•   Orangutan’s tools: Orangutans use their fingers to reach into holes. By holding a stick in its hand, an orangutan can reach farther or into narrower openings.

•   Chimpanzee’s tools: Chimpanzees use their hands to strike surfaces with force. When a chimpanzee strikes with a stone in its hand, the force is increased.

•   Larger than house cats.

•   Nocturnal and prey on fish, frogs, crustaceans, snakes, birds, and carcasses.

•   Breed all year round.

•   Excellent swimmers, live near water bodies in dense vegetation.

Habitat and Threats:

•   Found in Eastern Ghats, estuarine floodplains, tidal mangrove forests, and freshwater habitats.

•   Inhabit Sundarbans, Chilika lagoon, Coringa and Krishna mangroves.

•   Threats: Habitat Destruction, Shrimp Farming, Hunting, poaching, poisoning.

Protection Status:

•   IUCN Red List: Vulnerable.

•   CITES: Appendix II.

•   Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I.

Conservation Efforts:

•   Chilika Development Authority has made an action plan.

•   Declaration of Fishing Cat as State Animal in West Bengal.

•   Orangutans are great apes native to Indonesia and Malaysia. They have long arms and short legs, and reddish-brown hair.

•   Orangutans are the only surviving species of the subfamily Ponginae.

•   Species: There are three species of orangutans according to WWF: Bornean, Sumatran, and Tapanuli.

•   Appearance and Behavior: Bornean and Sumatran orangutans have slight differences in appearance and behavior, with Sumatran orangutans having longer facial hair.

•   Arboreal Habitat: Orangutans live exclusively among the trees of tropical rainforests.

•   Diet: Orangutans feast on wild fruits like lychees and figs, and drink water from holes in trees.

•   Lifespan and Reproduction: Orangutans can live up to 50 years, but have a low reproductive rate with females giving birth only once every 5-10 years.

•   Threats: poaching, habitat destruction, and the illegal pet trade

•   Social Bonds: They are solitary animals, with social bonds primarily between mothers and offspring. Sumatran orangutans are known to have closer social bonds than Bornean orangutans.

•   Diet: Orangutans primarily eat fruit but also consume vegetation, bark, insects, and bird eggs.

•   They are intelligent primates, using tools and constructing elaborate nests.

•   Conservation Status: Orangutans are classified as Critically Endangered by the IUCN.

•   Otters are carnivorous mammals in the Lutrinae subfamily, part of the Mustelidae family

•   The term "otter" highlights their aquatic nature.

•   Otters live in dens called holts or couches and have social structures with terms like dogs, boars, bitches, sows, pups, and cubs

•   Groups of otters can be called a bevy, family, lodge, romp, or raft

•   Otters are known for their distinct feces called spraints, which can vary in smell

•   Otters have a varied life cycle with a gestation period of 60-86 days and offspring staying with their family for a year

•   They can live up to 16 years and mainly eat fish, frogs, birds, or shellfish

•   Otters have long, slim bodies, powerful webbed feet, and dense fur for warmth and buoyancy

•   They are playful animals, engaging in activities like sliding into water and playing with stones

•   There are 13 otter species with varying sizes and habitat preferences

Distribution

•   Widest distribution of all Palaearctic mammals

•   Range covers Europe, Asia, and Africa

•   Found in northern, northeast, and southern India

Habitat

•   Lives in various aquatic habitats

•   Includes lakes, rivers, streams, marshes, swamp forests, coastal areas

•   In India, found in cold hill and mountain streams

Features

•   Long lithe body, thick tail, short legs

•   Sensitive whiskers for prey detection

•   Two layers of fur for insulation

•   Acute sense of sight, smell, and hearing

Conservation Status

•   IUCN: Near threatened

•   Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule II

•   CITES: Appendix I

•   The sloth bear, also known as the Indian bear, is a myrmecophagous bear species native to the Indian subcontinent. Thet are one of the eight bear species found worldwide.

•   It feeds on fruits, ants, and termites.

•   The sloth bear is the only species in the genus Melursus and has long, shaggy fur, a mane around the face, and long, sickle-shaped claws.

•   It has been called the "labiated bear" because of its long lower lip and palate used for sucking up insects.

•   Sloth bears breed during spring and early summer and give birth near the beginning of winter.

Habitat and Human Interaction

•   They live in dry and moist forests, as well as tall grasslands with boulders, shrubs, and trees for shelter.

•   When their territories are encroached upon by humans, sloth bears may attack them.

•   Historically, humans have reduced sloth bear populations through hunting for food and products like their bacula and claws.

•   Sloth bears have been tamed and used as performing animals and pets.

•   Sloth bears are found in India, Sri Lanka, and southern Nepal.

•   90% of the global Sloth Bear population is in India.

Conservation Status

•   IUCN: Vulnerable

•   Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule 1

•   It is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List due to habitat loss and degradation.

Features

•   Sloth bears have long, shaggy dark brown or black fur and curved claws, the longest of any bear species.

•   They use their claws to excavate termites and ants.

•   They have poor sight and hearing but a good sense of smell.

•   Their nostrils can close completely to protect them from dust or insects when raiding termite nests or beehives.