Threatened Species of India

Andaman White-toothed ShrewCrocidura andamanensis

MammalEndemic · Andaman Islands

Leaf litter of tropical evergreen forest on South Andaman Island.

A nocturnal insectivore known from a handful of specimens. One of three shrews endemic to the islands, all Critically Endangered.

Andaman & Nicobar Islands

Jenkins's Andaman Spiny ShrewCrocidura jenkinsi

MammalEndemic · Andaman Islands

Forest floor of Mount Harriet, now Mount Manipur, on South Andaman.

Known only from the type locality. Distinguished by stiff, spiny guard hairs.

Andaman & Nicobar Islands

Nicobar White-tailed ShrewCrocidura nicobarica

MammalEndemic · Great Nicobar

Coastal forest of Great Nicobar around Campbell Bay.

Restricted to a very small area now overlapped by the Great Nicobar development project.

Andaman & Nicobar Islands

Kashmir Stag or HangulCervus hanglu hanglu

MammalEndemic · Kashmir Himalaya

Temperate riverine and coniferous forest, 1,700 to 4,000 m, almost entirely inside Dachigam National Park.

The only surviving red deer of the Indian subcontinent and the state animal of Jammu and Kashmir. Population about 300. Project Hangul and a second home at Tral Wildlife Sanctuary are the main interventions.

Jammu & Kashmir

Elvira Rat or Large Rock RatCremnomys elvira

MammalEndemic · Eastern Ghats

Rocky slopes with dry deciduous and scrub forest in the Eastern Ghats around Salem.

A nocturnal, seed-eating rodent known from very few localities.

Tamil Nadu

Malabar CivetViverra civettina

MammalEndemic · Western Ghats

Lowland forest, cashew plantations and degraded coastal thickets of the Malabar coast.

Possibly already extinct. There has been no confirmed record for decades. Historically hunted for civetone, used in perfumery.

Kerala · Karnataka

Namdapha Flying SquirrelBiswamoyopterus biswasi

MammalEndemic · Namdapha

Tropical evergreen forest in the Noa-Dihing valley, Namdapha National Park.

Known from a single specimen collected in 1981. Among the rarest mammals in the world.

Arunachal Pradesh

Kondana Soft-furred RatMillardia kondana

MammalEndemic · Sinhagad plateau

Grass and scrub on the Sinhagad plateau near Pune, above 900 m.

Confined to an area of a few square kilometres under heavy tourism pressure.

Maharashtra

Chinese PangolinManis pentadactyla

Mammal

Subtropical and tropical forest, grassland and plantations of the north east and eastern Himalaya.

The world's most trafficked mammal group. Scales are smuggled for traditional medicine. Note that India has two pangolins: this one is Critically Endangered, the Indian pangolin is Endangered.

Assam · Arunachal Pradesh · Meghalaya · Nagaland · Manipur · Mizoram · Tripura · Sikkim · West Bengal

TigerPanthera tigris

Mammal

Almost every forest type from the mangroves of the Sundarbans and the shola grasslands of the Western Ghats to the terai and the cold forests of Arunachal.

India holds roughly 75 per cent of the world's wild tigers, about 3,682 at the last estimate, across 58 tiger reserves. An apex predator and umbrella species: protecting its range protects entire landscapes. National animal of India.

Madhya Pradesh · Karnataka · Uttarakhand · Maharashtra · Tamil Nadu · Assam · Kerala · Uttar Pradesh · Rajasthan · West Bengal · Bihar · Chhattisgarh · Odisha · Jharkhand · Andhra Pradesh · Telangana · Arunachal Pradesh · Mizoram · Goa

Asiatic LionPanthera leo persica

MammalEndemic · Gir landscape, Gujarat

Dry deciduous teak forest, thorn scrub and adjoining farmland and coastal tracts of the Saurashtra peninsula.

The only wild lions outside Africa, about 891 animals in the 2025 census. Smaller than African lions, with a distinctive longitudinal fold of skin along the belly and a sparser mane that leaves the ears visible. Note the assessment nuance: the subspecies is Endangered, while the species Panthera leo is Vulnerable.

