Animal Info

Distribution:Fairly common in sandy tracts such as the coastal scrublands of the Ramanathapuram District in Tamil Nadu and the semi- arid and desert tracts of Peninsular India. It is said to be very common in Chittor District, Andhra Pradesh and the adjacent Kolar District, Karnataka.
The name is derived from the star patterns on the hard shell of the tortoise. This reptile is found in dry scrub jungle and arid areas. It moves about when it is dark, feeding on fallen fruits leaves and grass. Females are larger than the males. Breeding occurs just before monsoon. The female lays about 4-8 eggs in a pit it has dug. The young hatch after 70-120 days. It is also a favorite pet and breeds well in captivity throughout the year.

Distribution:This python is distributed throughout Northern India and through Burma to Southeastern Asia. Also found in Nicobar Islands.
The Reticulated python or the Regal python is found in eastern Assam, Bangaldesh, Myammar, Malaysia and Thailand. It is never found far from water. One of the longest pythons, growing upto 10 meters, this magnificent snake has a shining skin. Apart from catching small mammals, it can also take a full grown wild boar. It can be tamed in captivity, by hand rearing. A female python can lay about 100 eggs.
It is a nonvenomous snake.
The skin of the animal is killed for its skin which is used for making belts, hand bags and wallets. The python is endangered and hunting is banned.

Distribution:Found in Sri Lanka and peninsular India, Sind in the West and Bengal in the East.
Unlike other snakes which have a zig-zag movement, the python can move in a straight line. This is one of the largest non-venomous snakes. It feeds on a variety of prey species from frogs to fawn of deer. A pair of sensory pits near the nostrils helps it detect body heat of prey such as hares and rodents in the dark. It kills its prey by coiling around and suffocating it. The python can swallow prey species, much larger than the girth of tis body since its jaw bones can be opened at least 180 OC.
They prefer to be near water. The female lays between 8-100 eggs during summer and coils around them to maintain constant temperature.

Distribution:Confined to the Indus, Ganges, Brahmaputra and the Mahanadi rivers.
The name ”Gharial” is actually a reference to the pot-like structure on the snout of the males. Gharials are good swimmers in swift flowing waters, but extremely clumsy on land. Adults bask in the sun. Their man diet is fish. The females nest on steeps banks to lay about 40 eggs. Gharials take care of their young ones.
Once common, this crocodile has been excessively hunted and is now found only in rivers such as Ganges, Brahmaputra and Mahanadi.
Food in Captivity : Fish

Distribution:Found in the hills of India and Sri Lanka and Iran.
The Mugger or the marsh crocodile is a fresh water reptile found in streams, river and lakes. In summer when lakes and rivers dry up, these crocodiles can migrate long distances in search of permanent water sources. Some also dig deep burrows in the soft mud and remain there during the summer. The feed on fish, turtles, water birds, and even deer and wild board. They may attack and kill humans to defend territory of young ones, but they are not man-eaters. One may often seen the muggers with their mouths wide open, this being a method of controlling their body temperature.
This is most widely distributed of the three species of Indian crocodiles.

Distribution:Found from Kerala in the West Coast through the estuaries on the east coast (Cavery river), to the Sundarbans in West Bengal, Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Indonesia. Measuring over 4.5 metres in length, this is one of the largest reptiles. The “salty” as it is commonly referred to is found in estuarine areas of Sundarbans and Orissa, as well as the Andamans. It is capable of swimming almost 100 kms. Into the sea. It preys on a wide variety of animals including fish and small mammals. The breeding coincides with the monsoon. The female builds a nest out of leaves, grass and twigs and guards it tenaciously. The heat given off by the vegetation helps in the hatching of the eggs.
Food in Captivity:Mainly fish

Distribution:Found throughout India and West Pakistan.
A huge bird with a naked head and neck shrunk into the shoulders, this is the commonest of all vultures of India.
The White backed vulture spends a good part of its life on the wing, soaring in wide circles at great heights. If an animal dies somewhere, the vulture patrolling in the sky far overhead descends to scavenge and devour the carcass.
This vulture breeds in colonies and can be seen atop large trees on the outskirts of towns and near villages.
Food in Captivity:Meat

