Top 10 Threatened Species in India: From Elephants to Tigers, Check the Complete List

India is home to some of the richest wildlife that is present on earth. The nation is home to tigers, elephants, rhinos, snow leopards and thousands of other species. 

However, many of these animals are losing their homes quickly due to different reasons. The term "threatened species" means an animal or plant that is at risk of disappearing from the wild. 

The topic is gaining traction again as the Supreme Court of India has directed the Union government to issue guidelines and coordinate with states in order to establish elephant clinics with special facilities. 

These facilities are made to ensure that the owners of captive elephants take them for periodic health check-ups. 

It is also important to use correct terms. Not every protected animal is "endangered." Some are "vulnerable" and some are "critically endangered" and these are different levels of risk. 

What Does "Threatened Species" Mean?

The International Union for Conservation of Nature, or IUCN, studies animals across the world and places them into different categories based on how much danger they face. Here are the categories as per IUCN: 

Top 10 Threatened Species in India

Endangered vs Critically Endangered vs Vulnerable

These three terms can get confusing. Here is a simple comparison between them to understand how the IUCN categories work: 

Major Threats that Wildlife in India Face

Many different problems are pushing India's wildlife toward extinction. The main ones are listed below.

• Habitat loss due to farming and construction

• Habitat fragmentation, which breaks forests into small pieces

• Poaching and illegal wildlife trade

• Climate change affecting food and water sources

• Pollution of rivers, soil and air

• Human-wildlife conflict near villages and farms

• Infrastructure development like roads, railways and power lines

• Decline in prey and food sources for predators