There are certain exotic species of wildlife that can be mainly and often best viewed in their natural habitat in India. But many of these rare animals are also found in neighbouring Nepal, Tibet, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar and Pakistan.
Description: Rarely ever spotted, this extremely elusive, elegant grey ghost of a big cat lives in the upper reaches of the Himalayas and other Central Asian ranges.
Population: Fewer than 10,000, in spite of its range of habitat.
Habitat: Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, Tibet, Russia, Mongolia, China, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan,d Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, Pakistan.
Description: A shy goat-like ungulate found in the higher elevations of the Nilgiri Hills.
Population: 3,000 plus.
Habitat: Tamil Nadu, Kerala.
Description: Weighing sometimes over 2 tonnes, grey-brown; its horn is nearly 2 foot long.
Population: Over 3,500.
Habitat: Northern West Bengal, and the Brahmaputra Valley, southern Nepal.
Description: Gir National Park and surrounding areas in Gujarat overflow with this species of majestic lions. It once roamed from India to Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Mesopotamia.
Population: Over 650.
Habitat: Gujarat.
Description: Native to Indian sub-continent jungles, a kind of giant wild species of cattle, with a massive build and enormous horns.
Population: 21,000.
Habitat: All over the Indian sub-continent, including Tripura, Kerala, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan.
Description: Inhabiting Indian grasslands/scrublands, it has dainty long legs and a characteristic strut, a black cap and a white neck.
Population: Sadly about 125.
Habitat: Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, Pakistan.
Description: An adorable-looking monkey with a noisy call, black fur, a silver-grey mane and a hairless face, a long tail with a tuft at its end like lions have.
Population: 3,500.
Habitat: Western Ghats of South India in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka.
Description: Sikkim's little bear, unlike its distant Chinese cousins, has a rich auburn coat and a black ringed tail and has more of a resemblance to raccoons or skunks than bears.
Population: Between 14000-16,500.
Habitat: West Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Nepal, China, Bhutan, Myanmar.