Distribution:Occurs through the Indian subcontinent to Southern China in the east to the Philippines in the South, Andamans and Sri Lanka. Absent in arid deserts and in the hills above 1800m. The Indian Cobra is found in dense forests and open cultivated areas, abandoned rodent burrows and holes or cracks in rocks. This snake is identified by its hood which it raised when disturbed. The Cobra feeds on rats, small birds, frogs and bird eggs. Most snake charmers keep cobras, although these are defanged specimens. Snake charmers also spread the common myth that snakes drink milk, which in the wild is not true. Cobras are venomous snakes and their venom is a neurotoxin which paralyses the respiratory centre and this is the chief cause of death.
Food in Captivity:Rat, Chicken

Distribution:Found throughout India (rare in South India)
This long-legged and long-necked storki is confined to large jheels, marshes and rivers. Usually seen along, this bird wades in shallow waters. It can be spotted resting on top of trees or feeding along the edges of rivers and marshes.
Like other storks it is a heavy bird, requiring large quantities of fish, especially when it has young ones in the nest. It also eats frogs reptiles and crabs.
Destruction of Wetlands has led to rapid decline in the number of these storks and they could be endangered now. This bird is a winter visitor to northern India.
Food in Captivity:Fish only

Distribution:Found in North India and Assam
Adjutants are so named because of their military walk. A heavy bird with a huge bill and neck, it has a hanging pouch on its neck. The function of this pouch is not really known.
The birds is an efficient scavenger, often seen with kites and vultures feeding on carcasses and garbage dumps on outskirts of villages. Adjutants also eat frogs, fish, reptiles and large insects.
The only sound normally produced by the bird is a loud clattering of the mandibles.
Food in Captivity:Fish only

Distribution:Found throughout India
Spoonbills are immediately identified by their black spoon- shaped bill.
Usually found in flocks, they frequent marshland areas, river banks and large jheels, feeding during the early morning hours and in the evenings. They get their food by wading into shallow waters and sweeping the partially open bill from side to side. Their food includes small fish, tadpoles, aquatic insects, frogs and molluscs. When food is abundant in one spot, a large group can be seen competing for their prey.
Food in Captivity:Fish

Distribution:Found in Rann of Kachchh, Gujarat, Winter visitor to North India, Punjab, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Chennai and Pakistan.
A pelican flock is like a team of cooperative fishermen surrounding a school of fish, driving them to the shallow waters and then scooping them up in their pouches.
Large flocks are seen in jheels and lakes. When not feeding, they float gracefully on the water preening their feathers or just resting their heavy bills on their back.
Inspite of their enormous size, pelicans are effortless fliers and frequently soar in the company of vultures and storks.
Food in Captivity:Fish

Distribution:: Found in tropical South and Central America.
These birds are brilliantly coloured parrots.
Macaws move about the forest in flocks. They feed on fruits, seeds and Brazil nuts, which they crack with their strong beaks. These birds nest in holes high in the trees and are extremely aggressive during the breeding season. Macaws are good mimics and can also mimic the human voice. These birds are hunted and are endangered.
Food in Captivity:Bread, banana, sathugudi, orange, mango, guava, tomato, groundnut and chillies

Distribution:Found throughout India.
Closely related to the spoonbills, ibises can be easily distinguished from a distance by their down-curved bills, and their bald head and neck.
The white ibis frequents shallow water bodies, river and jheels and marshy areas. It walks about actively probing the soft mud with its bill looking for its prey. Fish, frog, worm and soft-bodied molluscs form its food.
The white ibis is more frequently seen than the Black and glossy ibis.
Food in Captivity:Fish, frogs and insects

Distribution:Resident throughout India, Central and South Europe, South Africa, Burma, Malaysia, China and Japan.
Generally, resting all day in shady trees, this nocturnal species is shy and secretive. Groups of night herons fly out to their feeding grounds at dusk. They feed all night in ponds, flooded fields and shallow marshes. In contrast to the other herons’ habit of “waiting and striking”, night herons actively catch fish, frogs, crabs and insects.
These birds have striking ruby red eyes and white feathers dropping from their head.
Food in Captivity:Fish, frogs and aquatic insects

