Species in News

By: Kuldeep Singh

 • A large bird with a horizontal body and long bare legs giving it an ostrich
Great Indian Bustard
like appearance
• This bird is among the heaviest of the flying birds.
• Found in central India, western India and eastern Pakistan.
• Habitat: Arid and semi-arid grasslands, open country with thorn scrub,
tall grass interspersed with cultivation. It avoids irrigated areas.
• Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and CMS or Bonn
Convention.
• Appendix I of CITES
• Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
• Also known as Godawan • It has also been identified as one of the species for the recovery
and Son Chiriya programme under the Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats of
the Ministry of Environment and Forests.
• The biggest threat to this species is hunting. This is followed by
occasional poaching outside Protected Areas, collisions with high tension
electric wires, fast moving vehicles and free-ranging dogs in villages
• The Rajasthan government is to set up a captive breeding center for the
Great Indian bustard.
• The birth of a Great Indian Bustard (GIB) chick through artificial
insemination at the Sudasari Breeding Centre in Rajasthan's Jaisalmer
marks a significant step in the conservation of this critically endangered
species.
 • The Red Panda Program of Darjeeling’s Padmaja Naidu
Himalayan Zoological Park has been selected as a finalist for
the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA)
Conservation Award 2024.
• Status: Moved from Vulnerable to Endangered recently.
• Red panda is endemic to the temperate forests of the
Himalayas. It is primarily herbivorous, consuming bamboo,
berries, acorns, and occasionally small mammals.
• Habitat: Sikkim (state animal) and Assam, northern
Red Panda
Arunachal Pradesh.
• Conservation Status:
• IUCN Red List: Endangered
• CITES: Appendix I
• Wildlife Protection Act 1972 (India): Schedule I
• Threats: habitat loss and fragmentation, poaching(meat &
fur), and inbreeding depression.
• Traffic report on Red panda 2020> reduction in panda trade
 Malabar Civet
Namdapha Flying Squirrel
• It is endemic to India and was
It is a Rare Nocturnal Flying squirrel species (the
first reported from Travancore, Critically Endangered
only one in its genus) flying squirrel that is
Kerala.
restricted to a single valley in the
• It is nocturnal in nature and
Namdapha N.P. (or) W.L.S. in Arunachal
found exclusively in the Western
Pradesh.
Ghats.
Habitat: Tropical forest.
• Habitat: Wooded plains and hill
Habitat/distribution: Found only in
slopes of evergreen rainforests.
Namdapha Tiger Reserve in Arunachal
• Habitat/distribution: Western
Pradesh.
Ghats.
Threats: Hunted for food.
• Threats: Deforestation and The Namdapha flying squirrel, missing for 42
commercial plantations are years, has been sighted again in Arunachal
major threats. Pradesh
 • It subspecies of Red
Deer which is native to
India.
• Habitat: Dense riverine
forests, high valleys,
and mountains of the
Kashmir valley and
northern Chamba in
Himachal Pradesh.
• State animal of Jammu
and Kashmir.
• Threat: habitat
destruction, over-
grazing by domestic
Kashmir stag/hangul
livestock, and poaching.
In a recent Census conducted at Kashmir’s Dachigam National Park, it was found
that the population of Hangul or Kashmiri Stag has gradually increased over time.
• The Kashmir Stag is currently it is being protected in the
Dachigam National Park, Rajparian Wildlife Sanctuary,
Sind Valley, Forest covered areas of Kishtwar and
Bhaderwah, and neighboring areas of Aru.
• This animal lives in herds of 15 - 18 Hanguls in dense forests,
hills, and mountains.
• The hangul is restricted to a very small habitat at present.
• The society of Kashmir stag is matriarchal.
• The main predators of the hangul are the snow leopard,
the Indian leopard, the Indian wild dog(dhole), and
the Himalayan Black Bear.
• The Project Hangul was started in 1970 by the Kashmir
government with the help of WWF.
• The Hangul Conservation Breeding Centre in Tral, South
Kashmir, was reopened after a decade in July 2023.
Great Indian one horn Rhinoceros

