| Species | Context | Features |
| 1. Alpine Musk Deer (Moschus chrysogaster) | A report highlighted conservation concerns after Indian zoos were found to have only 2 living captive Himalayan musk deer, both male. | Habitat: Coniferous & deciduous mountain forests.
Distribution: India, Nepal, Bhutan and China. Features: Males have an externally visible musk sac and elongated canine teeth used in sparring. Generally solitary and active around dawn and dusk. Diet – Herbivore. Major threat – Poaching for musk used in cosmetic products. Status: IUCN – Endangered, CITES – Appendix I, Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 (WPA) – Schedule I. |
| 2. Caspian Cobra (Naja oxiana) | First confirmed cases of fatal snakebite envenomation by the Caspian cobra were documented in India. | Habitat: Arid & semi-arid regions, rocky hillsides & scrublands.
Distribution: Mainly Central Asia. Features: Highly venomous; lacks characteristic hood marking of Indian cobra. Status: IUCN – Near Threatened. |
| 3. Great Indian Bustard (GIB) (Godawan) | 2 captive-bred male GIBs were released into the wild at Desert National Park, Rajasthan. | Habitat: Dry grasslands and open scrub.
Features: One of the heaviest flying birds; long legs, horizontal body and black crown. Status: IUCN – Critically Endangered, CITES – Appendix I, WPA – Schedule I. |
| 4. Southern Right Whale (Eubalaena australis) | Several southern right whale calves died along Argentina’s Patagonian coast. | Habitat: Southern Hemisphere waters, including sheltered bays and cold waters around Antarctica.
Features: Filter-feeds on zooplankton using baleen plates. Status: IUCN – Least Concern |
| 5. Indian Peafowl (Pavo cristatus) | Orang National Park in Assam recorded Indian peafowl for the first time. | Habitat: Deciduous and montane forests.
Features: India’s national bird. Males have an elaborate train with eyespots; females lack train & have duller plumage. Omnivorous. Status: IUCN – Least Concern. |
| 6. Chocolate Mahseer (Neolissochilus hexagonolepis) | Sikkim’s CM released Chocolate Mahseer into Rangeet River to support native fish conservation. | Habitat: Clear, fast-flowing rivers and hill streams with rocky or pebbly beds in Northeast India.
Features: Powerful fins help it swim against strong currents. Considered an indicator of healthy river ecosystems. Status: IUCN: Near Threatened. |
| 7. Spot-bellied Eagle-Owl (Ketupa nipalensis) | The species was documented for the first time in Kozhikode, Kerala. | Habitat: Tropical and subtropical forests, woodlands and savannas across parts of South and Southeast Asia.
Features: Also called forest eagle-owl; one of the longest owls. Has cream-coloured belly with bold black spots & nocturnal habits. Status: IUCN – Least Concern. |
| 8. Hoolock Gibbon | Habitat fragmentation is threatening hoolock gibbons in Northeast India. | Habitat: Forest canopies of Northeast India.
Features: India’s only ape; tailless and adapted for tree-to-tree movement (brachiation). Lives in small family groups and produces loud calls and male–female duets. Status: IUCN – Endangered (western hoolock gibbon), CITES – Appendix I, WPA – Schedule I. |
| 9. Cheer Pheasant | Himachal Pradesh increased the survival rate of reintroduced cheer pheasants. | Habitat: Steep, rocky Himalayan slopes and grassy hillsides.
Features: Nests on the ground under vegetation or rocks. Shows natal philopatry—returning to or remaining near its birthplace to breed. Status: IUCN – Vulnerable, CITES – Appendix I, WPA – Schedule I. |
| 10. Mussel | ICAR-CMFRI’s Vizhinjam unit launched its first full-fledged open-sea mussel longline farming unit. | Habitat: Marine species are common in coastal waters; freshwater mussels occur in rivers, lakes and ponds.
Features: Bivalve molluscs with two shells; attach to surfaces using protein-based byssus threads and often form dense clusters. Filter-feeders that can accumulate pollutants and microplastics, making them useful in pollution monitoring. |
| 11. Himalayan Tahr (Hemitragus jemlahicus) | Kedarnath Wildlife Division plans to restrict human activity after finding visitors & residents feeding Himalayan tahrs. | Habitat: Himalayan mountain slopes; found in India, Nepal, Bhutan and southern Tibet.
Features: Goat-like wild ungulate with a thick double coat, backward-curving horns in males and strong gripping ability on rocky slopes. Lives in herds. Status: IUCN – Near Threatened. |
| 12. Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia) | India’s first high-altitude snow leopard wildlife safari was launched in Ladakh. | Habitat: Rocky, shrub-dominated and grassy mountain habitats.
Distribution: Himalayas, Hindu Kush, Tibetan Plateau and other high mountains of Central and South Asia. India has an estimated 500–700 snow leopards. State animal of Himachal Pradesh. Features: Known as Ghost of Mountains due to its elusive nature & camouflage. Thick insulating fur, dark rosettes, broad paws, small rounded ears & a long tail help it survive in cold mountains. Status: IUCN – Vulnerable, CITES – Appendix I, WPA – Schedule I. |
| 13. Red-Headed Vulture (Sarcogyps calvus) | A rare red-headed vulture was sighted at about 2,650 m in Munsiyari, Uttarakhand. | Habitat: Open country, cultivated and semi-desert areas, deciduous forests, foothills and river valleys.
Features: Old World scavenging vulture with dark body & a bare reddish head & neck. Feeds on animal carcasses. Major threat: Diclofenac poisoning. Status: IUCN – Critically Endangered, WPA – Schedule I. |
| 14. Sarus Crane (Antigone antigone) | The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) announced a nationwide survey to estimate the Sarus Crane population. | Habitat: Wetlands, marshes, shallow water bodies, grasslands and agricultural landscapes. Distribution – Southeast Asia, India (mainly Gangetic plains & Rajasthan) & Australia.
Features: World’s tallest flying bird; grey plumage, bare red head and upper neck, and long pale-red legs. Non-migratory; generally found in pairs or small groups and mates for life. Indicator of healthy wetland and agricultural ecosystems. Status: IUCN – Vulnerable, CITES – Appendix II, WPA – Schedule I. |
| 15. Palmyra Palm (Borassus flabellifer) | India exported 1.755 tonnes of organic Palmyra jaggery powder from Erode, Tamil Nadu, to Varna, Bulgaria. | Habitat and climate: Adapted to tropical and semi-arid regions, including areas receiving less than 750 mm annual rainfall. Grows from sea level to about 800 m and tolerates diverse soils, including sandy, red and black soils.
Distribution: Native to tropical Africa; cultivated and naturalised throughout India. Also planted as a windbreak in plains. Features: Also called sugar palm, toddy palm or fan palm. Propagated mainly through seeds. Uses: Sweet sap from the inflorescence is used to make toddy and jaggery. Fruits, leaves, stems and wood are used for food, handicrafts, furniture and building materials. |
