Urban Wildlife And Wild Animals of Indian Cities

Urban Wildlife support different kinds of wildlife, that live in urban environments associated with humans and adapt well to changeable urban areas of India. Urban Wildlife in India, most of the wild animals and birds have entered into cities for food,shelter and due to habitat loss and deforestation. Wild animals and Urban Wildlife in India includes Squirrel,monkeys and langurs in Jaipur city,Jackal in Rajasthan,leopards in Mumbai,Reptiles and birds.

Indian Leopard

Leopards are the most adapted wild animal and learned to live with humans in urban Mumbai. City of Mumbai has one of the largest protected urban areas in the world called Sanjay Gandhi National Park and it has one of the highest leopard density in India. The Indian Leopards of Mumbai have started killing stray dogs,feral pigs and killed more than 10 people.Image credit: nationalgeographic

Rhesus Macaque

Rhesus Macaque are one of the most common speices of monkeys found in India and there is a documentary produced by National Geographic channel as Monkey Thieves in Jaipur and in Delhi. Monkey Thieves documentary is based on urban macaques daily routine within the pink city of Jaipur and they are living close to humans.

Wild Elephants

The Urban Elephants found mostly in South India, Assam and the northeast India. India’s wild elephants are endangered and threatened by habitat loss and degradation. Because of expanding human population conflicts between humans and elephants are increasing mostly during the night in south India where wild Indian Elephants entering human villages and farms.

Snakes

Snakes are the most common reptile in India and also among the most misunderstood of all animals. There are more than 20 species of non poisonous and venomous snakes found living around the urban areas and also responsible for most of the killer bites in India,Four of them are called as big four Indian cobra, saw scaled viper, common krait and Russell’s viper.

Black Kite

Black Kite is one of the most common medium sized bird of prey distributed across the Indian subcontinent. The Black Kites are opportunistic hunters and more likely to scavenge and leftover foods around the urban areas of India. Pune is one of the best places to spot this raptor near the riverbed and spend a lot of time soaring and gliding in thermals in search of food.

Gray Langur

Gray Langur or Hanuman Langur are the largest species of monkeys in India and mostly found in hill top temples of Jodhpur, Jaipur and other states of India. They adapted well to habitats in close proximity to humans settlement and stealing fruits from people’s gardens and home.

Common Mongoose

Karnataka state is a land of diverse and has a rich diversity of flora and fauna. There are over 20 wild species of animals that have been living close to human settlements in south India and Ruddy mongoose and Indian brown mongoose are one of them.

Palm Civet

Common Palm Civet and Small Indian Civet are two rare animal can be found in urban areas of India where it frequents gardens,tree and roofs. Urban wildlife is on the rise in Karnataka and Asian palm civet also called as toddy cat is one of the most common member of Urban wildlife in Karnataka.

King Cobra

The Cannibal King Cobra is the world’s longest venomous snake,found predominantly in forests of south India and most of the time rescued from villages of Kerala. King cobra populations have dropped in some areas of south India and Agumbe Rainforest Research Station is managing world’s first radio-telemetry project on the King Cobra.

Indian Lion

Indian Lions of Gujarat are the newest member of Urban Wildlife in India, recently a pride of eight lions roaming around human habitat in Junagadh. Gujarat lions are frequently sighted on the streets of Junagadh near Girnar mountains and often come close to residential areas in search of livestock.

City Birds

The most common city birds of India includes Indian sparrow,Rock Pigeon,Sunbirds,Parrot,bea Eater and Koel. One can also spot variety of birds around the house and society such as dove,Kingfisher,falcon and black kites.

Urban Insects

There are so many flying insects in India and few of them are known for one of the most painful bites and sting such as Wasps and Honey bees. Urban Insects includes Butterflies,Dragonflies,Wasps,Grasshopper,leaf insects,Centipede,Millipede and Crickets. Other most common Urban Wild Animals of India includes Indian Jackal,Striped Hyena,Antelope,Pangolin,Wild Cats and Indian Fox. There are also giant Indian squirrels,few wild cats, large reptiles and porcupines are very common in Karnataka.