National Endangered Species Day | From Nilgiri Tahr to Bengal Tiger: These animals are struggling for survival in India

As per a report by World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), 22.2% of about 5,500 mammals assessed by the International Union for Nature Conservation (IUCN) are extinct or threatened globally.

India is home to nearly 6.5 per cent of wildlife species, with almost 7.6 per cent of the world's mammals and 12.6 per cent of the world's birds found in India.

Even as the data looks nice, there is a bitter side to it. As per a report by World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), 22.2 per cent of about 5,500 mammals assessed by the International Union for Nature Conservation (IUCN) are extinct or threatened globally.

1,141 species of these are "threatened", with more than half of these being endangered or critically endangered. About 505 animals, which is the rest of the animals, are considered vulnerable. Since 1500, 680 vertebrate species have gone extinct.

According to the Living Planet Report 2024, which measures the average change in population sizes of more than 5,000 vertebrate species, there was a decline of 73 per cent between the years 1970-2020.

The report also shows that bird populations living in open habitats are declining. Several vulture species have been declining in population, with white-rumped vulture, Indian vulture, and slender-billed vulture nearly completely disappearing from the wild, the report stated.

One good news in this is that there has been growth in India's tiger population. Data collected by the Wildlife Institute of India in 2024 shows the upper limit of the tiger population to be 3,925 and the average number at 3,682 tigers.

States which witnessed an increase in tiger population are Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Maharashtra.

As Endangered Species Day is celebrated on May 15 this year, let us take a look at five such animals that are struggling to survive in India:

Nilgiri Tahr

Wildlife poaching and loss of habitat have put the Nilgiri Tahr in danger. This endangered mountain goat is found in the southern Western Ghats of India.

Bengal Tiger

Bengal Tigers make up over 70 per cent of the world's wild population. Even as they are adaptable in nature, the population decline is real. Due to poaching and hunting, Bengal Tigers have been subjected to habitat loss

Asiatic Lion

Southwest Asia to eastern India being their home, the Asiatic lion has been listed as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) since 2010.

One-horned Rhinoceros

One-horned rhinoceroses have been targeted by poachers for their horns. Apart from that, these animals are also impacted by frequent floods and human-wildlife conflict.

Blackbuck

Blackbuck is one of the most endangered species in India. From their population number being 80,000 in 1947 to the number falling to 8,000 in less than 20 years, the figures are distressing.

Apart from these animals, there are many more species that are considered endangered globally. According to IUCN data, more than 48,600 species are threatened with extinction, which makes up 28 per cent of all assessed species.

Why are endangered species in India on a decline despite growing awareness around conservation?

Dr M B Krishna, ornithologist and ecologist from Bengaluru, cited habitat loss and degradation as factors behind the decline in the population of these animals.

"Habitat loss and habitat degradation are important factors behind much of the decline. Prioritising finance and commerce over the environment, both at the people's level and the governmental level, is a strong cause for the decline of biodiversity," he told DH.

Despite growing awareness around conservation, he said there is still a struggle to protect endangered species because the spaces are increasingly being taken away by humans.

"We need to accept that other forms of life also have a right to survive on planet Earth and we should not be appropriating all the space for ourselves and our joy. Leaving a good amount of space for biodiversity is crucial," he added.