indian wildlife

1. INDIAN WILDLIFE

2. INDIAN WILDLIFE India is home to a rich diversity of wildlife supplemented by an equally rich variety of flora and fauna. The sight and sounds of a majestic elephant, a peacock�s dance, the stride of a camel, the roar of a tiger are unparalleled experiences in themselves. Watching birds and animals in their natural habitats is an experience in itself. There are about 17500 of flowering plants from India. The Indian Forest Act, 1927 helped to improve protection of the natural habitat.

3. The Himalayan Sub-Region The species in the high Himalayas show strong affinities with palaeartic region as some of the animals are found both in the oriental region as well as palaeartic region indicating the possibility of their migration from the other side of India. The region has accordingly been divided into three sub zones� The forested area (Himalayan foot hills) of the Himalayas from Assam to the Eastern part of Kashmir. The higher altitude of the western Himalayas from Kashmir including Ladakh to the hills. The Eastern Himalayan sub-region.

4. The forested Area of Himalayas (Himalayan Foothills) The area covers, bhabar, tarai and siwalik ranges in the south. The area is covered with tropical forests. The dominant species is sal. The area is characterized by tall grassy meadows with adjoining river-beds and river rain forests of khair and sisoo. This is an area of big mammals. The elephant, sambar, swamp deer, cheetel, hog deer, barking deer, wild boar, tiger, panther, wild dog, black and sloth bear are found in this area. Hyena, and jackal are scavengers. The great Indian one horned� rhinoceros, which is considered a rare species is found in Assam. Other large bovid, wild buffalo shares its habitat with rhinoceros. Wild buffalo is also an endangered species . The brow-antlered deer, the dancing deer, which is one of the most threatened deer in the world is found in Manipur. The Gangetic gharial exists in the Himalayan tributaries. Bispid hare and pigmy hog which are on the verge of extinction and golden langur are found in Manas National Park in Assam.

5. The high altitude sub-region of Western Himalayas The animals found in the high altitude region are, wild ass, wild goats, sheep and yak. The species of wild goat are thar, markhor and ibex. Thar roams in coniferous forests. Markhor which is considered to be the finest goat is found above the tree-line. A very agile goat with rich fur, it climbs the tree to browse its leaves. The Ibex live above the tree-line and below the snowline. The three species of wild sheep found here are nayan, bharal and oriel. These sheep feed on the Alpine meadows and grassy mountain slopes. The antelopes found are chiru and Tibetan gazelle. Hangul or Kashmir's stag, shou and musk-deer, are the members of the deer family is in this zone. These rare deer require special attention for their protection. The small animals of the Zone are marmot, mouse hare and flying squirrel. Among mammals of the Zone is snow-leopard, the most beautiful animal hunted for its attractive skin. Wolf, fox, black and brown bear, palas, cats are other predators. A large number of pheasants, snow partridges, snow cocks, golden eagle are the birds of this sub-region.�

6. The Eastern Himalayan Sub Zone The Eastern Himalayan region differs from the western region. There is high rainfall and less snowfall confined to high altitude. The vegetation in this zone consist of oak, birches, magnolias, pine, fir, yew, rhododendron dwarf, bamboo and moss and fem. The typical species of the zone characterized by Indo-Chinese fauna are red pandas, badgers, porcupines, ferrests etc. The goats found in this area are serow goral and takin. The National Park falling in this zone is Khangchandonga, National Park in Sikkim and Neora Valley and Singlila National Park in West Bengal.

7. The Tropical Rain Forest Sub-Region This sub-region comprises Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura, Western ghats, West Bengal and Andaman and Nicobar Islands which receive heavy rainfall. These areas are covered with evergreen forests. These forests have� three storeyed vegetation. The upper storey consisting of tall and magnetic trees forms the top canopy receiving most of the sunlight. Trees of lesser height form the middle storey. They prefer shade and require less height.� The thick, dense and rich environment is capable of providing food and shelter to a host of animals of all kinds-the ground dwellers as well as tree dwellers. In the south Nilgiris, Annamalai, Palani hills and other south Indian ranges have extensive grass land dotted with patches of dense evergreen forests. These grasslands are known as sholas. They provides shelter to elephants, gaur and other large animals. Himalayan animals such as tahr, pine marten and European Otter, live here. The Vegetation and animals of the region show affinity height with high altitude forests of Assam.

