We discussed the national flowers of the SAARC nations in a previous piece. The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation is referred to by the acronym SAARC. This organization was established in 1963 with the goal of enhancing the socioeconomics, education, and technology in this area.

Its members are Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, and the Maldives. Agriculture and rural areas, biotechnology, culture, energy, the environment, economy and trade, finance, funding mechanisms, human resource development, poverty alleviation, people-to-people contact, safety aspects, social development, science and technology, communications, and tourism are among the other areas of functioning that SAARC has defined in its charter.

The SAARC countries have categorized their national animals, just as many other countries throughout the world. The goal of this is to increase public awareness of the need to safeguard endangered and locally endemic animal species. Below are the national animals of the SAARC countries:

Markhor: Pakistan’s emblematic animal

An indigenous mammal of Afghanistan, Pakistan (Gilgit Baltistan, Hunza Nagar Valleys, and Kashmir regions), some parts of North India, Southern Tajikistan, and Southern Uzbekistan, the Markhor is the national animal of Pakistan. It is a large species of wild goat. The biological name for the Markhor is Capra falconeri, which literally translates to “large Himalayan goat with large spiraled horns.”

The national animal of Bangladesh and India is the Bengal tiger.

Panthera tigris tigris is the scientific name for the majestic Bengal Tiger, a stunning cat native to South Asia and well-known for its distinctive pale orange coat and dark brown stripes. Although it is not the world’s largest large cat, it is a huge animal that can weigh up to 600 pounds. The Bengal Tiger has an extremely complex body structure, with slender legs. Bengal tigers, often known as “Royal Bengal Tigers,” are the national animals of Bangladesh and India.

Nepal’s national animal is the cow.

Nepal’s national animal is the cow. There is a great deal of significance in India and Nepal for this tamed ungulate that is raised as livestock for meat and milk. The majority of Hindus in Nepal view the cow as the goddess of riches, Laxmi. Cows are revered in Nepal, where it is strictly forbidden to kill them.According to science, the cow is a member of the family Bovidae and the class Mammalia.

Bhutan’s National Animal is the Takin.

The national animal of Bhutan is the enormous antelope known as the takin.Takins can be found everywhere between 1,000 and 4,500 meters above sea level, from rocky, grass-covered alpine zones to forested valleys. Takin are also considered to be sheep relatives because of their dense golden wool coat. Additionally, Takin has little horns that are parallel to its skull. Takin is officially known as Budorcas taxicolor.

Afghanistan’s national animal is the snow leopard.

One of the rarest species of large cats in the world is the snow leopard (Panthera uncia). In the higher and snowier mountain ranges of Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, it is found between 3000 and 5,500 meters above sea level. Afghanistan’s national animal is the snow leopard.

• Sri Lanka and the Maldives, the other two SAARC nations, have not formally designated any mammal as their national animal.