10 Critically Endangered Animals of India
India’s wildlife includes many vertebrate animals that are among the most threatened forms of life in the world. Some are classified as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and face a high risk of extinction in the wild. Found in diverse ecosystems such as forests, grasslands, wetlands, coastal regions, and marine environments, these species are vital for maintaining ecological balance within their habitats. This list explores 10 such remarkable yet imperiled animals of India.
Namdapha flying squirrel (Biswamoyopterus biswasi)
First reported in 1981 from the Namdapha Tiger Reserve in Arunachal Pradesh state, this tree-dwelling mammal remains elusive to science. By 2025, only one individual had been studied, though there were several unconfirmed sightings in the state as recently as 2022. It is thought to be endemic to dry deciduous montane forests in a 100-square-km (40-square-mile) area dominated by Ceylon ironwood (Mesua ferrea) trees in the Namdapha National Park. This species of flying squirrel has reddish grizzled fur, a pale violet-gray crown, an orange patagium (the skinfold connecting forelimbs and hindlimbs that helps an animal fly or glide), and white underparts. It has a head and body length of about 40.5 cm (15.9 inches) and a 60.5-cm- (23.8-inch-) long tail. Prominent silvery-white tufts on its ears are its identifying features. Habitat loss and illegal hunting as well as natural calamities such as landslides and floods are the greatest threats to the species.
Malabar civet (Viverra civettina)
Thought to have once been widespread in the Malabar region of southern India, this species of civet has not been sighted in the wild since the 1990s. Museum specimens suggest the animal to have a head and body length of about 76 cm (30 inches) and a tail 33 cm (13 inches) long. Its coat is gray, marked with large black spots and bands on the throat; its tail is distinctly banded and has a black tip. Past records indicate its occurrence in lowland forests and swamps, riparian forests, and cashew plantations in the coastal plain districts of India’s Western Ghats. The species is thought to be predominantly ground dwelling and nocturnal. It is threatened by habitat loss due to conversion of forests into agricultural land and by retaliatory killings for attacks on livestock.
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Great Indian bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps)
With about 150 living individuals in 2024, the great Indian bustard is one of the most threatened birds of the Indian subcontinent. It is one of the heaviest flying birds in the world, and the biggest individuals can stand 1.2 meters (4 feet) tall and weigh 15 kg (33 pounds). These birds have large brown wings with black and gray markings and lighter underparts. Concentrated mostly in the dry grasslands and scrublands of the Indian state Rajasthan, this bird also occurs in small populations across the border in neighboring Pakistan. They are ground nesters, and females usually lay one egg during each breeding season. The largest risk for eggs is being trampled by grazing cattle, whereas habitat loss, landscape modifications, and poaching threaten adults. These birds’ poor frontal vision leads to frequent collisions with overhead power lines.
Bengal florican (Houbaropsis bengalensis)
A small ground-nesting bustard with a rapidly declining population, the Bengal florican is found primarily in the grasslands and open forests of the Ganges (Ganga) and Brahmaputra floodplains along the Himalayan foothills in India. Its distribution extends to the Terai region along the India-Nepal border and the floodplains of the Tonle Sap region in Cambodia. These birds are 66–68 cm (26–26.7 inches) tall and mostly black with brown specks and white wings. Females may be buff-brown. As part of their courtship display, the males leap high in the air in what is often described as an aerial dance. Habitat loss, landscape modification, invasive species, illegal construction, and hunting are the major threats facing this species.
Red-crowned roofed turtle (Batagur kachuga)
Named for its domed, roof-shaped shell when young, the red-crowned roofed turtle is a freshwater reptile inhabiting large swift-flowing rivers with sandy bottoms in the Ganges basin and National Chambal Sanctuary in India. The females of this species are larger, with the upper part of their shell (carapace) measuring 56 cm (22 inches) long, whereas males have carapaces up to 29 cm (11.4 inches) long. Male turtles develop bright blue, red, and yellow coloration on the head and neck during the breeding season. Red-crowned roofed turtles are sometimes harvested for their flesh. Entanglement in fishing nets, pollution, and changes in river water flow and nesting beaches due to hydrological projects threaten this species.
Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus)
The gharial (or gavial), one of the largest crocodiles in the world, is distinguished by its long, narrow snout and the male’s bulbous ghara (named for a similar-looking Indian mud pot) at the tip of the snout, which is used to amplify mating calls and act as a display. Reaching 4–6.5 meters (13.1–21.3 feet) in length and weighing up to 180 kg (400 pounds), this species was once widespread across northern India’s major rivers but now survives mainly in the Ganges system, with the largest population in the National Chambal Sanctuary. Habitat loss, landscape modification, hunting, accidental entanglement in fishing gear, and water pollution are the major threats that gharials face. The species is particularly vulnerable to changes in the water flow due to the construction of dams and barrages and interlinking of river channels.
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Cave dancing frog (Micrixalus spelunca)
Dancing frogs are named for the unique foot-flagging behavior of the males, wherein a male extends his hind legs one at a time and spreads out his webbed feet as part of a territorial display to establish a nesting site. This cave-dwelling amphibian was discovered in the Western Ghats of India in 2014 and occurs within an area of 43 square km (16.6 square miles). It is found near swift rivulets and damp caves; the tadpoles of this species actively burrow and live under mud or sand of shallow streams. The species is threatened by habitat loss, landscape modification, pollution, climate change, and fungal (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) infection.
Franky’s narrow-mouthed frog (Mysticellus franki)
This small amphibian is restricted to a 2-square-km (0.8-square-mile) area in the Wayanad district of Kerala state. It measures less than 3 cm (1.2 inches) long and has two distinct dark-colored spots on its sides that look like false eyes to scare away predators. The name Mysticellus comes from the Latin word mysticus, meaning “mysterious,” because these frogs appear for only about four days during the breeding season before disappearing from the pools. They are found in stagnant pools and water puddles in secondary forests. Major threats facing this species include habitat loss, landscape modification, climate change, road development, and vehicle collision.
Ganges shark (Glyphis gangeticus)
One of about six freshwater sharks of the world, this adaptable species can be found in a variety of environments, including freshwater rivers, estuaries, and shallow coastal waters from Pakistan to Borneo, at depths of up to 50 meters (164 feet). Its distribution, however, is patchy, and most records of the shark come from the Hugli River, the major arm of the Ganges River flowing through West Bengal state. Growing up to about 2.75 meters (9 feet) long, this stocky species has small tilted eyes as an adaptation to the murky river waters. Ranking among the 20 most threatened shark species globally, the Ganges shark has not been reported since 2016. Pressure from commercial fishing, habitat modification due to the construction of barrages and dams, pollution, and accidental capture as bycatch threaten this species. It is also harvested for its meat, fin, and oil.
Narrow sawfish (Anoxypristis cuspidata)
Once widespread in the Indo-West Pacific region, this sharklike ray is now believed to be extinct throughout most of the Arabian Sea, neighboring waters, and Southeast Asia. The narrow sawfish is the only extant species under the genus Anoxypristis. Adults typically measure about 3.5 meters (11.5 feet) long, but some individuals can grow as long as 4.7 meters (15.4 feet). Their fins are highly prized in the shark fin trade. Their toothed rostrum (long and flat snout that is called the saw) is also sold as traditional remedies, religious items, or souvenirs, although international trade of sawfish was banned in 2007. The species is also threatened by accidental entanglement in fishing gear, habitat degradation, offshore oil and gas exploration, and expansion of commercial fishing.
The IUCN Red List uses five quantitative criteria to assess a species’ extinction risk and place it into one of several categories that reflect its conservation status and probability of extinction. Three of these categories—Critically Endangered (CR), Endangered (EN), and Vulnerable (VU)—broadly represent species that are threatened. A threatened animal, therefore, can belong to one of these three categories.