8. The other species found in this region are Nilgiri langur, Nilgiri brown mongoose, stripe-necked mongoose, lion-tailed macaque, slender toris, malabar civet and spring mouse. In north eastern part, hoolock gibbon and golden langur are found. Binturong, red-pandas, slow lories are the characteristics of this part. Giant squirrel, civets and bats also dwell in these tropical rain forests.

9. The forests of Andaman and Nicobar islands come under the equatorial belt of tropical rain forests. Due to their separation from the main land, most of the islands are free from human settlement. They carry one of the most beautiful forest in the world. There are about 200 species of trees of which Padauk, Gurjain, silver-gray etc are prominent. Some of the endemic species of the islands are wild pig, norcondum, hornbill, Nicobar-megapode, Andaman teal, Nicobar pigeon, white bellied sea eagle, Andaman Cat snake, Nicobar legless snake etc. There are 16 species of bats and 13 species of rats. Constituting nearly 3/4th of the total numbers of mammals. The representative of ungulates, squirrels, carnivores and larger mammals are absent. Deer species were introduced in the Island during 1920s. All of them except Sambar have survived civet was also introduced which has multiplied to dangerous proportion. The fauna now found are macaque, palm civet, spotted deer, barking deer, hog deer, dugong etc. The marine life consist of crocodile, turtle, coconut-crabs, water monitor, green lizard and 40 species of snakes including cobra, viper, coral and sea snakes and pythons.�

10. The highest number of tigers are found in mangrove forest which are found in Sunderbans delta formed by the estuaries of Ganga and the Brahmaputra. The animal besides tiger are spotted deer, pigs, rhesus, monkey, lizard, water monitor, crocodile, crabs and fish . The fish-the mud skipper-can climbs trees. Weaver ants found here make their nest in the trees. The tiger here is the most interesting animal which swims in the creeks, preys on fish and crabs besides spotted deer and wild boar. The tigers here have the propensity of killing human beings.�

11. The Indian Peninsular Sub-Region This sub-region comprises the area from the base of Himalayas to Kanyakumari but excludes the Malabar coast. This is the true home of Indian fauna. The whole sub region can be divided into two broad zones. 1) The desert region of Rajasthan lying on the west of the Aravali ranges and east of the Indus Valley also known as Thar, connected with salt flats of Little Rann of Kutch and 2) the tropical deciduous wood lands covering peninsular India extending to the drainage basin of the Ganges river system.

12. The desert area of this sub-region consist of dry tropical, dry mixed deciduous, thorn forests, scrub forests and dry Savanna forests. The desert trees are thorny with reduced leaf surface Cacti and Succulents are the plant species in the desert area. The animals have also developed adaptations to face the scarcity of water and severity of high temperature. The fauna found in this area are Asiatic wild-ass, blackbuck, desert cat, Caracal, desert fox, snakes, lizards and tortoises.

13. The peninsular India has a variety of wild animals such as elephant, muntjak, sambar, wild boar, guar, chettal, hog deer, swamp deer or barasingha, nilgai, blackbuck, wild dog, tiger, leopard, lion, hyena, jackal, jungle cat, common mongoose, wolf, squirrel, hare etc. The spotted deer, nilgai, blackbuck, four-horned antelope (chausingha) and sloth bear found in the triangular land bounded by the Vindhyas in the north and the western and eastern ghats on the other two sides, constitute the true Indian fauna which are not found anywhere else outside India.

15. WILDLIFE PROTECTION The country offers immense opportunities for wildlife tourism. The immense heritage of wildlife in India comprises of more than 70 national parks and about 400 wildlife sanctuaries including the bird sanctuaries. The Indian government has established 14 Biosphere Reserves of India which protect larger areas of natural habitat and often include one or more National Parks and/or preserves.

16. A paradise for the nature lovers, these forest areas are also crucial for the conversation of the endangered species like the Leopard, Lion, Asiatic Elephant, the Bengal tiger and Siberian Crane. Spread across the length and breadth of India, these reserves and forest areas, right from the Ranthambore National Park in Rajasthan to the Hazaribagh Wildlife Sanctuary in Bihar, from the foothills of Himalayas, the Jim Corbett National Park to six national parks in Andaman; the Indian Wildlife circuit is an Incredible treat, unmatched by any other experience.

