India Wildlife Animals
The Royal Bengal tiger, the national animal of India is an incredible sight. With its orange hide marked with dark stripes, its white underbelly, long tail, huge paws and fearsome teeth, the Royal Bengal Tiger of India is justifiably called the "King of the Jungle." It is the largest of the Big Cats. There are several subspecies of Tiger of which the Siberian Tiger is the largest.
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The Barasingha or Swamp Deer, is an endangered species of deer, and can be seen in protected sanctuaries in India. They derive their name from the large antlers of the adult male Barasingha, which may grow to have more than 12 points, hence the translation of its name in Hindi, 12- antlered Deer.
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The King Cobra, found in India is the largest venomous snake in the world. In a single bite it can inject enough venom to kill an elephant - up to 6- 7 ml. This is enough to kill up to 20 people. The King Cobra is worshipped in India, particularly on the festive occasion of Nag Panchami and is depicted in sculptures on temple walls and celebrated in myth and legend. The venom of King Cobras has a paralyzing effect on the nerves and has been used to develop painkillers used to treat arthritis in humans.
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The Asiatic Lion has been known in India for centuries. The Ashoka Pillar, which is the national emblem of India, depicts three snarling Asiatic lions with beautifully carved curling manes and expressions. Their accurate depiction testifies to the skill of the sculptors of Mauryan times, as well as their awareness of this magnificent animal, the Asiatic Lion, often called "The King of Beasts"
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Also known as the Asian elephant, the Indian Elephant is a gentle giant. Often tamed for use as a load-bearing animal, elephants are prized for their immense strength, their sedate nature when tamed and are worshipped in India as an incarnation of the elephant headed god Ganesha. Tame elephants are often kept in temples in India and bear the images of the gods in temple processions on festive days. Elephants have been used historically in India as the mounts of rulers, and as a part of warfare.
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The Nilgiri Tahr, is an endangered mountain goat, found primarily in the Western Ghats including the Nilgiri Hills of South India. Also known as the Nilgiri Ibex, this endangered animal is severely under threat, though conservation efforts have resulted in its numbers increasing in the later half of the 20th century.
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The Leopard is a striking looking feline. One of the Big Cats, the Leopard with its golden yellow coat marked with rosettes, is a compact hunting machine. Leopards are also called Panthers and the rare Black Panther, a leopard with a completely black coat, is also seen in India. Black Panthers have been immortalized as Bagheera the Black Panther in Rudyard Kipling's well loved children's classic The Jungle Book.
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The Great Indian Rhinoceros, also called the Greater One-horned Rhinoceros, is characterized by the single horn on its nose and by the loose folds of its thick skin. The horn is seen on both male and female Rhinos but not young ones below a year in age. It consists of keratin - a protein present in human hair and nails - and can grow from 20 to 60 cm in size. Adult male Rhinos have the largest horns.
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The Snow Leopard, seen in the Himalayan regions of India is a beautiful animal, which looks different from the leopard found in more tropical regions. The snow leopard has a thick coat of silver gray fur, marked with black spots and rosettes, which helps it blend into the snow covered terrain where it lives.
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