Distribution: Found in Northern and Central India.
Reaching a height of almost 1.6 metres (5 feet), Sarus Cranes are the tallest flying birds. They are normally seen near riverbanks, cultivated fields and wetlands. Grams, juicy shoots, frogs, insects and small reptiles from their main food.
Sarus cranes pair for life. Their courtship displays and dance are spectacular. With wings outspread, both birds circle each other, bowing and dancing, frequently trumpeting in unison.
The Sarus is a revered and protected bird, Indian folklore has tales of the love of sarus couple towards each other.
Food in Captivity:Fish only

Distribution: Found in North- western and West-central portions of India, Mysore and Assam.
The Demoiselle Crane is a well- known winter visitor, which is easily recognized by a white plume of soft feathers behind each eye.
Flock wander over open cultivated fields and marshy areas and rest on river banks or margins of jheels during the midday heat. They frequently raid grain and wheat fields. Sometimes they soar in circles at great heights in the sky. With their necks and legs fully extended, these cranes fly in broad V formation.
Food in Captivity: Mixed grains

Distribution: Inhabits lush green grasslands and drier Savannas of East Africa from Kenya to the Cape.
No two zebras have stripes that are exactly alike, just as on two human fingers-prints are the same. The different patterns on their body help tell zebra apart. The stripes also help the animal hide in tall grasslands.
Zebras spend most of the day and night feeding. A vegetarian, the zebra feeds primarily on grass and sedges. The upper and lower incisors help it to clip vegetation, and a battery of cheek teeth are used for grinding.
A group of zebras consists of a male and few females and their young.
Food in Captivity: Wheat bran, soaked Bengal gram, horse gram, grass, leaves, and minerals, 10 days in a month.

Distribution: Found in Europe, North America, Northern, Central and South Western Asia.
The Indian Wolf is almost the size of an Alsatian dog. With its long legs it can run great distances and it has powerful jaws to seize its prey. Wolves live in open country and forests, hunting by day and hiding by night under fallen trees, among rocks or in holes dug in the ground. Because they hunt animals larger than themselves, wolves hunt in packs numbering 20-40 individuals.
Wolves survive well because of their tightly knit social organization.
In Indian wolves were mostly hunted out of the vicinity of human populations, because of the mistaken notion that they lift children.
Food in Captivity: Beef, liver and chicken

Distribution: It is found in Myanmar and the Malay countries.
Giant squirrels are shy and wary animals, not easy to spot.
The Malayan Giant Squirrels live only in forests. They move from tree to tree taking amazing leaps, with their limbs outspread. They have a furred membrane extending between the fore and hind limbs.
These animals are active and agile during early morning and evening hours. As with most animals, mid-day is the resting period. They feed on fruits, nuts and flower buds. They make their nest in tree holes, safe from predators.
Food in Captivity: Soaked Bengal gram, apple, grapes, bread, groundnut, carrot, cabbage, orange, mango and guava.

Distribution: Found in India, China, Indonesia and Siberia
Tigers are the largest of the big cats. Tigers can travel almost 20 km in a single night and can leap as much as 10 metres in a single bound.
Tigers are mainly active at twilight or night, using their sight and sense of hearing rather than smell, to stalk their prey. In long grass the stripes on the tiger’s coat break up its outline, making it more difficult to spot. They are good swimmers and can also climb trees quite well. Large mammals such as wild pigs, buffalo and deer form their main food.
Male tigers live alone in large territories, though these may overlap with the living areas of several females. The biggest tigers come from Siberia.
Food in Captivity:Beef, liver (alternate days), chicken (weekly twice) and milk

Distribution: It inhabits the dry deciduous, moist deciduous and semi evergreen forests of peninsular India, south of the Ganges.
Giant squirrels are inhabitants of the forests. They keep to the big tree tops and seldom come to the ground. Taking amazing leaps with limbs outspread, these agile animals can cover almost 20 feet in a single bound. Their peak activity time are the early morning and evening hours. Mid-day is their resting time.
When frightened, these squirrels do not dash away, instead the flat against a branch or slip behind a heavy tree trunk.
Food in Captivity: Soaked Bengal gram, apple, grapes, bread, banana, groundnut, carrot, cabbage, orange, mango and guava.