Indian Rhino Vision 2020 (IRV 2020) : Launched in 2005, it is

an ambitious effort to attain a wild population of at least
3,000 greater one-horned rhinos spread over seven
protected areas in the Indian state of Assam by the year
2020.
Today, Assam has an estimated 2,640 rhinos in four
protected areas, i.e. Pabitora Wildlife Reserve, Rajiv Gandhi
Orang National Park, Kaziranga National Park, and Manas
National Park.
Habitat: Found only in the tall grasslands and forests in About 2,400 of them are in the Kaziranga National Park and
Tiger Reserve (KNPTR)
the foothills of the Himalayas [Terai region].
Conservation Efforts by India:
National Parks: Kaziranga National Park, Pabitora The five rhino range nations (India, Bhutan, Nepal, Indonesia
wildlife sanctuary, Manas National Park, Assam. and Malaysia) have signed a declaration ‘The New Delhi
Status in the Wild: Moved from Endangered to Declaration on Asian Rhinos 2019’ for the conservation and
Vulnerable. protection of the species.
Threat – Oriental belief that its horn, among other parts, Recently, the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate
has medicinal properties, habitat loss, habitat Change (MoEFCC) has begun a project to create DNA
fragmentation. profiles of all rhinos in the country.
National Rhino Conservation Strategy: It was launched in
2019 to conserve the greater one-horned rhinoceros.
 Crocodile species in India
• Crocodiles are large, aquatic reptiles found in
tropical and subtropical regions around the world.
• The Mugger (or marsh) crocodile, gharial and the
estuarine/saltwater (coast) crocodile.
 The Gharial
• It is the most uniquely evolved crocodilian in the world, a
specialized, river-dwelling, fish-eater.
• Critically endangered
• Habitat: Clean rivers with sand banks.
• Distribution: Only viable population in the National
Chambal Sanctuary, spread across three states of Uttar
Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh in India.
•The gharial reintroduction in the Beas • Small non-breeding populations exist in Son, Gandak,
Conservation Reserve is an ambitious Hoogly and Ghagra rivers. Now extinct in Myanmar,
programme of the Punjab government. Pakistan, Bhutan and Bangladesh.
•The reptiles were commonly sighted in
the Beas River till the 1960s but later • Threats: The combined effects of dams, barrages, artificial
became extinct. embankments, change in river course, pollution, sand-
mining, riparian agriculture and ingress of domestic and
feral livestock caused irreversible loss of riverine habitat
and consequently of the gharial.
• The mugger (Vulnerable) crocodile is a freshwater
species found sparsely in various lakes, rivers and
marshes in the Indian subcontinent.
• Broadest snout of the three
• Apart from the eastern coast of India, the saltwater
crocodile (Least concern) is extremely rare on the
Indian subcontinent.
• A huge population is present within
the Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary of Odisha
• As per Saltie census 2023, The population of
saltwater crocodiles in the water bodies of
Bhitarkanika National Park and its nearby areas in
Odisha's Kendrapara district has marginally
increased in 2023
 • Also known as the Pacific ridley sea turtle.
• The Olive ridley turtles are the smallest and most abundant of all
sea turtles found in the world.
• These turtles are carnivores and get their name from their olive
colored carapace.
• Distribution: found in warm and tropical waters, primarily in
the Pacific and Indian Oceans.
• Olive ridley turtles are best known for their behavior of
Olive ridley sea turtle synchronized nesting in mass numbers (locally known as
ARRIBADA)
Carcasses of Olive Ridley turtles, which are currently in • In the Indian Ocean, the majority of olive ridleys nest near
their breeding season, continue to wash ashore along Gahirmatha in Odisha. The coast of Odisha in India is the
the Visakhapatnam coast. largest mass nesting site for the olive ridleys.
• Threats: unsustainable egg collection, slaughtering nesting
females on the beach, and direct harvesting adults at sea
• Coastal development, natural disasters, climate change,
and other sources of beach erosion have also been cited
as potential threats to nesting grounds.
• IUCN Red List: Vulnerable
• Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule 1;
• CITES: Appendix I
 Malaysia has seized about 200 smuggled Indian Star
Tortoises and Turtles in a major crackdown.

