Asiatic Lions - Asiatic
lion, also known as the Indian lion is a lion subspecies that exists
as a single population in India's Gujarat state in Gir National Park
and Wildlife Sanctuary. Asiatic Lions are listed as Endangered by
IUCN due to its small population size. It is mainly due to habitat
loss.
Tigers - Tiger is the
biggest species of the cat family. Tiger is the national animal of
India. Today the tigers are a near endangered species with only a
handful still roaming the Asian jungles. Their number decreased
greatly due to poaching, they are hunted for fur, teeth, bones etc
and loss of habitat. Average lifespan of tiger is 18 to 25 years.
Snow Leopards - Snow
leopards are found at altitudes between 9,800 and 17,000 feet in the
high, rugged mountains of Central Asia. Snow leopard, has thick fur,
white, yellowish or soft grey coat with ringed spots of black on
brown. Average lifespan is between 15-18 years.
Rhinoceros - Rhinoceros
means ‘nose horn.’ Rhinoceros averages about 1.5 tons in weight
& have thick, protective skin that is roughly 1.5 cm thick.
Rhinoceros are often hunted by humans for their horns. Rhinos are
herbivorous animals. They eat grass, shrubs, leaves and shoots.
Rhinoceros have the lifespan of about 35 to 50 years.
Pandas - Panda,
is a bear native to south central China. Pandas live in the
bamboo forest of China, but loss of natural habitat and poaching
pushed pandas to the brink of extinction.
It is easily recognised by the large, distinctive black patches
around its eyes, over the ears, and across its round body. Panda's
eats almost exclusively bamboo in the forest. Their lifespan ranges
between 20 – 35 years.
Elephants - Elephants
are the largest land-living mammal in the world. Elephants are
herbivores and can spend up to 16 hours days collecting leaves,
twigs, bamboo and roots. There are two species of elephant, the
Asian elephant and the African elephant. All elephants are
highly endangered due to increased hunting for ivory and habitat
loss. Lifespan of Elephants is 55
– 70 years.
Chimpanzees - The
Chimpanzee is a species of ape that is natively found in western and
central Africa. They are thought to be the most intelligent animals
on the planet after humans. Chimpanzee is an omnivorous animal.
Chimpanzees are highly endangered animals. Loss of habitat and
increased commercial hunt reduced the number of chimpanzee from 2
million to 300,000 individuals. They have the lifespan of 50 – 60
years.
Wild Dogs - Wild dog is a
member of canine family. These animals inhabit open plains and
woodlands of Sub-Saharan Africa. Wild dogs have long legs, strong
jaws and large, bat-like ears. Their body is covered with fur which
has irregular patches of red, brown, black, yellow and white colour.
African wild dogs are endangered species. Their number decreased
greatly due to extensive killing by farmers who want to protect
their livestock & also due to habitat loss.
Gorillas - Gorillas
are large apes that are native to Africa. Gorillas are herbivores
and eat leaves, shoots, roots, vines and fruits. It is said that the
DNA of gorillas is 98-99% identical to human DNA. Gorillas
are critically endangered species. Their number in the wild
decreased drastically in the previous century as a result of habitat
loss, hunting, pet and zoo trade and diseases.
Their lifespan ranges between 35 - 50 years.
Mink - Mink is a mammal
that belongs to the family of weasels. Mink is covered with soft fur
that is usually black or dark brown in colour. White marks can be
seen on the chin, throat and chest. Mink is semi-aquatic animal.
Mink is carnivore. Its diet consists of worms, fish, crayfish,
amphibians, birds and small mammals. Mink is nocturnal creature.
Hunting for fur, water pollution, habitat destruction and diseases
are main factors that affect number of mink.
Dhole - Dhole is a type of
Asian wild dog, that can be found in India, Korea, China, Russia,
Malaysia, Indonesia and Java. Dhole's can be reddish brown, grey or
beige in colour. Inner part of the ears and chest are white. Tail is
darker in colour. Dhole's have large, round ears and excellent sense
of hearing. Habitat destruction, loss of the natural prey, hunting
and diseases led Dholes to the brink of extinction. Dhole's can
survive up to 10 years in the wild.
Indian Wild Asses - Indian
wild ass is a subspecies of the onager native to Southern Asia. The
body of Indian Wild Ass is usually sandy, but varies from reddish
grey, fawn, to pale chestnut. Indian wild asses graze between dawn
and dusk. The animal feeds on grass, leaves and fruits of plant,
crop and saline vegetation.
Gharials - Gharial also
known as Gavial are found in the fast-flowing rivers in the northern
parts of the Indian subcontinent. Gharial has elongated, narrow
snout filled with 106 to 110 very sharp teeth. Gharial is a
carnivore, they hunt & eat fish. Habitat loss due to
construction of dams and artificial embankments, hunting, collecting
of eggs and lack of food has led gharial to be classified as
critically endangered.
Polar Bears - Polar bear is
a carnivorous bear whose native range lies largely within the Arctic
Circle. It has black skin under the white fur. The fur keeps them
very warm. They are strong and can swim very well. Polar bears are
similar in size to a normal bear but have a slimmer neck, longer
legs and fur. They are mostly carnivorous & mostly eat seals and
fish. Factors that affect their survival are global warming and
melting of the polar ice caps, pollution of the sea and oil spills.
They are threatened species with only 20,000 animals left.
Monk Seals - Monk seals are
earless seals of the tribe Monachini. They are the only earless
seals found in tropical climates. There are two genera of monk
seals, Mediterranean monk seal & Hawaiian monk seal. The two
surviving species are now extremely rare and in imminent danger of
extinction. All species experienced over-hunting by sealers.
Marine Turtles - Sea
turtles can be found in all oceans except for the polar regions.
They mostly can be found in coral reefs. Some species travel between
oceans. Major threat to marine turtles is poaching turtles for eggs,
meat & shells. Oil Spill & pollution are harmful for marine
turtles.
Corals - Corals are sessile
marine invertebrates that belong to the phylum Cnidaria. Corals can
be found in the warm tropical waters all over the world. Most corals
reside in shallow, coastal waters. Corals are made of millions of
tiny, dead and alive, sac-shaped creatures called polyps. Major
threats for the survival of corals are pollution of the sea, coral
mining and global climate changes.
Dolphins - Dolphins are
aquatic marine mammals part of the toothed whales. Dolphins are from
1.5 to 4 metres long. Although dolphins are widespread, most species
prefer the warmer waters of the tropic zones. Dolphins feed largely
on fish and squid. Dolphins are often regarded as one of Earth's
most intelligent animals. Number of dolphins decreased greatly due
to commercial fishing, accidental catch and water pollution.
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