17. Indian wildlife has its share of native birds along with the migratory birds. Several hundred species of birds can be spotted across India. The Himalayan region is well known to be the natural habitat for the Pheasant, griffon vulture and ravens.

18. WILDLIFE SANCTUARIESANDNATIONAL PARKS

19. NORTH INDIA EAST INDIA WEST INDIA CENTRAL INDIA SOUTH INDIA

20. NORTH INDIA Keoladeo Ghana or Bharatpur National Park: Rajasthan Corbett National Park: Uttaranchal Ranthambore National Park: Rajasthan

21. Keoladeo Ghana National Park Keoladeo Ghana National Park, one of the most spectacular bird sanctuaries in India, nesting indigenous water- birds as well as migratory water birds and waterside birds. Sambar, chital, nilgai and boar also inhabit it. More than 300 species of birds are found in this small park of 29 sq. km. of which 11 sq. km. are marshes and the rest scrubland and grassland. Keoladeo, the name derives from an ancient Hindu temple, devoted to Lord Shiva, which stands at the centre of the park. 'Ghana' means dense, referring to the thick forest, which used to cover the area. While many of India's parks have been developed from the hunting preserves of princely India, Keoladeo Ghana is perhaps the only case where the habitat has been created by a maharaja.

22. Corbett National Park: Uttaranchal It is India's first ever national park. The park was established in 1936 as the Hailey National Park, following the advice of the hunter-naturalist Jim Corbett. The park covered 520 sq.kilometres in 1986, and a proposed extension of 588 sq. kilometers is under consideration. Project Tiger, which was set up with the help of the World Wildlife Fund, was launched at Dhikala, in the Corbett National Park on April 1, 1973. This project was aimed at saving the Indian tiger from extinction. Over 50 mammals, 580 birds and 25 reptile species have been listed in the Corbett National Park. The insect life is also astounding, noticeably specially after the monsoons.

23. Ranthambore National Park is an outstanding example of Project Tiger's efforts at conservation in the country. The forests around the Ranthambore Fort were once, the private hunting grounds of the Maharajas of Jaipur. The desire to preserve the game in these forests for sport, was responsible for their conservation, and subsequent rescue by Project Tiger. The entry point to the Park, goes straight to the foot of the fort and the forest rest house, Jogi Mahal. The latter boasts of the second-largest banyan tree in India. As a result of stringent efforts in conservation, tigers, the prime assets of the Park, have become more and more active during the day.

24. EAST INDIA Sunderban National Park: Calcutta - West Bengal Chilika Lake: South West of Puri - Orissa Manas National Park: Guwahati - Assam Kaziranga National Park: East Of Guwahati - Assam

25. SUNDERBANS NATIONAL PARK Located in the Ganga delta in West Bengal, spanning the Hooghly in the west and Teulia river in the east, Sunderbans was declared a National Park in 1984. The park covers a vast stretch of mangrove swamp, lush forested islands and small rivers near the Bay of Bengal. Sunderbans is home to the magnificent Royal Bengal tiger. Crocodiles and the gangetic dolphin are to be found aplenty in the Raimgangal river. The Sajnakhali sanctuary, famous for its rich avian population, is regarded as a part of the Sunderbans National Park.

26. Chilika Lake: South West of Puri - Orissa Chilika Lake situated southwest of Puri a distance of 100 km from Bhubaneshwar. It attracts a large number of migratory birds, like the flamingo, teal, bar headed goose, shoveller and white - bellied sea eagle. One can enjoy boating, fishing with 150 variety of fishes. Bird lovers can enjoy by visiting here in winter because migratory populations wing in from places as far as Siberia. Chilika is easily accessible from both Bhubaneshwar and Puri.Prominent fauna is Flamingo, teal, bar headed goose, shoveller and white - bellied sea eagle and Gangetic dolphins.

27. Manas National Park: Guwahati - Assam Manas is situated in Assam spread over an area of 391 sq km, earlier it was known as North Kamrup, declared as a sanctuary on December 01, 1928. It was accorded the status of World Heritage Site in 1985. Manas houses 19 of India's most endangered animal populations. It has the largest population of tigers among Indian reserves. It is a home to the rare golden langur . The prominent fauna here are the rhino, wild buffalos, elephants, gaur, swamp deer, capped langur and clouded leopard. . The main highlight of the park is the giant hornbill, two subspecies of which, the pied and grey varieties are to be found here. Butterflies and reptiles are also found aplenty in Manas.