Gujarat

Asian ElephantElephas maximus

Mammal

Moist and dry deciduous forest, grassland and plantations across four population blocks: the Western Ghats, the north east, central India and the northern Himalayan foothills.

National Heritage Animal of India. A keystone species that opens forest canopy, disperses large seeds and creates water holes. About 30,000 animals, some 60 per cent of the world population. Project Elephant was launched in 1992.

Karnataka · Kerala · Tamil Nadu · Assam · Uttarakhand · Odisha · West Bengal · Jharkhand · Chhattisgarh · Meghalaya · Arunachal Pradesh · Nagaland · Uttar Pradesh

Dhole or Indian Wild DogCuon alpinus

Mammal

Dense to open forest in the Western Ghats, central Indian highlands and the north east. Strongholds at Nagarhole, Bandipur and Periyar.

Hunts in packs and communicates with a distinctive whistle. Unusually among canids it has one fewer molar on each side of the lower jaw and lets pups eat first at a kill.

Karnataka · Kerala · Tamil Nadu · Maharashtra · Madhya Pradesh · Chhattisgarh · Odisha · Arunachal Pradesh · Assam · Andhra Pradesh

Red PandaAilurus fulgens

Mammal

Temperate broadleaf and conifer forest with a dense bamboo understorey, 2,200 to 4,800 m. Singalila and Neora Valley are the key Indian sites.

State animal of Sikkim. The only living member of its family, Ailuridae. Feeds almost entirely on bamboo despite being a carnivore, and has a false thumb, an enlarged wrist bone, for gripping stems. Singalila runs India's conservation breeding and release programme.

Sikkim · West Bengal · Arunachal Pradesh · Meghalaya · Nagaland

Golden LangurTrachypithecus geei

Mammal

Moist evergreen and riverine forest between the Sankosh and Manas rivers in western Assam. Manas, Chirang and Raimona hold the Indian population.

Described only in 1953. Regarded as sacred by local communities. The Indian range is bounded by rivers on three sides and Bhutan on the fourth, making it one of the most sharply delimited primate ranges anywhere.

Assam

Western Hoolock GibbonHoolock hoolock

Mammal

Closed-canopy tropical evergreen and semi-evergreen forest south of the Brahmaputra and east of the Dibang.

India's only ape. Moves by brachiation and almost never comes to the ground, which makes canopy gaps caused by roads and tea gardens a fatal barrier. Mated pairs sing loud duets at dawn. Hoollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary is the flagship site.

Assam · Arunachal Pradesh · Meghalaya · Nagaland · Manipur · Mizoram · Tripura

Lion-tailed MacaqueMacaca silenus

MammalEndemic · Western Ghats

Upper canopy of wet evergreen rainforest, 600 to 1,400 m. Silent Valley, Anamalai and Kudremukh are the strongholds.

Named for the tufted tail. The silver-white mane around a black face is unmistakable. One of the most arboreal macaques, rarely descending to the ground, which makes it exceptionally sensitive to forest fragmentation by plantations.

Kerala · Tamil Nadu · Karnataka

Nilgiri TahrNilgiritragus hylocrius

MammalEndemic · Western Ghats

Shola grassland mosaic and steep rocky slopes, 1,200 to 2,600 m. Eravikulam National Park holds the largest single population.

State animal of Tamil Nadu and the only mountain ungulate in southern India. The sole species of its genus. Adult males, called saddlebacks, develop a pale grey saddle. The 2025 synchronised census counted 2,668 animals. Project Nilgiri Tahr began in 2023.

Tamil Nadu · Kerala

Sangai or Manipur Brow-antlered DeerRucervus eldii eldii

MammalEndemic · Loktak Lake, Manipur

Phumdis, the floating mats of vegetation on Loktak Lake, inside Keibul Lamjao National Park.

State animal of Manipur and the flagship of the only floating national park in the world. Called the dancing deer for its springy gait on the unstable phumdi surface, an adaptation of the hooves to spongy ground. Distinct from the Barasingha, which is a different species.

