India Unbound
Indian Wildlife
From a river dolphin that is almost blind to a squirrel the colours of a sunset, India's wild animals are full of surprises. Let's meet a few more!
Did you know?
The Ganges river dolphin is India's National Aquatic Animal. It is almost blind, so it finds its way by echolocation: it makes clicking sounds and listens for the echoes.
The Indian giant squirrel has a beautiful coat of maroon, brown and cream. It can leap up to 6 metres from tree to tree, and it is the state animal of Maharashtra.
The king cobra is the world's longest venomous snake. It is the only snake that builds a nest of dry leaves for its eggs, and the mother guards them.
Try this: Backyard Wildlife Count
Sit quietly near a window, balcony or garden for 15 minutes. Write down every animal you see or hear: birds, squirrels, butterflies, ants, lizards. Keep a safe distance and never touch or feed them. Repeat the count at a different time of day. When did you spot the most animals?
Go further: India's Biodiversity Hotspots
A biodiversity hotspot is a region with a huge variety of plants and animals, many found nowhere else, that is also under threat. The world has 36 such hotspots, and India has parts of four: the Himalaya, the Indo-Burma region, the Western Ghats (shared with Sri Lanka) and Sundaland, which includes the Nicobar Islands. Protecting these places protects thousands of species.