India's national animal, at rest in its enclosure.
- Panthera tigris tigris
- Endangered
- The Bengal tiger is the national animal of India.
- Tigers are solitary hunters and strong swimmers.
- Each tiger has a unique pattern of stripes.
A Bengal tiger with a rare white coat.
- Panthera tigris tigris
- Colour variant
- White tigers are Bengal tigers that carry a rare recessive gene.
- The gene gives them white fur, dark stripes and often blue eyes.
- They are not a separate subspecies.
The lion of India, photographed at Vandalur.
- Panthera leo
- Wild only in Gir
- In the wild, Asiatic lions survive only in and around Gujarat's Gir forest.
- Males have a shorter, thinner mane than African lions.
- A long fold of skin runs along the belly of most Asiatic lions.
Bath time for the herd.
- Elephas maximus
- Endangered
- The Asian elephant is the largest land animal in Asia.
- Elephants love water and use dust and mud to protect their skin from the sun.
- They live in close family herds led by an older female.
The tallest animals on land.
- Giraffa camelopardalis
- Vulnerable
- Giraffes are the tallest land animals.
- Their long tongues help them strip leaves from thorny trees.
- Each giraffe has its own pattern of patches.
The silver-maned monkey of the Western Ghats.
- Lion-tailed macaques are found only in the Western Ghats of South India.
- They are named for the tuft at the end of their tail.
- A silver-white mane frames their black face.
Chital, the spotted deer of Indian forests.
- The spotted deer, or chital, is the most common deer in Indian forests.
- It keeps its white spots throughout its life.
- Herds often feed alongside langur monkeys, which warn of predators.
A wide-eyed primate of the night.
- Nocturnal
- South India & Sri Lanka
- Slender lorises are small primates found in South India and Sri Lanka.
- Their huge eyes help them see in the dark.
- They move slowly and carefully through branches at night.
A colourful pair from the exotic birds collection.
- Ara ararauna
- South America
- Blue-and-gold macaws are large parrots native to South America.
- Their strong, curved beaks can crack hard nuts.
- They are social birds that often pair for life.
Waterbirds sharing a pool at the zoo.
- Pelicans scoop up fish with the large pouch under their bill.
- Painted storks feed by sweeping their open bill through shallow water.
Wading birds with pink-tinged wings.
- Mycteria leucocephala
- Near Threatened
- Painted storks are named for the pink feathers near their tails.
- They nest in colonies, often in trees near water.
- AAZP's wetland aviaries breed them naturally.
Quiet hunters of dusk and night.
- Nycticorax nycticorax
- Least Concern
- Black-crowned night herons feed mostly at dusk and at night.
- They stand still at the water's edge and wait for fish.
The world's longest venomous snake.
- Ophiophagus hannah
- Vulnerable
- The king cobra is the longest venomous snake in the world.
- It feeds mainly on other snakes.
- It is the only snake known to build a nest for its eggs.
Basking at the edge of the water.
- Crocodiles bask in the sun to warm up, as they cannot make their own body heat.
- They can stay underwater for long periods, with only their eyes and nostrils above the surface.
A fish-catcher with a long, slender snout.
- Gavialis gangeticus
- Critically Endangered
- The gharial uses its long, thin snout to catch fish.
- Adult males grow a rounded bump on the tip of the snout.
- AAZP has an underwater gallery for watching gharials.
A shell patterned with yellow stars.
- Geochelone elegans
- Vulnerable
- Each plate of its shell carries a star-shaped pattern.
- The pattern helps it hide among grass and shadows.
An orange butterfly that predators avoid.
- Danaus chrysippus
- Butterfly Park
- Plain tigers feed on milkweed plants as caterpillars, which makes them distasteful to predators.
- It is one of the most commonly seen butterflies in AAZP's butterfly park.
A swallowtail with a clever disguise.
- Papilio polytes
- Butterfly Park
- Some female common mormons mimic the poisonous common rose butterfly.
- Its caterpillars feed on citrus plants.
Pale blue wings veined in black.
- Tirumala limniace
- Migratory
- Blue tigers are known for their seasonal migrations in South India.
- Like the plain tiger, it is distasteful to birds.
A lemon-yellow butterfly on the move.
- Catopsilia pomona
- Migratory
- The common emigrant is named for its large migrations.
- It is one of the common butterflies seen in AAZP's butterfly park.
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