Manipur

Pygmy HogPorcula salvania

MammalEndemic · Assam grasslands

Dense, tall, dry alluvial grassland of the Manas landscape.

The smallest wild pig in the world, about 25 cm at the shoulder. The only suid that builds a roofed nest. Once thought extinct, it was rediscovered in 1971. The Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme has reintroduced captive-bred animals into Manas, Orang, Barnadi and Bornadi.

Assam

Wild Water BuffaloBubalus arnee

Mammal

Alluvial grassland, swamps and river floodplains. Kaziranga and Manas hold the bulk of the world population; a small relict herd survives in Indravati.

State animal of Chhattisgarh. The ancestor of the domestic buffalo and the bearer of the widest horn spread of any living bovid. Genetic swamping by hybridisation with feral domestic buffalo is now a leading threat.

Assam · Chhattisgarh · Arunachal Pradesh · Meghalaya · Madhya Pradesh

Himalayan Musk DeerMoschus leucogaster

Mammal

Subalpine birch, fir and rhododendron forest, 2,500 to 4,000 m. Kedarnath, Askot and the Valley of Flowers are key sites.

Has no antlers. The male carries downward-pointing tusk-like canines and a musk pod, one of the most valuable animal products in the world by weight, which drives relentless poaching. The pod is present only in males, but snaring kills both sexes.

Uttarakhand · Himachal Pradesh · Sikkim · Arunachal Pradesh · Jammu & Kashmir

Hispid HareCaprolagus hispidus

Mammal

Dense tall grassland of the terai and Brahmaputra floodplain, especially early successional thatch grass.

The 'bristly rabbit', named for its coarse, dark, bristle-like fur. Unlike most hares it digs no burrow and depends on undisturbed grassland, so annual grassland burning is a direct threat.

Assam · West Bengal · Uttar Pradesh · Bihar · Uttarakhand

Indian Hog DeerAxis porcinus

Mammal

Tall, wet floodplain grassland. Kaziranga, Dudhwa and Jaldapara are strongholds.

Runs with the head held low, pushing through grass rather than leaping over it, which is the source of its name. Unusually for deer it is largely solitary.

Assam · Uttar Pradesh · Uttarakhand · West Bengal · Arunachal Pradesh · Punjab

Bengal Slow LorisNycticebus bengalensis

Mammal

Tropical evergreen and semi-evergreen forest of the north east.

The only venomous primate in India. A gland on the inner elbow produces a secretion that becomes toxic when mixed with saliva. Nocturnal, extremely slow-moving, and heavily trafficked for the pet and medicine trade.

Assam · Arunachal Pradesh · Meghalaya · Nagaland · Manipur · Mizoram · Tripura

Phayre's Leaf MonkeyTrachypithecus phayrei

Mammal

Semi-evergreen and bamboo forest of the north east. Sepahijala and the Trishna landscape are key sites.

State animal of Tripura, known there as the spectacled langur for the white rings around the eyes.

Tripura · Assam · Mizoram · Manipur

Arunachal MacaqueMacaca munzala

MammalEndemic · Western Arunachal Pradesh

High-altitude temperate forest and cultivated valleys of Tawang and West Kameng, 2,000 to 3,500 m.

Described in 2005, one of the very few primates discovered anywhere in recent decades. The name means 'monkey of the deep forest' in the local Monpa language. Lives at an unusually high elevation for a macaque.

Arunachal Pradesh

Indian PangolinManis crassicaudata

Mammal

Dry and moist deciduous forest, scrub and even farmland across peninsular and northern India.

The only mammal covered in keratin scales. Rolls into an impenetrable ball when threatened, a defence that works against leopards but makes it trivially easy for poachers to pick up. Eats ants and termites with a tongue longer than its body.

Madhya Pradesh · Maharashtra · Rajasthan · Gujarat · Odisha · Karnataka · Tamil Nadu · Andhra Pradesh · Telangana · Chhattisgarh · Bihar · Jharkhand · Punjab

Ganges River DolphinPlatanista gangetica

Mammal

Deep pools and confluences of the Ganga, Brahmaputra, Meghna and their tributaries, including the Chambal and Kulsi.