Distribution: Found in the wooded regions of India, Myanmar and Sri Lanka extending through the Malay countries and eastward to the Philippines.
The largest Indian deer, the Sambar is an important prey for the tiger.
Forested hill-sides, preferably near cultivation are the favorite haunts of the sambar. Though heavy, this animal can move silently through dense jungles. It takes to the water readily and swims with body partially submerged.
Sambar feed on grass, leaves and various kinds of wild fruits. They feed mainly at night and retire by daybreak. They have a keen sense of smell and hearing.
Sambar are rarely found in large numbers. A herd may consist of four to five or at the most, twelve animals.
Food in Captivity: Wheat bran powder, soaked Bengal gram, salt, leaves and grass.

Distribution: In India the common otter is found only in Kashmir, the Himalayas and in South India. Also found in Europe, North Africa, and suitable localities over the greater part of Asia.
Sleek, streamlined and energetic, the otter rarely remains still. An ottter’s flexible body and webbed feet makes it an underwater acrobat.
Otters live in groups but they usually search for food on their own, in water or on land. They feed on fish, frogs, land birds and small mammals.
Most of them hunt during the day. Otters come ashore to give birth to their young ones. The newborn are blind and are carefully guarded by their mother.
Food in Captivity: Fish, crab, prawn.

Distribution: Muntjac is found in the greater part of the Indo-Malayan countries and also in China, Taiwan and Japan.
The Muntjac inhabits thickly wooded hills, in the Himalayas and parts of South India. It can be found at high attitudes. Muntjac may be spotted singly, in pairs or in small family parties.
Keeping to the wooded parts of the jungle, the muntjac come to the outskirts of the forest to graze. Leaves, grasses and wild fruits form their diet.
When alarmed and in flight, these deer give out intermittent calls which sound very much like the bark of dog. Perhaps this is how they have got their name, “Barking Deer”.
They often announce the approach of a tiger by their alarm calls.
Food in Captivity: Wheat bran powder, soaked Bengal gram, salt, grass and leaves.

Distribution:: Found in the Western Ghats from North Kanara southwards to Kerala and Anamalai, Kanyakumari District, Tamil Nadu.
With a well developed whitish grey mane on its face and a tail with tufts of hair at the end, like that of lion, the lion tailed macaque has aptly earned its name.
These monkeys area gregarious, living in troops of 10-20. They inhabit dense tropical evergreen forests and feed on fruits, and leaves. Diurnal in habit, they rarely come to the ground. The large cheek pouches serve as food stores, storing the food until it can be chewed at leisure.
This is one of the most endangered primates of India.
Food in Captivity: Cooked rice, banana, orange, mango, guava, soaked Bengal gram, cabbage, bread and egg.

Distribution:Found in the Indian peninsula as far North as Mumbai on the West and the Godavari river on the East.
This little pale-faced monkey commonly seen in Southern India is easily distinguished by a bonnet of long dark hairs forming a whorl on its head.
Living mainly on trees in villages and in the foothills of jungles and the plains, troops of 20-30 animas may be found either feeding on the ground or in the trees. Fruits, berries, leaves and shoots, insects and spiders form their diet.
These macaques live in highly organized troops of both sexes and have well defined territories.
Food in Captivity: Grapes, cooked rice, banana, orange, mango, guava, groundnut, soaked Bengal gram, leaves, cabbage, carrot and bread.

Distribution:It is now restricted to the Gir Forest in Kathiawar, Gujarat.
Considered the “King of Beasts” the lion is a powerful animal.
Lions inhabit scrub-type deciduous forests. Lions live in a group called a “pride”, which may consist of 10-20 individuals with a male as the leader.
Lions rest by the day and at dusk go in quest of their prey which includes deer, cattle, pigs or other herbivores. They stalk their prey and then make short, high speed charge of upto 80 km per hour.
The African lion with its fuller mane, longer tassel of hair at the end of its tail, and more pronounced hair on its belly is easily distinguishable from its Asian counterpart.
Food in Captivity: Beef, liver, chicken (weekly twice)

Distribution:Found in Africa, South of the Sahara and South Asia, North Africa and Arabia.
Leopards inhabit forests, grasslands, and even deserts. They are found in Africa and Asia. The leopard has a rich, sleek yellowish or greyish coat marked with small black rosettes.
A leopard usually conceals itself by day in cave or den or in a tree. It usually hunts by itself, but occasionally two may prowl together. It eats deer, cattle, monkey, rodents, birds and reptiles. The leopard is an expert tree climber. Occasionally a leopard will drop straight down on its prey as it passes beneath a tree.
Food in Captivity: Beef, liver (alternative days), chicken (weekly twice) and milk.