Indian star tortoise

• This species naturally inhabits scrub forests, grasslands, and some coastal scrublands of arid
and semi-arid regions.
• It is found in northwestern India (Gujarat, Rajasthan) and adjoining southeastern Pakistan;
eastern and southern areas from Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and eastern Karnataka to Odisha
and throughout Sri Lanka
• Threats to this species survival include illegal collection and habitat loss.
• Included in Appendix II of the CITES
• IUCN status: vulnerable
• Placed under Schedule IV of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972.
 Wild Ass/ khur
• The endangered Halari donkeys, native to the Halar • Sub-species of the Asian Wild AssDistribution:
Mostly occurs in Rann of Kutch region (Indian Wild
region of Gujarat, are considered to be intelligent
Ass Sanctuary).
animals that work closely with human beings.
• Population steadily increasing by Population Data
• They are considered endangered with a population of (2024 WAPE)
fewer than 500. • Highest numbers found in Surendranagar
• They are white, larger, and more resilient compared to (2,705), followed by Kutch (1,993),
other donkey breeds. • IUCN: Near threatened.
• Bharwad and Rabari pastoralists used them as pack • CITES: Appendix II
animals during migration. • Wildlife Protection Act (1972): Schedule I
• Threat – Diseases, habitat degradation due to salt
activities, Invasive species Prosopis juliflora shrub,
and encroachment and grazing by the Maldhari.
 Nilgiri tahr
A newly colonized habitat of Nilgiri Tahr has been discovered
in Pasumalai, within the Megamalai Forest Division, TN

• The Nilgiri tahr is the largest of the three tahr (Goat) species, inhabit montane grasslands of
Western Ghats. It is the state animal of Tamil Nadu.
• Nilgiri tahrs are stocky goats with short, coarse fur and a bristly mane. Males are larger and darker
than females, with both sexes having curved horns. Threats: Habitat loss, overgrazing, illegal
hunting.
• Protected (Schedule I) by the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972.
• IUCN Status: Endangered
• Confined to a narrow belt of higher elevation of Shola Forest.
• The first ever State-wide population estimation of Nilgiri Tahrs, has put the total population of the
endangered species at 1,420
• Pangolins are the most trafficked wildlife species in the world
(CITES Appendix 1).
• Out of the eight species of Pangolin, the Indian Pangolin and the
Chinese Pangolin are found in India.
• Indian pangolin is a mammal found in the tropical regions of India,
Pakistan, Srilanka and Nepal.
• It is an Scaled Insectivore that feeds on Ants and Termites. It can
curl itself into a ball as to form of self defence against predators
such as a tiger.
Indian Pangolin
• Pangolin tongue is extremely elongated and can go up to 40 cms.
• IUCN category is endangered
• Schedule 1 of WLA act
• Chinese Pangolin is “Critically Endangered”
• The Chinese pangolin is found in North-East India.
• Major threats: hunting and poaching for local consumptive use
(e.g. as a protein source and traditional medicine) and
international trade, for its meat and scales in East and South East
Asian countries, particularly China and Vietnam.
 Tiger and Bengal Tiger( Panthera Tigris)

• Tiger is found in 6 landscapes in India

• Shivalik-Gangetic plains
• Central Indian Landscape complex
• Eastern Ghats
• Western Ghats
• North-Eastern hills & Brahmaputra plains
• Sunderbans

• Placed in Endangered category.

