9 Rare Himalayan Animals You Probably Never Knew Existed

By Nivritti Khatri | 1 August 2025

1. Himalayan Red Fox

Found in Ladakh and Spiti, this fox has a thick orange coat and bushy tail. It avoids humans and blends into the rocky landscape, making it very hard to spot.

Image Credit: Canva

2. Musk Deer

Seen in Kedarnath and Nanda Devi, this tusked, antler-less deer is shy and solitary. Males are hunted for musk, making the species endangered and elusive.

Image Credit: Canva

3. Himalayan Tahr

Native to Uttarakhand’s Valley of Flowers, this mountain goat has a shaggy coat and curved horns. It grazes on steep slopes and is hard to detect.

Image Credit: Canva

4. Himalayan Serow

Spotted in Sikkim and Arunachal forests, this goat-antelope has coarse fur and a hunched back. It prefers solitude and thick vegetation.

Image Credit: Canva

5. Pallas’s Cat (Manul)

Found in Ladakh’s Changthang, this wild cat has dense fur and a grumpy face. It lives in rocky deserts and hides well, making sightings rare.

Image Credit: Canva

6. Arunachal Macaque

Discovered in 2004, this macaque lives in high-altitude forests of Arunachal. It’s larger and darker than other macaques and avoids humans.

Image Credit: Canva

7. Himalayan Griffon Vulture

Seen in Spiti Valley, this giant vulture has a wingspan of up to 3 meters. It soars over cliffs, feeding on carcasses, but is now vulnerable.

Image Credit: Canva

8. Himalayan Salamander

Found in Darjeeling and Sikkim, this rare amphibian lives near cool pools. Thought extinct, it reappears during monsoons and is legally protected.

Image Credit: Canva

9. Woolly Flying Squirrel

Native to Jammu & Kashmir, this large squirrel glides between trees. Once feared extinct, it was rediscovered in the wild in the 1990s.

Image Credit: ANI

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