Page 126 - SST Class 08

Africa Asia

There is plenty of wildlife in Africa. Many wildlife It has an extremely varied wildlife. Its temperate
sanctuaries and national parks have been regions have herons, peacocks, cranes, bears,
developed here for the protection of plant and foxes and squirrels. Fur-bearing animals like
animal life. Elephants, wild buffaloes, snakes, lynxes, minks, sables, polar bears, musk oxen,
pythons, monkeys, hippopotamuses and arctic foxes etc. are found in the taiga and tundra
rhinoceroses are found in forests and swamps. regions of Asia. Its tropical regions have monkeys,
sloths, snakes, leopards, tigers, elephants, rhinos
North America
and lions.
In the extremely cold climate in the northern part
of this continent, animals have thick fur to keep Europe
themselves warm. Some of them are arctic foxes, It has limited wildlife as most of the forests have
reindeer, musk oxen, polar bears, sables and blue been cleared to provide land for farming. Wild
foxes. In the pine forests, the animals found are animals, such as musk oxen, bison and chamois
moose (elks), caribous etc. can now be seen only in zoos or sanctuaries. The
well known birds include partridges, ducks, larks,
In the prairies, there are bison, rabbits and dogs.
Elsewhere hares, badgers, beavers, bears, cuckoos, skylarks, nightingales etc. Rabbits, hares,
deer and foxes are still hunted in Europe, but the
hedgehogs etc. can be found. In many parts, a
fur-bearing animals like minks, ermines and sables
large part of natural vegetation has been removed,
so not much wildlife is found there. are now raised on fur-farms. Polar bears, wolves,
wild sheep and saigas (native antelope) still live
South America free in mountains and the steppes.
There is a rich diversity of wildlife, especially in
the Amazon basin. Rheas and candors are typical WILDLIFE IN INDIA
birds. Forests are full of mammals like monkeys, Like all other features, India is blessed with a rich
pumas and jaguars. Alligators, giant turtles and variety of wildlife too. There are over 350 species
many varieties of snakes like anaconda are found of animals, 12,000 species of birds and over
in marshlands. Anteaters and armadillos are the 30,000 species of insects, fishes and reptiles.
ancient mammals of South America. Llamas are Much of wildlife found here is unique to India.
found in the Andes Mountains. The important animals found here include black
buck, one-horned rhinoceroses, antelopes, lions,
Kashmir stags, tigers, nilgais, bison etc.

An anaconda A jaguar A turtle
Australia

It has some unique animals and birds which are A rhino A tiger A nilgai
not found in other continents. Half of them are
marsupials whose females carry their young in a CONSERVATION OF WILDLIFE
pouch near the abdomen. The most famous Wild animals are killed for meat, skin and other
marsupial is kangaroo. Dingo or wild dog is the parts; like elephants are killed for ivory and
native carnivorous animal of Australia. Other rhinoceroses for horns. Animal products include
animals include koalas and platypuses. Birds expensive purses, bags, shoes and belts. The
include emus, lyre birds, kingfishers and indiscriminate killing of animals has resulted in
kookaburras and eagles. large scale reduction of wildlife resources. This
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