• The general observation is that the population of tigers in India has increased while that of the rest of
the world has decreased.
• 2015: IUCN said that tiger numbers have grown to 3,890—a marked increase from estimates in 2010
that put the number at “as few as 3,200.”
• Latest All India Tiger Estimation done in 2022, with an estimated number of 3682 (range 3167-3925).
• Tiger reserves were created under Project Tiger which is Tiger reserves
a tiger conservation programme launched in April 1973
by the Government of India
• As of FEb 2025, There are 57 tiger reserves in India
which are governed by Project Tiger which is
administrated by the National Tiger Conservation
Authority (NTCA).
• Ratapani Tiger Resereve (MP), Guru Ghasidas ( 36garh)
Dholpur – Karauli Tiger Reserve Rajasthan is the latest
• The various tiger reserves were created in the country
based on ‘core-buffer’ strategy.
https://ntca.gov.in/tiger-reserves/#tiger-reserves-2

• Maximum tiger reserves in

Madhya Pradesh (7)
• Latest one – Veerangana
Durgavati Tiger Reserve
• Conservation Status: IUCN: Vulnerable; Wildlife
(Protection) Act 1972: Schedule I; CITES: Appendix I.
• Threats: Poaching, Trade in bones, Habitat loss,
conflict with humans.
• The last surviving population of Asiatic lions occupies
a compact tract of dry deciduous forests and open
grassy scrublands in south-western part of saurashtra
region of state of Gujarat
• Conservation programmes
• Project Lion: Launched in 2020
• International Big Cats Alliance (2023);
• Greater Gir Concept
• Only cats that live in groups, called prides.
• Total 674 lions were recorded in 2021 census
compared to the 523 in the Lion Census of 2015.
 • Cheetah is a keystone species of dry forests, scrub
forests, and savannahs.
• It was officially declared extinct in India in 1952.
• It is one of the oldest of the big cat species, with
ancestors that can be traced back more than five
million years to the Miocene era.
• It is also the world’s fastest land mammal.
• Problems like human-wildlife conflict, loss of habitat
and loss of prey, and illegal trafficking, have
decimated their numbers.
Project Cheetah • IUCN status: African Cheetah- Vulnerable and Asiatic
(2022) Cheetah – Critically endangered (surviving only in
Iran).
• African Cheetah vs. Asiatic Cheetah
• Asiatic cheetah is much stronger and faster than African
cheetah, while on the other hand people believe the African
cheetah are the fastest.
• Asiatic Cheetah (around 50-70) is only found in Iran while
African Cheetah is found in wild in Africa
• The plan, first floated in 2009
• Iran has a sub-species of the Asiatic cheetah but has
refused to share them with India, forcing the
government to look for African ones.
• The government revived the concept in 2017, and the SC
approved the action in 2020 on “an experimental basis.”
• Eight African cheetahs from Namibia were translocated to
Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park (3 male and 5
females)
 Initial Translocation: 20 cheetahs (8 from Namibia, 12 from South
Africa) were brought to Kuno National Park, Madhya Pradesh.
 Mortality Concerns: Since the project's inception, 8 adult
cheetahs and 5 cubs have died, prompting a reevaluation of the
project's strategies.
 The quarantine period in Kuno for all the cheetahs was longer
than specified.
 The 12 surviving adult cheetahs of the 20 brought from Africa
have spent almost all of the last 12 months in captivity while a
Namibian policy categorically restricts the captivity period for
wild large carnivores to three months.
 Captive cats quickly become unfit to be released to range free in
the wild.
 •The Six Surviving River Dolphin
Species include: Amazon, Ganges, Indus, Irrawaddy,
Tucuxi, and the Yangtze finless porpoise.
• The Chinese river dolphin was deemed 'probably
extinct' in 2007.
•As per the IUCN Red list, Yangtze finless porpoise are
classified as Critically Endangered.
Freshwater / river dolphin • Amazon, Ganges, Indus, Irrawaddy and
Tucuxi are labeled as Endangered.

