Indian State Animals: Complete State-Wise List of 28 States and 8 Union Territories
The state animals of India have been chosen to highlight the wildlife diversity in India, from the Asiatic lion of Gujarat, the one-horned rhinoceros of Assam, the Sangai deer of Manipur to the snow leopard of Ladakh.
There are 28 states and 8 Union Territories in India. This article presents the list of state animals for all the states and Union Territories of India along with their scientific names, notable wildlife facts, and conservation importance. This information needs to be used with caution, as it may vary at times.
A state animal is one that is declared by the government of the state as a symbol of that particular region. It may represent the biodiversity of that region, cultural heritage or a priority for conservation.
State animals differ from the national animal of India, which is the tiger (Panthera tigris). While declaring a state animal is a matter of regional symbolism, it does not necessarily make any particular provision for its protection as wildlife under law, such as the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
The table provides the details about the recognized state animals and their scientific names.
| State | State animal | Scientific name |
| Andhra Pradesh | Blackbuck | Antilope cervicapra |
| Arunachal Pradesh | Mithun (Gayal) | Bos frontalis |
| Assam | Indian one-horned rhinoceros | Rhinoceros unicornis |
| Bihar | Gaur (Indian bison) | Bos gaurus |
| Chhattisgarh | Wild buffalo | Bubalus arnee |
| Goa | Gaur (Indian bison) | Bos gaurus |
| Gujarat | Asiatic lion | Panthera leo persica |
| Haryana | Blackbuck | Antilope cervicapra |
| Himachal Pradesh | Snow leopard | Panthera uncia |
| Jharkhand | Indian elephant | Elephas maximus indicus |
| Karnataka | Indian elephant | Elephas maximus indicus |
| Kerala | Indian elephant | Elephas maximus indicus |
| Madhya Pradesh | Barasingha (swamp deer) | Rucervus duvaucelii |
| Maharashtra | Indian giant squirrel | Ratufa indica |
| Manipur | Sangai (brow-antlered deer) | Rucervus eldii eldii |
| Meghalaya | Clouded leopard | Neofelis nebulosa |
| Mizoram | Himalayan serow | Capricornis thar |
| Nagaland | Mithun (Gayal) | Bos frontalis |
| Odisha | Sambar deer | Rusa unicolor |
| Punjab | Blackbuck | Antilope cervicapra |
| Rajasthan | Chinkara (wild animal category), Camel (livestock category) | Gazella bennetti; Camelus dromedarius |
| Sikkim | Red panda | Ailurus fulgens |
| Tamil Nadu | Nilgiri tahr | Nilgiritragus hylocrius |
| Telangana | Spotted deer (Jinka) | Axis axis |
| Tripura | Phayre’s langur | Trachypithecus phayrei |
| Uttar Pradesh | Swamp deer (Barasingha) | Rucervus duvaucelii |
| Uttarakhand | Alpine musk deer | Moschus chrysogaster |
| West Bengal | Fishing cat | Prionailurus viverrinus |
Note Regarding Rajasthan: The chinkara is the state animal in the category of wildlife of Rajasthan, while the camel is the state animal in the category of livestock of Rajasthan.
Note Regarding Bihar: The gaur is often cited as the state animal of Bihar. The Gangetic dolphin is the national aquatic animal of India, which is also the state aquatic animal of Bihar.
India has eight Union Territories. The following table presents the commonly published designations, with a qualification for the Union Territory for which a designated animal is not listed in the cited reference lists.
| Union Territory | State animal | Scientific name |
| Andaman and Nicobar Islands | Dugong | Dugong dugon |
| Chandigarh | Indian grey mongoose | Herpestes edwardsii |
| Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | No designated animal identified in the cited lists | —- |
| Delhi (NCT) | Nilgai | Boselaphus tragocamelus |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Hangul (Kashmir stag) | Cervus hanglu hanglu |
| Ladakh | Snow leopard | Panthera uncia |
| Lakshadweep | Butterflyfish | Chaetodon decussatus |
| Puducherry | Indian palm squirrel | Funambulus palmarum |
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