28. Kaziranga National Park: Assam The Park was first established in 1908, as a reserve forest with only about a dozen rhinos and was declared a National Park in 1974. Kaziranga is famous for the great One-Horned Rhinos. Tigers, which are natural enemies of rhinos, are also there in sizable numbers in this area. Other attractions of this national park include the wild buffalo, magnificent swamp deer, hog deer, wild boar, , capped langur (badger). A wide variety of snakes including the rock python and the monitor lizards also found here. Many birds like pelican, teal etc. are found.

29. WEST INDIA THE MOST FAMOUS WILDLIFE PROTECTION AREA IN THE WEST IS- GIR NATIONAL PARK

30. Gir National Park & Sanctuary : Gujarat The Gir wildlife sanctuary and national park, collectively referred to as the Gir Protected Area (PA), is located in the Saurashtra peninsula of Gujarat in western India.

31. CENTRAL INDIA THE MOST FAMOUS WILDLIFE PROTECTION AREA IN THE WEST IS- KANHA NATIONAL PARK

32. CENTRAL INDIAKanha: Madhya Pradesh The Kanha National Park, in Madhya Pradesh, forms the core of the Kanha Tiger Reserve created in 1974, under Project Tiger. Stretching over 940sq km, the vegetation, chiefly made of Sal and bamboo forests, grasslands and streams, this park is the sole habitat of the rare hard ground barasingha. Kanha boasts of about 22 species of mammals. Some of the inhabitants of this park are the gaur, the largest of the world's cattle; The Sambar, The Largest Indian Deer; And The Chausingha, The Only Four-Horned Antelope in the world. Some 200 species of birds inhabit the park that includes the Cattle Egret, Black Ibis etc. But for all the astonishing diversity in its wildlife population, Kanha is best known as the habitat of the Tiger. Sighting and photographing this magnificent animal from Elephant back, is an unforgettable experience

33. SOUTH INDIA Periyar / Thekkady Wildlife Sanctuary : Kerala Silent Valley National Park : Kerala

34. Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary : Kerala Between Trivandrum and Munnar is Thekkady, the home of one of India's oldest and best-known wildlife sanctuaries. remains largely undisturbed by visitors who must observe it from special boats which glide across the surface of the lake. although the stars of the sanctuary are the families of wild elephants that often gather near the water's edge, other inhabitants include bears, sambhar, bison and spotted deer, as well as many screeching monkeys. The sanctuary was one of the first to come under the centeral goverment's successful Project Tiger. The bird life is rich and varied and Periyar attracts dedicated bird- watching enthusiasts.

35. Silent Valley National Park : Kerala The Park is the house to the elephants, tigers, wild dog, flying squirrel and lioned tailed macaque. The river Kuntipuzha flows through the valley and make it a beautiful place to see. Admission to the park is restricted. The park has a huge variety of wildlife, with over a 100 species of Butterflies and 400 species of Moths and other animals like the Ceylon Frog Moth, Great Indian Hornbill, the Nilgiri Laughing Thrush and the Lion-Tailed Macaque. The park has around 26 species of mammals and 120 species of avifauna, many of them considered endangered. Apart from these, there are 11 species of snakes, 19 species of amphibians, and nine species of Lizards in the park.

36. THE END but����remember Nature has always helped in flourishing the mankind. But this isn't about what nature gives to you, its what you, as a human being give back in return. Are you concerned about nature? Does saving the endangered species and taking necessary actions for those who are on the brink of extinction means something to you? Then lets join hands to save mother Earth!!!

37. The most beautiful gift that God has given to nature are the wild creatures, they embellish the natural beauty by their unique way of existence. But due the growing impact of deforestation, few concerned animal lovers are making continuous efforts to save the endangered species as well as those who are on the verge of extinction and save the world from loosing its green heritage. SO WE ALL SHOULD ALL HELP THEM AND SAVE THE GOD�S WONDERFUL CREATIONS�..BECAUSE EVERY SINGLE PERSON MAKES A DIFFERENCE.

38. BY- MANI MAKKAR ST. MARK�S SR. SEC. PUBLIC SCHOOL NEW DELHI INDIA