Conservation status:
• IUCN: Endangered
• Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972:Schedule-I
• CITES: Appendix I
 Ganges river dolphin
• Habitat: Ganges and Brahmaputra Rivers (Chambal, ghagara, gandak, sone,
kosi, kulsi) and their tributaries in Bangladesh, India and Nepal.
• National Aquatic Animal.
• ‘Susu’ shares its habitat with crocodiles, freshwater turtles and wetland birds,
many of which are fish eaters and are potential competitors with dolphins.
• It is also called a blind dolphin because it doesn’t have a crystalline eye lens
and uses echolocation to navigate and hunt.
• Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary (VGDS) in Bihar is India’s only
sanctuary for the Gangetic dolphin.
• Dolphins have started coming back to the Ganga with improvement in the
quality of the river water made possible by the Namami Gange Programme.
• ‘Project Dolphin’ under the Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitat
programme of the GOI
• For the first time, Indian wildlife experts successfully tagged a Ganges River
dolphin,
 Indus river dolphin
• Habitat: Indus River in Pakistan and its Beas and Sutlej
tributaries. Recently Breeding population of Indus
Dolphins have been sighted in Beas river. ( Punjab
government is roping up with Conservationists to take
protection measures for them.
• Threats:
• Biological Resource Use: Fishing & harvesting aquatic
resources.
• Natural System Modifications: Dams & water
management/use.
• Pollution: Domestic & urban waste water, Industrial & military
effluents, Agricultural & forestry effluents.
 Irrawaddy Dolphin

