World Wildlife Day is observed on March 3 every year with the objective to spread awareness and educate people about the importance of flora and fauna on Earth. It’s dedicated towards raising consciousness about wildlife conservation and in turn ensuring a sustainable ecosystem. Conservation of wildlife, after all, is integral to maintain a harmonious coexistence.
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As the world gears up to celebrate this international day, let’s take a look at 6 rare Indian animals, and their whereabouts:
Asiatic lion
This is the second-largest cat species in the world to be found in Gir sanctuary in Gujarat. Many years ago, the majestic beast used to abound in the Middle East and northern regions of India. It exists as a single subpopulation that is vulnerable to extinction under unforeseen circumstances.
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Nilgiri marten
Native to southern India, this is the only marten species that live in the Nilgiri Hills and can be mostly found in the Anamalai Tiger Reserve, Tamil Nadu. Kerala’s Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary also is known to be marten’s hub. Owing to its decreasing number (approx 1000 left now) this exotic animal is listed under ‘Vulnerable’ on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List.
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Snow Leopard
This ‘Vulnerable’ species, also known as ounce, can be spotted in Dibang Wildlife Sanctuary (Arunachal Pradesh), Himalayan National Park (Himachal Pradesh), and Nanda Devi National Park (Uttarakhand). With its speedy declining rate right now, there are approx 10,000 snow leopards left.
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Sangai
It is an endangered subspecies of brow-antlered deer that could be found in Keibul Lamjao National Park located in Manipur near the Loktak Lake. Its significance lies in the fact that Sangai is the state animal of Manipur and is often cited in folklore as dancing deer.
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Lion-tailed macaque
Also known as wanderoo, it is an Old World monkey endemic to the Western Ghats of South India. This is one of the rarest primates in the world. It could be spotted in the Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala which is also the hub of India’s maiden eco-tourism project—Thenmala Eco-tourism Project.
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Greater One-horned Rhino
Due to poaching and illegal horn trade, the number of these mighty species has been declining speedily. As of now, these rhinos can be seen in Kaziranga National Park (Assam), Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (Uttar Pradesh) and Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary (Assam).
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As of now, these rhinos can be seen in Kaziranga National Park (Assam), Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (Uttar Pradesh) and Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary (Assam).