National Aquatic Animal of India. Functionally blind: it has no crystalline lens and navigates entirely by echolocation, swimming on its side with a flipper trailing the bottom. Vikramshila in Bihar is the dedicated sanctuary. Project Dolphin was announced in 2020.

Uttar Pradesh · Bihar · West Bengal · Assam · Jharkhand · Madhya Pradesh · Rajasthan

Indus River DolphinPlatanista minor

Mammal

The Beas river between Talwara and Harike, the only Indian population.

Rediscovered in the Beas in 2007 after being presumed locally extinct. The Beas Conservation Reserve, a Ramsar site, exists largely to protect it. State aquatic animal of Punjab.

Punjab

Irrawaddy DolphinOrcaella brevirostris

Mammal

Brackish lagoons and estuaries. Chilika Lake holds one of the largest single populations in the world.

Has a rounded head with no beak and can spit jets of water. Known to cooperate with fishermen by driving fish towards their nets.

Odisha · West Bengal

Blue WhaleBalaenoptera musculus

Mammal

Deep offshore waters of the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal, with a distinct northern Indian Ocean population.

The largest animal that has ever lived. The Arabian Sea population is non-migratory and genetically distinct, which is unusual for the species.

Kerala · Tamil Nadu · Maharashtra · Gujarat · Andaman & Nicobar Islands · Lakshadweep

Woolly Flying SquirrelEupetaurus cinereus

Mammal

Steep cliffs and caves in arid conifer zones of the north western Himalaya, 2,400 to 3,600 m.

The largest gliding mammal in the world, rediscovered in 1994 after 70 years without a record. Feeds largely on pine needles, a very unusual diet for a mammal.

Jammu & Kashmir · Himachal Pradesh

Snow LeopardPanthera uncia

Mammal

Alpine and subalpine rocky steppe above the treeline, 3,000 to 5,400 m. Hemis is the flagship site.

The 'ghost of the mountains'. It cannot roar: the hyoid structure differs from other big cats. The very long tail stores fat and is wrapped around the body for warmth. Downlisted from Endangered to Vulnerable in 2017. The Snow Leopard Population Assessment in India put the number at 718. State animal of Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh.

Ladakh · Himachal Pradesh · Uttarakhand · Sikkim · Arunachal Pradesh · Jammu & Kashmir

Indian Rhinoceros or Greater One-horned RhinocerosRhinoceros unicornis

Mammal

Alluvial floodplain grassland and swamps. Kaziranga holds about 70 per cent of the world population; also Orang, Pobitora, Manas, Jaldapara, Gorumara and Dudhwa.

State animal of Assam. Has a single horn of compacted keratin, not bone, and armour-like skin folds. Pobitora has the highest density of rhinos anywhere in the world. A conservation success story: numbers rose from around 200 in the early twentieth century to over 4,000.

Assam · West Bengal · Uttar Pradesh · Bihar

Gaur or Indian BisonBos gaurus

Mammal

Moist and dry deciduous forest with grassy glades, up to about 2,800 m in the Western Ghats and the north east.

The largest wild cattle in the world and the tallest bovid. Distinguished by white 'stockings' on all four legs and a prominent dorsal ridge. State animal of Goa and Bihar. Successfully reintroduced to Bandhavgarh from Kanha in 2011.

Karnataka · Kerala · Tamil Nadu · Maharashtra · Madhya Pradesh · Chhattisgarh · Odisha · Assam · Meghalaya · Goa · Jharkhand · Bihar · Tripura

Sloth BearMelursus ursinus

Mammal

Dry and moist deciduous forest, scrub and rocky outcrops with termite mounds and caves.

Specialised for eating termites: it lacks the two upper incisors, leaving a gap through which it vacuums insects with an audible sound heard 100 metres away. Carries its cubs on its back, uniquely among bears. The species behind the historic 'dancing bear' trade, ended in 2009. Daroji in Karnataka is a dedicated sanctuary.