• The status of the Irrawaddy dolphin has been raised from “vulnerable” to “endangered” in the
latest Red List of threatened species
• Irrawaddy Dolphins are found in the brackish water near coasts, river mouths and in estuaries
of Ganges, Brahmaputra, Irrawaddy and Mekong rivers.
• This species is also known to be found in the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific, from northern
Australia and New Guinea through South-East Asia to the Bay of Bengal, which forms the
western limit of its range.
• Total population of these animals in the world is estimated to be less than 7,500 with highest
being little over 6,000 reported from Bangladesh.
• The population of Irrawaddy dolphins in Chilka is considered to be the highest single lagoon
population with recorded head count of 121 in 2017.
• It has been included in Schedule I of Wildlife protection act, schedule I of CMS, Schedule II of
 • The snow leopard inhabits the higher Himalayan and
trans-Himalayan landscape in the five states of Jammu
and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim,
and Arunachal Pradesh.
• This area contributes to about 5% of the global snow
leopard range.
• Snow leopards are categorized as ‘Vulnerable’ by IUCN
and in the Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection)
Snow Leopard Act 1972.
• They are listed in Appendix I of the Convention on
Snow Leopard capital of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and
the world: Hemis, Ladakh.
the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), revealing
the need for the highest conservation status to the
species, both globally and in India.
• Project Snow Leopard (PSL) (Launched in 2009 ): It
promotes an inclusive and participatory approach to
conservation that fully involves local communities.
• SECURE Himalaya: Global Environment Facility (GEF)-
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) funded
the project on conservation of high altitude biodiversity
and reducing the dependency of local communities on the
natural ecosystem. This project is now operational in four
snow leopard range states, namely, Jammu and Kashmir,
Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Sikkim.
• WWF report on snow leopard Globally, there could be as
few as 4,000 snow leopards left in Asia’s high mountains
and this remaining population faces continued and
emerging threats.
• GOI launched the First National Protocol on Snow Leopard Population
Assessment, to mark the occasion of International Snow Leopard Day (23rd
October) reported a population of 718 in India.
• India is also member of GSLEP(Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem
Protection) programe is a high-level inter-governmental alliance of all the 12
snow leopard range countries.
• The snow leopard countries namely, India, Nepal, Bhutan, China, Mongolia,
Russia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and
Uzbekistan.
• Kyrgyzstan has officially declared the Snow Leopard(Panthera uncia) as its
national symbol, signifying its commitment to conservation and ecological
balance.
 Asian Elephants
• A study on Asian Elephants (Elephas
maximus) reveals new insights about their
vocalizations.
• Asian elephants communicate using trumpets, roars,
rumbles, and chirps to seek attention and express
emotions.
• Asian Elephants: Subspecies: Three subspecies of
Asian elephants include Indian, Sumatran, and
Sri Lankan.
• Population: Fewer than 50,000 remain in
fragmented populations across 13 countries. •IUCN Red List: Endangered.
• Habitat: Found in grasslands, scrublands, evergreen •Wildlife (Protection) Act,
and deciduous forests. 1972: Schedule I.
• Size and Appearance: Smaller than African •CITES: Appendix I
elephants with proportionally smaller ears.
• Importance: Elephants, India’s Natural Heritage Animal, are
a Keystone Species vital for forest health. They create
clearings for forest regeneration and dig for water, aiding
other wildlife.
• 33 Elephant Reserves have been established in 14 major
elephant States.
• According to the 2017 Elephant Census, Karnataka holds the
highest number of elephants, with 6,049 individuals,
followed by Assam with 5,719, and Kerala with 3,054.
Threats to Elephants
• Habitat Loss and Fragmentation:
• Human-Elephant Conflict:
• Poaching:
Measures Taken for Conservation
• Project Elephant: It is a centrally sponsored scheme and was
launched in February 1992 for the protection of elephants,
their habitats and corridors.
 Vultures in India
• Nine species of vulture can be found living in
India.
• But today, most are in danger of extinction due to a
veterinary drug called diclofenac
• Diclofenac leads to renal failure in vultures damaging
their excretory system
• The drug was banned for veterinary use in India in
March, 2006; Nepal and Pakistan followed suit
shortly thereafter.
• Meloxicam affects cattle the same way as
diclofenac, but is harmless for vultures.
 Conservation Status of India Vultures
Critically Endangered
• White-Rumped Vulture (Gyps bengalensis)
• White-Backed Vulture (Gyps africanus)
• Ruppell’s Vulture (Gyps rueppellii)
• Indian Vulture (Gyps indicus)
• Slender-Billed Vulture (Gyps tenuirostris)
Endangered
• Cape Vulture (Gyps coprotheres)
Near Threatened
• Himalayan Vulture (Gyps himalayensis)
Least Concern
• Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus)
 Conservation efforts
• Vulture Safety Zones
• Aim of developing VSZs is to establish targeted
awareness activities surrounding 150 km radius of
vultures’ colonies so that no diclofenac or the veterinary
toxic drugs are found in cattle carcasses, the main food of
vultures(to provide safe food).
• Exs
• Zone between Uttarkhand to Nepal
• Dibrugarh in Assam to North Lakhimpur in Arunachal
Pradesh
• third zone would be in central India, covering Chhatisgarh
• Vulture Restaurants
• Maharashtra( Phansad wildlife sanctuary)
• 'Vulture restaurant' in Punjab's Pathankot
• Sukhnara village in Kangra district
• The vulture research facility at Pinjore,
Haryana became Asia’s first Vulture
Conservation Breeding Centre in 2005. At
present, India has four vulture breeding
facilities at Rani, Guwahati (Assam),Pinjore
(Haryana),Buxa (West Bengal), and Bhopal
(Madhya Pradesh).
• Giddha Bhojanalaya has been established in
Koderma (JH)
 Vulture action Plan 2020-25
• Drug control
• To ensure minimum use of Diclofenac.
• To carry out safety testing of available NSAIDs on vultures and to
develop new ones which do not affect vultures.
• Upscaling conservation
• To establish Additional Conservation Breeding
Centres along with Vulture Conservation Centres
• To implement the Vulture Safe Zone programme at eight
different places in the country where there are existing
populations of vultures.
• To build Four rescue centres for different geographical areas
like Pinjore in the north, Bhopal in Central India, Guwahati
in Northeast and Hyderabad in South India.
 Common Name Laysan Albatross
Scientific Name Phoebastria immutabilis
Laysan IUCN Status Near Threatened
Albatross Region Found Predominantly in the North Pacific Ocean
Midway Atoll, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (hosts 99.7% of
Major Nesting Site
the population)

