animal: the tiger.
- National bird: the Indian peafowl.
- National aquatic animal: the Ganges river dolphin.
- National heritage animal: the Asian elephant.
Why India has so many kinds of animal
India stretches from snow mountains to tropical coasts, with deserts, grasslands, rainforests, wetlands and coral islands in between. Each kind of country has its own animals: the snow leopard and yak in the high Himalayas, the camel in the Thar Desert, the one-horned rhinoceros in the grasslands of Assam, the lion in the dry forest of Gir, and sea turtles on the beaches of Odisha.
Which are in danger?
Of the Indian animals listed here, these are classed as threatened: dugong (vulnerable), Ganges river dolphin (endangered), gharial (critically endangered), great hornbill (vulnerable), Indian pangolin (endangered), Indian rhinoceros (vulnerable), Indian star tortoise (vulnerable), king cobra (vulnerable), lion (vulnerable), mugger crocodile (vulnerable), red panda (endangered), sarus crane (vulnerable), sloth bear (vulnerable), snow leopard (vulnerable). What the categories mean.
Wildlife and the law
Wild animals in India are protected by the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. Hunting them, or keeping protected species such as the Indian star tortoise or parakeets as pets, is an offence.