Waquar Habib
Assam’s Kaziranga National Park is home to the largest population of the endangered one-horned rhinoceros. These grassland grazers are a conservation success story and a symbol of the state’s biodiversity.
Spotted in Manas and Kaziranga, Asian elephants roam Assam’s forest corridors in herds. Highly intelligent and social, they play a crucial role in shaping forest ecosystems by dispersing seeds.
Assam hosts a stable population of Bengal tigers, particularly in Manas and Orang National Parks. These elusive predators thrive in tall grasslands and riverine forests, supported by healthy prey bases.
India’s only ape, the hoolock gibbon, can be seen swinging through the dense forests of Hollongapar and Dibru-Saikhowa. Monogamous and vocal, they mark territory with distinctive morning calls.
Kaziranga has the world’s largest population of wild water buffalo. These powerful bovines have massive curved horns and are often seen wallowing in wetlands to regulate body temperature.
Assam’s swamp deer, found mainly in Kaziranga, are unique for their long antlers and preference for marshy grasslands. Conservation efforts have helped stabilise their numbers in the Brahmaputra floodplains.
A rare sight, the clouded leopard is the smallest of the big cats found in India. Preferring the hill forests of Assam, it’s known for its cloud-like coat patterns.
This endangered primate, found in the western forests of Assam, especially near the Manas Biosphere Reserve, is easily recognised by its golden fur and serene, human-like facial expressions.
Preferring forested foothills, sloth bears in Assam are nocturnal insectivores. Recognised by their shaggy coats and white chest mark, they dig out termites and love raiding fruit trees.
Declared Assam’s state aquatic animal, the endangered Gangetic dolphin is found in the Brahmaputra River. These freshwater mammals are near-blind and navigate murky waters using echolocation.