Wisdom, a 74-year-old, has set the world record as the oldest living wild bird,
continuing to lay eggs and contribute to species conservation.
Key Characteristics
Pelagic Lifestyle: Lives in open seas, comes to land mainly for breeding.
Appearance: Medium-sized seabird; resembles a gull with long, narrow wings suited for
gliding.
Feeding Habits: Consumes squid, fish eggs, and crustaceans—typically while flying far
from the coast.
Reproductive Behavior:
Monogamous; mates for life.
Lays only one egg per year.
Both parents share incubation duties.
Longevity: Can live over 60 years; Wisdom is the oldest recorded at 74 years.
 Fishing Cat
• Rise in Fishing Cat population at Coringa Wildlife
Sanctuary (CWS), Andhra Pradesh. Launch of India’s
first Fishing Cat Collaring Project to study its
behavior and support wetland conservation.
Scientific Name Prionailurus viverrinus
IUCN Status Vulnerable
Habitat Wetlands, swamps, mangroves, marshes, oxbow lakes, tidal creeks, reed beds
Distribution in India Eastern coast, Sundarbans, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar
- Skilled swimmer, hunts by diving- Nocturnal carnivore- Feeds on fish, frogs,
Key Characteristics crustaceans, and small mammals- Breeds year-round- Short, muscular tail with 6–
7 dark bands
- Indicator species of wetland ecosystem health- Helps balance aquatic food
Ecological Role
chains
Conservation
Highlights the need to protect urban wetlands and mangrove ecosystems
Importance
 Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary
• Located at Godavari Estuary, Kakinada (AP)
• 2nd largest mangrove forest in India
• Home to endangered species: Fishing Cat,
Indian smooth-coated otter, Olive Ridley turtles
• Hope Island provides a natural shield from sea
erosion
• Biodiversity hotspot with species like Brahminy
kite, black-capped kingfisher
 UN General Assembly designated 24 May as the International Day of
Why in News?
the Markhor, first celebrated in 2024.
Scientific Name Capra falconeri
Mountainous regions (600–3,600 m) across Pakistan, Afghanistan,
Habitat
India (J&K – Shopian, Uri etc), and Tajikistan
- Spiral horns (up to 160 cm in males)- Thick brown/gray fur- Males:
Distinctive Features
80–110 kg, Females: 32–50 kg
Herbivorous – feeds on grasses, herbs, leaves, and woody plants
Diet
(especially in winter)
- Males: Mostly solitary or in small groups- Females & young: Larger
Social Behavior
herds
- Illegal hunting (for horns)- Habitat loss, competition from livestock-
Major Threats
Impact of climate change
Conservation - Habitat protection- Anti-poaching efforts- Managing grazing
Measures pressure from domestic livestock
A flagship species for high-altitude conservation and ecosystem
Ecological Role
stability
 The United States successfully eradicated this invasive species, which
Why in News?
had threatened native pollinators and agriculture.

Scientific Name Vespa mandarinia

Native Habitat Forested regions in Asia – especially Japan, China, and Southeast Asia

Preferred Nesting Underground cavities, tree roots, and rotting logs Northern Giant Hornet /
Murder Hornet
- Up to 2 inches long- Venom 7x stronger than honeybees- Can sting
Key Features
multiple times- Can penetrate beekeeper suits

- Destroys honeybee hives in < 90 minutes (decapitation technique)-

Major Threats Posed Competes with native pollinators- Disrupts ecosystems and agriculture-
Caused fatalities in China (2013)

Ecological Impact - Pollination loss- Biodiversity threat due to competition and predation

Highlighted importance of invasive species monitoring and pollinator

Conservation Note
protection programs
 Oriental Pied Hornbill
Scientific Name Anthracoceros albirostris
Common Names - Sunda Pied Hornbill (convexus)- *Malaysian Pied Hornbill
IUCN Status Least Concern
- Subtropical/tropical moist lowland forests- Found in Himalayan foothills,
Habitat
northeast India, and Southeast Asia
Omnivorous: consumes fruits, insects, shellfish, small reptiles, mammals, and
Diet
bird eggs
Key - Smallest and most common Asian hornbill- Highly adaptable and
Characteristics widespread
- Known as "forest engineers" for seed dispersal- Helps maintain tropical
Ecological Role
forest diversity and regeneration
Conservation Although listed as Least Concern, they are affected by habitat destruction and
Note hunting in certain regions

In Mayong village, Morigaon district, Assam, a unique community driven conservation initiative has established an
ideal habitat for the oriental pied hornbill, showcasing exemplary efforts in biodiversity conservation.
Scientific
Family PapilionidaeExamples: Papilio machaon, Papilio slateri
Classification
- Blue-striped mime (Papilio slateri)- Bhutan glory (Bhutanitis
Notable Species
lidderdalii)- Kaiser-i-Hind (Teinopalpus imperialis)