Madhya Pradesh · Chhattisgarh · Maharashtra · Karnataka · Odisha · Rajasthan · Gujarat · Andhra Pradesh · Telangana · Jharkhand · Tamil Nadu · Kerala · Bihar · Uttar Pradesh

Asiatic Black BearUrsus thibetanus

Mammal

Temperate broadleaf and conifer forest of the Himalaya and north east, 1,200 to 3,300 m.

The white or cream V-shaped crescent on the chest gives it the name moon bear. A major driver of human-wildlife conflict in Kashmir and Himachal, where orchards draw bears to villages.

Jammu & Kashmir · Himachal Pradesh · Uttarakhand · Arunachal Pradesh · Sikkim · Assam · Manipur · Nagaland · Meghalaya · West Bengal

Clouded LeopardNeofelis nebulosa

Mammal

Dense tropical and subtropical evergreen forest of the north east and eastern Himalaya.

Has the longest canine teeth relative to skull size of any living cat, often compared with the extinct sabre-tooths. Its ankles rotate so far that it can climb down trunks head first and hang upside down from branches. State animal of Meghalaya. Tripura has a national park named after it.

Arunachal Pradesh · Assam · Meghalaya · Nagaland · Manipur · Mizoram · Tripura · Sikkim · West Bengal

Fishing CatPrionailurus viverrinus

Mammal

Mangroves, reedbeds, marshes and tidal creeks. The Sundarbans, Bhitarkanika, Chilika and the Coringa mangroves are strongholds.

State animal of West Bengal. Partially webbed feet and a double-layered coat make it a strong swimmer; it taps the water surface to mimic insects and lure fish. Downlisted from Endangered to Vulnerable in 2016. Almost entirely dependent on wetlands, so it is the natural flagship for wetland conservation.

West Bengal · Odisha · Andhra Pradesh · Assam · Bihar · Uttar Pradesh · Tamil Nadu

DugongDugong dugon

Mammal

Shallow seagrass meadows. The Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay hold the largest Indian population.

The only strictly herbivorous marine mammal and the sole surviving member of its family. State animal of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. India notified a Dugong Conservation Reserve in Palk Bay in 2022, the first of its kind in the country.

Tamil Nadu · Andaman & Nicobar Islands · Gujarat · Lakshadweep

Barasingha or Swamp DeerRucervus duvaucelii

Mammal

Two distinct forms: hard-ground barasingha on the maidans of Kanha, and wetland forms in the terai at Dudhwa and in Assam.

State animal of Madhya Pradesh. The name means twelve-tined, from the branched antlers. The Kanha hard-ground subspecies recovered from about 66 animals in 1970 to over 800, one of India's best documented recoveries, and has been reintroduced to Satpura and Bandhavgarh.

Madhya Pradesh · Uttar Pradesh · Assam · Uttarakhand · West Bengal

Four-horned Antelope or ChousinghaTetracerus quadricornis

MammalEndemic · Indian subcontinent

Open dry deciduous forest with hills and grass, always near water.

The only wild bovid in the world with four horns. The rear pair is longer; the front pair is sometimes reduced to a stub. Solitary and largely restricted to India.

Madhya Pradesh · Maharashtra · Rajasthan · Gujarat · Odisha · Andhra Pradesh · Telangana · Karnataka · Chhattisgarh · Jharkhand · Uttar Pradesh · Bihar

Nilgiri LangurSemnopithecus johnii

MammalEndemic · Western Ghats

Evergreen shola forest and moist deciduous forest, 300 to 2,000 m.

Glossy black with a golden-brown head ruff. Poached for the supposed medicinal value of its flesh and organs, a threat unusual among Indian primates.

Kerala · Tamil Nadu · Karnataka

Capped LangurTrachypithecus pileatus

Mammal

Tropical evergreen and moist deciduous forest north and east of the Brahmaputra.

Named for the dark cap of hair on the crown that contrasts sharply with a pale golden or orange belly.

