The document discusses various endangered species in India, detailing their scientific classification, conservation status, population trends, and threats they face due to human activities. It highlights species such as the Indian pangolin, Indian vulture, Asian elephant, and dhole, emphasizing the need for awareness and concerted efforts for their protection. The overarching objective is to promote habitat preservation and curb illegal activities to aid in the survival of these species.

1. Indian
Endangered
Species
Created By:
Rudra Narayan Mishra
Gayatree Nanda

2. Introduction
The Holocene Extinction, or the Sixth Extinction has cost the world
thousands of beloved species due to human activity. While some
could return from the brink with modern science, others will never be
seen on this planet again.
Human intervention brought these species to near annihilation, now
it will take human intervention to save them all.

3. Objective
This presentation aims to spread awareness among the humans to
stop destroying the Nature’s Grand Design and to rebuild a
diversified, controlled habitat all across the globe that can have a
major positive impact on animals, fishes and birds all around ,
including us.
Here, we try to provide information on the endangered “amazing
species” residing in India under two categories as <CR>, <EN>
according to IUCN Red List 2019.

4. Contents
● Indian Pangolin
● Indian Vulture
● Red - Headed Vulture
● Asian Elephant
● Wild Water Buffalo
● Hog Deer
● Dhole

5. INDIAN
PANGOLIN
- Manis crassicaudata

6. Indian Pangolin
Scientific Name: Manis crassicaudata
Class: Mammalia
Red List Status: Endangered A3d+4d
Current Population Trend: Decreasing
Reason for Threatened: Hunting for
meat and for traditional medicine.

7. Habitat
Pangolins can be found in secondary
forests and can be very well adapted to
the desert regions.
These species may also sometimes reach
high elevations and have been sighted in
Sri Lanka at 1,100 meters and in Nilgiri
mountain in India at 2,300 meters.
Pangolin’s burrows are of two types:
living burrow and feeding burrow. Living
burrows are larger than feeding
burrows. Mostly, they prefer soft and
semi-sandy soil condition for digging
burrows.

8. Morphology
Also known as the thick-tailed pangolin, M. crassicaudata is a medium-sized
mammal that has an elongated tapered body with large overlapping scales and
pinkish-brown in color. They possess a cone-shaped head with small dark eyes and
a long muzzle like nose. They are usually between 33 cms to 44 cms long and weigh
10 - 16 kgs.
Generally,
females are smaller than males and
have one pair of mammae. Their scales are made
up of keratin for their
protection against other
animals. They have 160 - 200 scales in total and
about 46% are located on tail. They
also have long , sticky

9. Interesting
Facts
1. They are shy, nocturnal and slow-moving
mammal who loves solitude and are
generally depressed.
2. They lack teeth so they have two
chambered stomach that have keratin
spines to crush their food.
3. Indian Pangolins have a highly
developed problem-solving brain.
4. Unlike other Pangolins, they cannot walk
on their front claws so they curl them and
walk on knees.
5. They have a defence mechanism of
rolling up and cover themselves with their
scales, and release a noxious smelling acid
to deter predators.
6. Mother Pangolins carry their babies on
their tails for three months.

10. Conservation Status
Major threats to these species are for
hunting and poaching for scales to
make traditional medicine. They are
internationally exported for their
meat, scales to east and south-east
asian countries. Seizure reports from
the country suggests that between
2009-13, over 3000 pangolins were
hunted for 5000 kgs of scales.
We should spread awareness and
divert efforts to curb the illegal trade
of Pangolins.

11. INDIAN
VULTURE
- Gyps indicus

12. Indian
Vulture
Scientific Name: Gyps indicus
Class: Aves
Red List Status: Critically Endangered
A2bce +
4bce
Current Population Trend: Decreasing
Reason for Threatened: Pollution and
ecosystem modifications.
Population: 30,000

13. Habitat
Indian vultures are non-migrant,
terrestrial species that can be sighted
in cities, towns and villages near
cultivated areas, and in open and
wooded areas.
They nests almost exclusively in
colonies or cliffs or ruins.
Normally, they breeds mainly on hilly
crags in central and peninsular India.

14. Morphology
Normally, Indian vultures are medium in size, bulky birds with pale covert feathers
and black quill feathers. Their height ranges from 81cm to 90 cms and weighs about
5 - 6 kgs. They have a wingspan of 196 - 258 cms.
Adults have a black head, pale eye rings, pale yellow bill and a large white neck ruff.
Juveniles have blackish bills,
pinkish head and neck covered
in pale down, feathery buff neck
ruff, dingy heavily streaked
underparts and heavily
feathered thighs.

15. Interesting
Facts
● G. indicus are basically old world
vultures native to India, Pakistan
and Nepal.
● They mostly died due to renal
failure caused by Diclofenac
poisoning.
● They are scavengers who mostly
feed from carcasses of dead
animals and often move in
blocks.
● The mother vulture lays 1 egg.

16. Conservation Status
● The Indian government passed a bill
banning the manufacture of the
poisonous drug Diclofenac.
● Captive breeding programmes for
these species has been started.
● Two captive Himalayan griffon
vultures were released in june 2016
from Jatayu Conservation Breeding
Center, Pinjore as part of Asia’s first
vulture reintroduction program.