Distribution:Found in the Western Ghats from Coorg to Cape Comerin, the Nilgiris, Anamalai hills, Brahmagiri, Tirunelvelli and Planai hills.
As its name suggests, this long-tailed langur is found in the Nilgiri hills of Western Ghats. Usually found in troops of 5-15, these animals are often seen encroaching agricultural fields. Their food comprises of fruits, shoots and leaves.
They forage for food in the morning, rest at noon and come out in the evening to feed again.
Of late, the Nilgiri langurs have decreased in number because of the destruction of their natural habitat, the Shola dense evergreen forests. They are also threatened due to a number of human activities, including poaching for their fur and flesh, as the latter is believed to have medicinal value. It is an endangered animal.
Food in Captivity: Grapes, cooked rice, banana, orange, mango, guava, soaked Bengal gram, cabbage, carrot and bread.

Distribution:
Practically the whole of India, from the Himalayas to Cape Comarin except the western deserts. Langurs live in forests, haunt shady groves around temples and make themselves quite at home in towns and villages. They are pure vegetarians and feed on a variety of fruits, berries, buds and leaves. They spend much of their time on trees. Long-limbed and long-tailed, they are extremely agile and make great leaps and bounds with extreme precision. Langurs live in groups comprising of 15-30 individuals of both sexes and all ages. On sighting a tiger or leopard in the vicinity, the langur will immediately raise an alarm. The entire jungle is alerted by their alarm call.
Food in Captivity: Grapes, cooked rice, banana, orange, mango, guava, soaked Bengal gram, cabbage, carrot and bread.

Distribution:With a dog-like build, big head and forebody and a heavy dorsal crest of long hair, the hyena is easily identified.
They come out in search of food by night, retiring before sunrise.
They may lie concealed by day in high grass, under bushes or in cane fields, but the den usually preferred is a cave amongst rocks, or a hole dug in the side of a hill. Pairs usually go about together and sometimes a group of 5-6 can also be seen.
Hyenas are scavengers. Animal that have dies of disease or those killed by larger beasts of prey form its usual food.
Food in Captivity: Beef, liver, chicken (weekly twice)

Distribution:Found in West, Central, East and South Africa.
Aptly called the River House, the hippopotamus spends most of its time in water and comes on to land in the night, mainly to feed. Its large head is adapted for an aquatic life, with eyes, ears and nostrils placed on top of the head. It swims well, but usually walks on the river bottom. The hippo’s mouth is armed with sharp canine tusks.
Food in Captivity: Wheat bran, soaked Bengal gram, salt, potato, banana, grass, carrot, cabbage, leaves, bread and onion.

Distribution:Found in Western Ghats hills, forests of Central and South-eastern peninsula, West Bengal, Myanmar and Malay peninsula.
Also referred to as the Indian Bison, the gaur is a massively built animal with lethal horns and strong limbs.
Found in herds of six to twelve, the gaurs inhabit dense forests. They feed on grass, bamboo shoots, leaves and bards of trees. Gaur are great wanderers and each herd has a large home range. Though the largest of wild cattle, the gaur can move quickly when alarmed. Gaurs generally keep to themselves and are shy and elusive animals. Their sense of hearing is not very good, but they have a very keen sense of smell.
Food in Captivity: Wheat bran, soaked Bengal gram, salt, grass and leaves.

Distribution:Found in the Indian subcontinent, Indochina, Mayanmar, Malaysia and Indonesia.The largest of all living and animals, an adult elephant stands upto 10 feet tall and can consume as much as 150 kg of food in a day. There are two species of elephants, African and the Asian. The African species has much larger ears than the Asian one. Elephants are nomadic and travel I herds of several dozens or more and they move from one place to another in search of their food. They feed on grass, shrubs, roots, leaves and twigs.Elephants are characterized by a long muscular trunk which is a continuation of its upper lip and the nose. The trunk is capable of grasping objects backward and sideways. It is also used for spraying water or dust over the body, for bathing and for breathing and smelling.Illegal hunting for ivory has depleted the population of elephants.
Food in Captivity: Cooked ragi, horse gram and salt.

