Anybody and everybody who watches television or views any news websites might remember an advertisement called Incredible India which was about Indian tourism.

According to me, the Incredible India campaign should do more to highlight the unbelievable number of rare, unusual and difficult to spot animals that are there only in India.

The urbanization of India has resulted in mass migration, destruction of animal habitat, greenery and forest areas has been taking place at an alarming rate.

Before they become extinct, here is a list of rare animals in India that survive against all odds:

A) Lion Tailed Macaque is an extremely rare animal that is found in the western ghats, it has an amazing appearance unlike any other monkey that we see in documentaries, unfortunately it is on the endangered list and on the verge of extinction.

This particular animal species is found only in Western India and unfortunately efforts to breed them in captivity and in different habitats have failed to achieve success.

B) Pygmy hog is found only in Assam, as their name suggests they are very small and fragile creatures, they are so rare that approximately 200 Pygmy hogs exist in the wild.

Although they are related to pigs, they are considered to be distinct from other animals belonging to the same group and their disappearance could lead to permanent loss of a distinct species before we learn more about them.

C) Purple frog is so called because of the purple skin colour, it is not attractive to look at and most people avoid looking at them because of their appearance.

These frogs live in the Western ghats, despite the fact that they have been there for a long time, they were discovered only two decades ago and it shows how little we know about the nature and wildlife that are all around us.

D) Squirrels are found everywhere, you see them even in cities wherever they can move freely from tree to tree or one rooftop to another but the Indian flying squirrel is the exception, they are mostly found in forest areas and are extremely rare to spot.

They are very agile and love to be on the move, the way they travel from one tree to another, gives one the feeling that they are flying through the air and they have a healthy appetite for fruits.

E) The Brown Palm Civet lives in the western ghats and the forest lands and like to stay out of sight by living in trees and fruits form a major part of their diet.

They get their name from their brown colour and the tail is different from other animals as a part of it is yellow in colour.

To conclude, India covers a big geographical area and it is difficult to make a complete list of rare animals that are present in a particular area of the country at any given time.

The important thing is that we need to value and respect what nature has to offer and stop these rare animals from disappearing forever before it is too late.