Extinct animals : Asiatic Cheetah

The Asiatic Cheetah ("cheetah" from Hindi चीता cītā, derived from Sanskrit word chitraka meaning
"speckled") (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus) is now also known as the Iranian Cheetah, as the world's last
few are known to survive mostly in Iran. Although recently presumed to be extinct in India, it is also
known as the Indian Cheetah. During British colonial times in India it was famous by the name of
Hunting-Leopard,[3] a name derived from the ones that were kept in captivity in large numbers by the
Indian royalty to hunt wild antelopes with.

The Asiatic Cheetah is a rare critically endangered[2] subspecies of the Cheetah found today only in Iran,
with some occasional sightings in Balochistan, Pakistan. It lives in its vast central desert in fragmented
pieces of remaining suitable habitat. In recent times in the last century this once numerous and common
animal was driven to extinction elsewhere in its entire former range in Southwest Asia from Arabia to
India including Afghanistan; latest research shows that only 70 to 100 Asiatic Cheetahs are estimated to
remain, most of them in Iran with some sightings Baluchistan. This is the result of continuous field
surveys, all of which have been verified by the results of more than 12,000 nights of camera trapping
inside its fragmented Iranian desert habitats during the past 10 years. The Asiatic Cheetah, the Eurasian
Lynx and the Persian Leopard are the only remaining species of large cats in Iran today[4] with the once
common Caspian Tiger having already been driven to extinction in the last century; though recent
genetic study has proven the Caspian to be genetically identical to the contemporary Siberian tiger,
hinting that habitat fragmentation had separated the two subspecies within the last century.

Habitat : Cheetahs thrive in open lands, small plains, semi-desert areas, and other open habitats where
prey is available. The Asiatic Cheetah is found in the Kavir desert region of Iran, which includes parts of
the Kerman, Khorasan, Semnan, Yazd, Tehran, and Markazi provinces. The Asiatic Cheetah also seems
to survive in the dry open Balochistan province of Pakistan where adequate prey is available. The
cheetah's habitat is under threat from desertification, increasing agriculture, residential settlements, and
declining prey — caused by hunting and degradation in pastures by overgrazing from introduced
livestock.[6] Females, unlike males, do not establish a territory, which means they “travel” within their
habitats. This is an important attribute to consider in conservation.

Endangered : Indian Rhinoceros

The Indian Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) is also called Greater One-horned Rhinoceros and Asian
One-horned Rhinoceros and belongs to the Rhinocerotidae family. Listed as a vulnerable species, the
large mammal is primarily found in parts of north-eastern India and in protected areas in the Terai of
Nepal, where populations are confined to the riverine grasslands in the foothills of the Himalayas.[2]
Weighing between 2260 kg and 3000 kg, it is the fourth largest land animal and has a single horn, which
measures 20 to 57 cm (7.9 to 22 in) in length.

The Indian rhinoceros once ranged throughout the entire stretch of the Indo-Gangetic Plain but
excessive hunting reduced their natural habitat drastically. Today, about 3,000 rhinos live in the wild,
2,000 of which are found in India's Assam alone.[
Vulnerable : Sloth Bear
The Sloth Bear (Ursus ursinus[3] =Melursus ursinus), also known as the Labiated Bear,[4] is an arboreal,
nocturnal and insectivorous species of bear found wild within the Indian subcontinent. The sloth bear
evolved from ancestral brown bears during the Pleistocene and shares features found in insect-eating
mammals through convergent evolution. The population isolated in Sri Lanka is considered as a
subspecies. Unlike brown and black bears, sloth bears have lankier builds, long shaggy coats that form a
mane around the face, long sickle shaped claws, and a specially adapted lower lip used for insect
suction. The bears breed during spring and early summer and give birth near the beginning of winter.
They feed on termites, honeybee colonies and fruits. Sloth bears sometimes attack humans that encroach
on their territory. Historically, humans have drastically minimized their habitat and diminished their
population by hunting them for food and products such as their baculum. Ever since their discovery,
these bears have been used as pets due to their tamable nature.

Rare Species : Snow Leopard

The snow leopard (Uncia uncia or Panthera uncia) is a moderately large cat native to the mountain
ranges of South Asia and Central Asia. The classification of this species has been subject to change and
its exact taxonomic position will not be resolved until further studies are conducted.