Distribution:Found in Central and Eastern Asia, Manchuria and Malay countries.
Dholes have a close resemblance to the domestic dog, but have ears more rounded at the tip, and a tail that is quite bushy.
They inhabit forest areas. The animal preys on sambar, nilgai, chital, pig, etc. They live in packs consisting of individual families, but on several occasions these unite to attack bigger animals like bisons, leopards and tigers. They are also called ‘whistling hunters’ because of the sound they produce.
Food in Captivity:Beef, liver, and chicken

Distribution:They are found throughout the African forest belt, from Senegal in the west to Uganda and Tanzania in the east.
Intelligent, curious and quite noisy-these apes are very like humans. Apes are nearest to humans in structure and development. They have no tail. Vision in their most important sense and they can see colours as we can. Chimpanzees are very communicative and communicate by touch and the changing expressions on their face. Chimps are active during the day, searching for food, and feeding on fruit, leaves, seeds, buds, bark stems and insects. They spend much of their time on the ground, travelling on all four limbs. If they have to carry something, they may walk upright for short distances.Chimps live in large communities consisting of about 50 animal sharing the same area.
They are found in dense rainforests, in the open woodlands and on the broad grasslands of Africa.
Food in Captivity:Rice, bread, orange, mango, guava, papaya, banana, apple, groundnut, carrot, greens, Bengal gram, boiled egg, milk.

Distribution:Found in forested areas of Nepal, Sri Lanka and Southern India at elevations upto 6000 ft.
Found in forested areas of Nepal, Sri Lanka and Southern India at elevations upto 6000 ft. A small animal not taller than 25-30 cm, the mouse deer is shy and secretive. It’s small size makes it an easy prey for big snakes, crocodiles, eagles and other forest inhabiting cats. The mouse deer shelters in grass covered rocky hill-sides or in the forests. They come out to feed in the mornings or at dusk. They feed on grass and leaves and can be found altitudes of over 1800 metres.
This deer is devoid of antlers but has a short tail. The male has a pair of small tusks which are modified canine teeth.
Food in Captivity:Wheat bran, carrot, cabbage, leaves, banana and soaked bengal gram.

Distribution:This civet is distributed in peninsular India, Punjab, Himalayan foot hills, Sind, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, China and Malayan countries.
The small Indian Civet Cat lives in holes, or under rocks, and sometimes take refuge in the grass or under bushes.
Nocturnal in habit, it feeds during night time and rests by the day. Though it climbs well and can scale a vertical trunk with ease, it seeks it’s food on the ground, preying on rats, squirrels, small birds, lizards etc. It also feeds on fruits, roots and other vegetable matter.
They communicate with each other through, their sense of smell. An aromatic substance secreted from the anal glands of the civet is used for medicinal purposes.
Food in Captivity: Chopped beef, liver, milk.

Distribution:Found in North Africa through South-western Asia to India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Indo-China. The jungle cat’s long legs and comparatively short tail gives it a distinctive appearance. Inhabiting the drier and more open parts of the country, jungle cats keep to grasslands, scrub jungles and the reedy banks of rivers and marshes. Their movements in the open are much like those of a small panther and they can be seen on the prowl usually in the morning and evenings. They prey on small mammals, birds and poultry found in villages. Extremely swift and very strong for their size, jungle cats can very well bring down large animals.
Food in Captivity: Chopped beef, liver, milk.

Distribution:This civet is distributed in Kashmir, Himalayas, Assam, Sind, Punjab, Myanmar, Indi-Chinese and Malay Countries.
As the name suggests, the Common Palm Civet Cat lives on palm or mango trees.
Civet are arboreal and are more common in well wooded regions. They climb trees with ease and live there, lying curled up by day among the branches or a hole in the trunk. They seek their food at night in trees or on the ground, killing birds, small mammals and feeding also on fruits.
They are known to drink the sweet sap of palms that collect overnight in the pots tied on the trees by human beings.
Food in Captivity: : Chopped beef, banana,milk.

Distribution:Found in Paraguay, North Argentina and South Brazil.
Capuchins are widely distributed. They are found in the hot, humid forests of Africa as well as in mountainous forests of the Andes, upto elevations of over 1600 metres.
Capuchins are tree dwellers and generally descend to the ground only to drink water. They pluck fruits and carry them off to tree tops in the forests, where they can eat them in safety. They prefer dense forests and may also be found in corn or cocoa plantations.
A group of 30 capuchins may be spread over an area of approximately 400 metres.