Assam · Arunachal Pradesh · Meghalaya · Nagaland · Manipur · Tripura

Stump-tailed MacaqueMacaca arctoides

Mammal

Dense evergreen and semi-evergreen forest of the north east.

Also called the bear macaque for its shaggy coat and very short tail. The bright red face darkens with age and sun exposure.

Assam · Arunachal Pradesh · Meghalaya · Nagaland · Manipur · Mizoram · Tripura

Eastern Hoolock GibbonHoolock leuconedys

Mammal

Evergreen forest east of the Dibang river in Arunachal Pradesh, the only Indian range.

Separated from the western hoolock by the white brow patches, which are divided rather than joined, and by a pale genital tuft.

Arunachal Pradesh

Nilgiri MartenMartes gwatkinsii

MammalEndemic · Western Ghats

Shola forest, montane grassland and plantation edges above 1,000 m.

The only marten in peninsular India and the sole mustelid of the southern Western Ghats. Recognised by a bright yellow to orange throat patch. Very rarely seen and almost never studied in the wild.

Kerala · Tamil Nadu · Karnataka

Smooth-coated OtterLutrogale perspicillata

Mammal

Rivers, reservoirs, mangroves and estuaries. The Chambal, Cauvery, Ropar and Sundarbans hold good numbers.

The largest otter in South Asia and highly social, hunting in coordinated family groups that drive fish into the shallows.

Karnataka · Kerala · Tamil Nadu · Uttar Pradesh · Madhya Pradesh · Punjab · Odisha · West Bengal · Assam · Gujarat · Maharashtra

Asian Small-clawed OtterAonyx cinereus

Mammal

Hill streams, paddy fields and mangrove creeks in the Western Ghats and the north east.

The smallest otter in the world. Its claws are reduced to blunt spikes and the paws are highly dexterous, used to feel under stones for crabs and molluscs rather than to catch fish.

Kerala · Karnataka · Tamil Nadu · Assam · Arunachal Pradesh · Meghalaya · West Bengal · Sikkim

Himalayan SerowCapricornis thar

Mammal

Steep, forested and rocky slopes between 2,000 and 4,000 m in the Himalaya, and lower hills in the north east.

A goat-antelope, part goat and part antelope in appearance, with large mule-like ears. State animal of Mizoram. First recorded in Assam's Manas landscape and in Spiti at unusually high elevation in recent years.

Himachal Pradesh · Uttarakhand · Sikkim · Arunachal Pradesh · Jammu & Kashmir · West Bengal · Assam · Meghalaya · Mizoram · Nagaland

TakinBudorcas taxicolor

Mammal

Bamboo and rhododendron thickets and alpine meadow, 2,000 to 4,500 m, in the eastern Himalaya.

A heavy-set goat-antelope sometimes called the gnu goat. Secretes an oily substance over its coat that acts as a natural raincoat. The Mishmi takin occurs only in Arunachal Pradesh within India.

Arunachal Pradesh

Wild YakBos mutus

Mammal

Alpine tundra and cold desert steppe above 4,000 m, in eastern Ladakh and along the northern borders.

Far larger than the domestic yak. Dense two-layered fur and enlarged lungs and heart let it function at elevations where most large mammals cannot. Very few remain in India.

Ladakh · Sikkim · Arunachal Pradesh

Indo-Pacific Finless PorpoiseNeophocaena phocaenoides

Mammal

Shallow coastal waters, mangrove channels and lagoons, including Chilika and the Sundarbans.

Has no dorsal fin at all, only a low ridge of tubercles along the back. Frequently killed as bycatch in gillnets.

Odisha · West Bengal · Tamil Nadu · Gujarat · Maharashtra · Kerala

Sperm WhalePhyseter macrocephalus

Mammal

Deep offshore waters and submarine canyons of the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal.

The largest toothed predator on earth and the deepest-diving mammal, reaching beyond 2,000 m. Has the largest brain of any animal.

Kerala · Tamil Nadu · Andaman & Nicobar Islands · Lakshadweep · Maharashtra · Gujarat