Snow leopards live between 3,000 and 5,500 metres (9,800 and 18,000 ft) above sea level in the rocky
mountain ranges of Central Asia. Their secretive nature means that their exact numbers are unknown,
but it has been estimated that between 3,500 and 7,000 snow leopards exist in the wild and between 600
and 700 in zoos worldwide.[3]

Snow leopards are smaller than the other big cats but, like them, exhibit a range of sizes, generally
weighing between 27 and 54 kilograms (60 and 120 lb). Body length ranges from 75 to 130 centimetres
(30 to 50 in), with the tail adding an additional 75 to 90 percent of that length.[4][5]

Snow leopards have long thick fur, and their base colour varies from smoky grey to yellowish tan, with
whitish underparts. They have dark grey to black open rosettes on their body with small spots of the
same color on their heads and larger spots on their legs and tail. Unusually among cats, their eyes are
pale green or grey in colour.[4][5]

Snow leopards show several adaptations for living in a cold mountainous environment. Their bodies are
stocky, their fur is thick, and their ears are small and rounded, all of which help to minimize heat loss.
Their paws are wide, which distributes their weight better for walking on snow, and have fur on their
undersides to increase their grip on steep and unstable surfaces; it also helps to minimize heat loss.
Snow leopards' tails are long and flexible, helping them to maintain their balance, which is very
important in the rocky terrain they inhabit. Their tails are also very thick due to storage of fats and are
very thickly covered with fur which allows them to be used like a blanket to protect their faces when
asleep.[5][6]

The snow leopard has a short muzzle and domed forehead, containing unusual large nasal cavities that
help the animal breathe the thin, cold air of their mountainous environment.[4]

Snow leopards cannot roar, despite possessing some ossification of the hyoid bone. This ossification
was previously thought to be essential for allowing the big cats to roar, but new studies show that the
ability to roar is due to other morphological features, especially of the larynx, which are absent in the
snow leopard.[7][8] Snow leopard vocalizations include hisses, chuffing, mews, growls, and wailing.

Endemic : Malabar Parakeet

The Malabar Parakeet also known as the Blue-winged Parakeet, (Psittacula columboides) is endemic to
the Western Ghats of southern India. The species is evolutionarily close to Layard's parakeet (Psittacula
calthropae) endemic to Sri Lanka.

They breed in the dry season after the northeast Monsoon and the chicks fledge before the southwest
Monsoon in June. They nest in holes in trees, especially old woodpecker and barbet nests. The birds
begin breeding in December and eggs are laid in December and January. The usual clutch was 4 eggs
which hatch after about 23 days. The female initially broods with the male bringing food and later the
male takes over. The chicks fledge in about a month and leave the nest. Chicks are sometimes trapped
for trade.

Normal species : Rhesus Macaque

The Rhesus Macaque (Macaca mulatta), also called the Rhesus Monkey, is one of the best known
species of Old World monkeys. It is listed as Least Concern in the IUCN Red List of Threatened
Species in view of its wide distribution, presumed large population, and its tolerance of a broad range of
habitats. Native to South, Central and Southeast Asia, troops of Macaca mulatta inhabit a great variety
of habitats from grasslands to arid and forested areas, but also close to human settlements. The Rhesus
macaque is brown or grey in color and has a pink face, which is bereft of fur. Its tail is of medium length
and averages between 20.7 and 22.9 cm (8.1 and 9.0 in). Adult males measure approximately 53 cm
(21 in) on average and weigh about 7.7 kg (17 lb). Females are smaller, averaging 47 cm (19 in) in
length and 5.3 kg (12 lb) in weight. Rhesus macaques are native to northern India, Bangladesh, Pakistan,
Nepal, Burma, Thailand, Afghanistan, Vietnam, southern China, and some neighboring areas. The
Rhesus monkey has the widest geographic ranges of any nonhuman primate, occupying a great diversity
of altitudes throughout Central, South and Southeast Asia. Inhabiting arid, open areas, Rhesus macaques
may be found in grasslands, woodlands and in mountainous regions up to 2,500 m (8,200 ft) in
elevation. They are regular swimmers. Babies as young as a few days old can swim, and adults are
known to swim over a half mile between islands, but are often found drowned in small groups where
their drinking waters lie. Rhesus macaques are noted for their tendency to move from rural to urban
areas, coming to rely on handouts or refuse from humans.[3] They have become a pest in some areas,
perceived as a possible risk to public health and safety.