Distribution Found globally; 69 species recorded in Northeast India

IUCN Status Some species are globally endangered
- Large and colorful butterflies- Forked hindwings resembling a
Key Features
swallow’s tail

- Overexploitation of host plants (e.g., citrus species)- Deforestation

Threats and illegal logging- Cattle grazing in protected areas- Pesticide use
from tea plantations- Habitat loss due to shrinking forest cover

Conservation
- Vital pollinators- Indicators of forest ecosystem health
Importance

A new study has revealed that the overexploitation of 25 medicinally valuable host plant species is endangering the
swallowtail butterflies in the forest habitats of a region in Assam.
 The King Cobra found in the Western Ghats has been officially named
Why in News?
Ophiophagus kaalinga. Locally known as ‘Kaalinga Sarpa’.

IUCN Status Vulnerable

CITES Status Appendix II
Habitat Endemic to the Western Ghats of south-western India
- Diurnal (active during the day)- Known for nest-building behavior (unique
Behavior
among snakes)
Primarily feeds on other snakes including rat snakes, dhamans, and other
Diet
cobras
- World’s longest venomous snake
Key Features - -Can deliver a neurotoxic venom
- - Hood-spreading when threatened
Conservation - Apex predator in forest ecosystems
Importance - Important for controlling snake populations
• The Malabar Tree Toad lives mainly in trees, especially
in the dense canopy of tropical rainforests.
• It is active at night, feeding on insects and other small
creatures, while during the day, it hides under leaves or
in tree crevices to stay safe from predators and avoid
drying out.
• The Malabar Tree Toad is listed as “Endangered” on the
IUCN Red List.
• A recent study indicates that the population of the
endemic Malabar Tree Toad (MTT) in India's Western
Ghats may decline by 68.7% by 2080 due to climate
change, particularly in protected areas (PAs).
• The study found that climate change is likely to shift
Malabar Tree Toad habitats from central to southern
Western Ghats
 Conservation Status:
IUCN Red List: Vulnerable
Moved to endangered Wild Life Protection Act,
1972: Schedule I
It is listed in CITES Appendix
I.
Gaur/Indian Bison

Lion-tailed macaque

• The gaur (Bos gaurus), also called Indian bison, is a large

• Endemic to the Western Ghats. bovine native to South Asia and Southeast Asia.
• Known for distinct vocalizations (17 types) used for • Mostly found in north-east india (AP, Nagaland, Mizoram and
communication and territory marking. Manipur)
• Avoid human presence and they do not live, feed or • Gaur is a social animal. Live in group size of about 30 to 40.
travel through plantations. • Threats: Habitat loss, habitat fragmentation.
• Habitat: Evergreen forests in the Western Ghats range. • After several decades, the locally extinct Indian gaur has been
• Threat: Habitat fragmentation due to spread of spotted in the Nagarjunasagar Srisailam Tiger Reserve (NSTR)
agriculture and tea, coffee, teak and cinchona, in Andhra Pradesh.
construction of water reservoirs and human • Mithun was recognised by the FSSAI as a food animal. In 2024
settlements to support such activities. • The domesticated form of the gaur, Bos frontalis, is called
• Kudremukh National Park (Karnataka) gayal or mithun.
• Periyar National Park (Kerala)
• Silent Valley National Park (Kerala)
• Indian Army has inducted double-humped camels
for patrolling and logistical support along the Line
of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh.
• The Bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus), is also
known as the Mongolian camel, domestic Bactrian
camel or two-humped camel.
• Their name comes from the ancient historical
region of Bactria.
• It is a large even-toed ungulate native to the steppes
of Central Asia.
• It has two humps on its back, in contrast to the
single-humped dromedary. Doubled-humped Camels
• The humps are plump and pliable. They store fat,
which can be converted into water and energy when
food and water resources are scarce during harsh
winters.
• A small population of Bactrian camel exists in the
Nubra valley of Ladakh.