17. RED-HEADED
VULTURE
- Sarcogyps calvus

18. Red-headed Vulture
Scientific name: Sarcogyps calvus
Class: Aves
Red List Status: Critically Endangered
A2abce
+ 3 bce + 4abc
Current Population Trend: Decreasing
Reason for Threatened: Modifications in
ecosystem
Population: 2,500 - 9,999

19. Habitat
S. calvus mostly frequents in open country
usually away from the human population,
well-wooded hills and dry deciduous
forests with rivers usually below 2,500 m.
They are mostly found in a spread of Indian
subcontinent and some regions of south-
eastern Asia.
Diclofenac was the main reason for which
this species became critically endangered.

20. Morphology
These are medium sized vultures of 76
cm to 86 cm ( 30 to 34 in ) in length,
weighing 3.5 to 6.3 kgs and having a
wingspan of about 1.99 - 2.6 meters.
It has a prominent naked head: deep
red to orange in the adult, paler red in
juvenile.
It has a black body with pale grey band
at the base of the flight feathers.
The sexes differ in color of the iris:
males have a paler, whitish iris, whilst,
in females it is dark brown.

21. Interesting Facts
● The adults tends to be a little
flashier than juveniles which is
completely opposite of humans.
● Despite the appearance, they are
quite timid when other vultures are
feeding of the same animal.
● Although they are timid, but they
can be sneaky and has been known
to steal food from their dinner
mates.
● When a male and a female meet,
they will perform various aerial
acrobats to impress the other.

22. Conservation Status
● The government of India, Nepal
and Pakistan passed the
legislature of banning the NSAID
Diclofenac as veterinary drug.
● Awareness-raising campaign has
been carried out in Nepal to use
alternatives of Diclofenac.
● SAVE ( Saving Asia’s Vultures
from Extinction ) has developed
the concept of vulture safe zone
areas around important vulture
breeding grounds.

23. ASIAN
ELEPHANT
- Elephas maximus

24. Asian Elephant
Scientific Name: Elephas maximus
Class: Mammalia
Red List Status: Endangered A2c
Current Population Trend: Decreasing
Reason for Threatened: Habitat Loss,
Hunting, Poaching
Population: 30,000 - 50,000

25. Habitat
Asian elephants inhibit grasslands, tropical
evergreen forests, moist and dry deciduous
forests. Over this range of habitat types,
elephants occur from sea-level to over
3,000 m. In eastern Himalayas, they
regularly move up above 3,000 m in
summer at few sites.
Given their physiology and energy
requirements, elephants need to consume
large quantities of food per day. They
consume nearly 150 kg of plant matter per
day and consume 80 - 200 litres of water
per day.

26. Morphology
Asian elephants are smaller than African bush elephants and has highest body
point on the head. The back is convex or level. The ears are small with dorsal
borders folded laterally. Feet have 5 nail-like structure on eac forefoot and 4 on
each hind foot. On average, males are about 2.75 m tall and weighs 4 tons, while
females are of 2.4 m in height and weighs 2.7 tons. The trunk contains 60,000
muscles which consists of longitudinal and radiating sets.
The length of the trunk may vary from 1.5 to 2 m. The tusks
are measured 5 ft along the curve and 16 inches at the point of
emergence from the jaws. Female Asian elephants usually
lacks tusks, if they are present are known as “tushes”, which
are barely visible. The enamel plates in molar are greater in
number and more closer in these species. Their skin color is
usually grey and maybe masked by soil due to dusting and
wallowing.

27. Interesting Facts
● Asian elephants have very large and
highly convoluted neocortex, which
makes them as intelligent as humans
and are more self-aware like humans.
● They eliminates excess heat from
their body through their large ears.
● They live in herds, made of closely
related females and their offsprings,
the oldest, largest and most
experienced female - matriarch is the
leader of the herd.
● Asian elephants survive upto 50 - 70
years but 50% of them die before 15
years.

28. Conservation Status
This species is listed on CITES
Appendix I. the most important
conservation priorities are:
● Conservation of habitat and
habitat connectivity by securing
corridors.
● The management of human-
elephant conflict
● Protection of the species
through laws and legislation.
● Monitoring conservation
intervention to assess the
success of failures.

29. WILD WATER
BUFFALO
- Bubalus arnee

30. Wild Water Buffalo
Scientific Name: Bubalus arnee
Class: Mammalia
Red List Status: Endangered
A2de+3de, C1
Current Population Trend:Decreasing
Reason For Threatened:Hunting,
habitat loss and diseases.
Population: 2,500

31. Habitat
The Wild Water Buffalo is a large
bovine native to Indian Subcontinent
and Southeast asia. They form groups
which graze and browse low-lying
waterlogged floodplain grasslands,
swamp edges and floodplain forests.
Kaziranga, Manas, Dibru-Saikhowa
National Parks and Lao Khowa and
Bura Chapori Wildlife Sanctuaries of
India are the major regions for these
species in India .