Distribution:Blackbuck occurs practically in all the plain areas except along the Indian coast, southward from neighbourhood of Surat.
The blackbuck is one of the most graceful antelopes in the world. It is the sole representative in India of the genus Antilope. Usually see in herds of 20-30, blackbuck live in open plains and scrublands.
They feed on leaves, pods of acacia, fruits, etc. When alarmed, the group moves off in a series of leaps and bounds, finally breaking into a gallop.
Hunting for sport, flesh and skin have had an adverse effect on their population. Most of the antelopes now survive in wildlife sanctuaries and national parks.
Food in Captivity: Wheat bran, soaked Bengal gram, salt, leaves and grass.

Distribution:Found in Nepal, Sikkim, Assam, Myanmar and Malay countries. It’s bear-like shaggy coat has earned Binturong the name of ‘bear cat’
The Binturong or the Bear Cat inhabits dense forests, upto an altitude of 2000 metres. The Binturong is arboreal in nature. It spends the day curled up in tree holes, with its head tucked under its bushy tail. The tail is used as an extra hand for grasping tree branches.
It seeks its food after dusk, preying on small animals,birds, insects and fruits. The Binturong is related to civet cats.
Food in Captivity: Apple, banana, orange, mango, guava, tomato, carrot, beef.

Distribution:Found in the forested tracts of Assam, foothills of the Himalayas, Sri Lanka.
: Found in the forested tracts of Assam, foothills of the Himalayas, Sri Lanka.
The Sloth bear lives largely in the hills and remains there for most of the year, coming down to the valleys mainly during the hot season when fruits in the jungles are plentiful. For much of the year, termites or white ants are its staple food.
Though bulky, these bears have quick reflexes. They can dig for termites and climb a tree for honey.
Bears have a very strong maternal instinct. A she-bear with cubs is among the most dangerous animals to confront.
Food in Captivity: Cooked rice, cooked ragi, banana, orange, mango, guava, jiggery, milk, groundnut and honey.

Distribution:Found in Kashmir, the Himalayas and Assam extending eastward into China and Japan southward into Myanmar, and the Malay countries and Baluchistan.
Himalayan black bears inhabit steep forest hills of the Himalayas during summer, but in winter most of them come down to the lower valleys.
Food varies with season. In summer they live largely on wild fruits, berries and nuts of various kinds.
During autumn ripening fields of corn or maize are raided. Insects are also part of their diet. There have been cases of human beings being mauled or killed by these bears.
Food in Captivity: Cooked ragi, cooked rice, cucumber, groundnut, orange, mango, guava, milk, carrot and honey.

Distribution: It is distributed all over the Savanna semi-desert andlightly forested regions of Africa.
Baboons, the largest of all monkeys, are found in Africa They live in well organized troops which may number several hundred members.
Baboons may roam a distance of 15-20 kms a day, in search of food which includes plants, roots, insects and small mammals.
Since baboons spend much of their time in the rocky open countryside, they are in danger from leopards, wild dogs and other hunters. On spying an enemy, the baboon may either run away or bark loudly and bare its teeth.
Food in Captivity: Cooked rice, tomato, groundnut, soaked Bengal gram, banana, orange, mango guava, cabbage and carrot.

Distribution: Found in the deserts of the Rann of Kachchh, Gujarat and Baluchistan. Present population is below 1000.
The wild ass inhabits the arid salty regions of the Rann of Kachchh in Gujarat, where it feeds on scrub, grass and other desert plants.
They graze between dusk and sunrise, and move about in groups of 10-30, in twos or threes, or sometimes as solitary individuals. They can maintain a speed of almost 40-50 km per hour over a considerable distance.
Once found in large parts of North-western India, the population of wild asses has drastically reduced to a few hundreds due to human interference and overgrazing in their natural habitat by cattle and sheep.
A species related to the Asiatic Wild Ass, and equally endangered, is the Tibetan Wild Ass.
Food in Captivity: Wheat bran, horse gram, soaked Bengal gram, grasses, leaves and minerals.