32. Morphology
Wild Water Buffalo are larger and heavier than domestic Buffalo, having a head-to-
body length of 240-300 cm and weigh from 700-1200 kg. They have a tail of 50-100
cms long with a bushy tail tip.Their skin colour ranges from ash gray to black.
They have a long and narrow head with a tuft on
forehead and hair,that is moderately long, coarse
and sparse. The ears are comparatively small.
Both the sexes carry heavy horns that spread
widely upto 2 metres and are long, massive and
triangular at section. Male horn is bigger than
female member. The hooves are large and splayed.

33. Interesting Facts
● Wild Water Buffalo are both
nocturnal and diurnal.
● They are known for wallowing in mud
which cools them and protect them
from biting insects.
● The adult bachelor males usually form
a group of 10, remain away from the
female clan during dry season and
mates during rainy season.
● Females normally produce calves
every other year, after a gestation of 9
to 11 months.

34. Conservation Status
● The protection of Wild Water
Buffalo is legally carried in
Bhutan, Nepal, India and
Thailand on nature reserves and
are listed in CITES under
Appendix III(Nepal).
● Preservation of their habitat is
being mostly focussed by various
Conservation programmes.
● This is becoming extremely
difficult as human population is
expanding .

35. HOG DEER
- Axis porcinus

36. Hog Deer
Scientific Name: Axis porcinus
Class: Mammalia
Red List Status: Endangered A2bcd
Reason For Threatened: Hunting and
habitat loss
Current Population Trend: Decreasing
Population: 14,000 - 16,000

37. Habitat
The Indian Hog Deer is a small deer
whose habitat ranges from Pakistan,
to northern east India to mainland
southeast Asia.
They inhibit much of the Indo-
Gangetic plains of Pakistan, Northeast
India, Nepal, Bangladesh,
Southwestern Yunnan Province in
China, all the way to western Thailand.

38. Morphology
A mature Hog deer stands out 70 cms tall and weighs around 50 kgs. They are
solidly built with a long body and relatively short legs. The Hog deer’s coat is quite
thick and generally uniform dark-brown colored body and light colored legs.
During the late spring, the change to a summer coat of rich reddish brown
commences although this may vary between individuals.
They have preorbital glands on the face just
below the eyes and metatarsal glands located
high on the sides of the rear legs. The antler of
the deer is usually a three-tinned brow tine with
solid main beam terminating in inner and outer
top tines.

39. Interesting Facts
● This species is gregarious only
when the conditions are
favourable and do not form a
‘unit’ at these times.
● When alarmed, they produce a
whistling vocalization or a
warning bark.
● Hog deer are most active in
morning and late afternoon but
nocturnal activity increases in
hot temperature or when they
are hunted by humans.

40. Conservation Status
● Hog Deer is fully protected in
India, Nepal and Bangladesh.
● In 2013, a national action plan
was created to conserve the hog
deers in Indochina frontier.
● The recommends establishing
anti-poaching patrols, engaging
local communities in
preservation of Hog deers.
● Kaziranga National Park ( India )
is one of the species’s
strongholds, with a population of
15,000.

41. DHOLE
- Cuon alpinus

42. Dhole
Scientific Name: Cuon alpinus
Class: Mammalia
Red List Status: Endangered C2a(i)
Current Population Trend: Decreasing
Reason for Threatened: Hunting and
Poaching
Population: 949 - 2,215

43. Habitat
The Dhole, is canid native to Central, south
and Southeast Asia. They primarily inhabit
mountain areas, and live mostly in alpine
meadows and high-montane steppes high
above sea-level.
The Dhole might be still present in
southern Siberia but are extinct in Russia
with no reports from Mongolia,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
They occur most of India, south of Ganges.

44. Morphology
In appearance, they have been variously described as the combination of Grey
Wolf and Red Fox. They stand 17 - 22 inches at shoulder and measures 3 ft in body
length. Adult females weighs about 10 to 17 kgs and males weigh about 15 - 21 kgs.
The general tone of the fur is reddish with the brightest hues occuring in winter.
The inner part of the body are less brightly colored. The dorsal and lateral guard
hairs in adults are 20 - 30 mm in length.
Aggressive and threatening dholes
pucker their lips forward in a snarl
and raise their hairs on their backs.
When afraid, they pull their lips
back horizontally, with their tails
tucked and their ears flat against
the skull.

45. Interesting
Facts
● They are famous for their
communication skills. They produce
variety of sounds like growls, whistle,
screams and clucks to communicate
with each other.
● They are highly athletic. They can
jump over 7ft straight up to the air.
● The gestation period is 60-62 days
long, and the mother usually gives
birth to 8 pups at a time.
● During the Pleistocene, they ranged
from Asia, Europe and North America
but were restricted only to Asia.

46. Conservation Status
● In India, Dhole is protected under
the Schedule 2 of Wildlife
Protection Act, 1972.
● In 2014, the Indian government
sanctioned its first dhole
conservation breeding center in
Indira Gandhi Zoological Park.
● As of August 2013, there were
223 Dholes in 38 zoos
worldwide.
● Research is needed to determine
the area and prey requirements
needed to maintain a viable
population.

47. THANK YOU