Planet Zoo

The nilgai (or Boselaphus tragocamelus) is a large antelope native to the grasslands, scrublands and steppe of India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan. Nilgai are sexually dimorphic. Juvenile nilgai have a short, oily tan coat. Females retain this coat, whereas males turn blue-grey as they age. Both males and females have a white patch on their throat, although in males, this patch has a beard. Males also have horns and a much thicker neck. Nilgai have a stocky built with a sloping back and large hump at their withers.

The Malabar rose (or Pachliopta jophon), also known as the Ceylon rose, or Sri Lankan rose, is a swallowtail butterfly native to the rainforests of Southwestern Sri Lanka. It has white wings with black rims and veins, with red accents on the edge of the hindwing cells. Like many swallowtail butterflies, it has ‘tails’ extending from the hindwings. The body of the Malabar rose is black, with red stripes around the abdomen. Males and females look similar, though the female’s forewings are slightly larger with more visible patterns. The wingspan of the Malabar rose is 9cm to 13cm.

Père David’s deer (or Elaphurus davidianus), also known as the milu, is a deer that lives in the river valleys and temperate grassland areas of North-Eastern China. It has a red-tan coloured coat in the summer and a thick, grey coat in the winter. Males are larger than females and have large, branched antlers with backwards facing tines. They vary in height from 95cm to 1.2m tall at the shoulder and 1.8m to 2.16m long. Males weigh 160kg to 214kg, females weigh 145kg to 180kg.

The Bornean elephant (or Elephas maximus borneensis), also known as the Borneo pygmy elephant, is a subspecies of Asian elephant that lives in the rainforests of the Island of Borneo, part of both Malaysia and Indonesia. It has grey-brown skin, large ears, a long trunk, small eyes and a long, tufted tail. Males measure from 2.5m to 3m tall and 3.1m to 3.8m long, with a weight of 2950kg to 5000kg. Females are 2m to 2.4m tall, 2.5m to 3.2m long, and weigh 2000kg to 3000kg.

The blackbuck (or Antilope cervicapra) is an antelope living in the grasslands, light forests and semi-deserts of Nepal, India, Bangladesh and Pakistan. It is sexually dimorphic: males and females differ in appearance and size. Male blackbucks have a dark brown coat, with a white underside and lower legs. It has distinct white rings around its eyes and a white chin on an otherwise black face, and long twisted horns that grow out of his head in a V shape. Females have a tan coat with a white underside. They have a white nose and no horns.

The lion-tailed macaque (or Macaca silenus), also called the wanderoo, is a species of primate native to the montane forests of the Western Ghats in India. It has long black hair, with a large grey-white ruff around its face. The hair on its chest and stomach is lighter, and there are two patches of orange-tan hair under its long and tufted tail. The lion-tailed macaque measures 40cm to 61cm in head-body length, with a 24cm to 38cm long tail. Males are heavier than females, they weigh 5kg to 10kg and females weigh 3kg to 6kg.

Endemic to the woodlands, grasslands, and urban areas of Japan, the Japanese raccoon dog (or Nyctereutes viverrinus) is a small species of canid. It is also known as the tanuki. As the name suggests, it is raccoon-like in appearance, with thick, reddish fur under a grey topcoat, black legs, and a black stripe down the spine and tail. It has pointed ears with black rims, black markings under the eyes and throat, and white fur on snout, ears, and above the eyes. Males and females look the same, with females being a little larger on average.

The honey badger (or Mellivora capensis), also known as the ratel, is a large species of mustelid. It lives in the forests, grasslands and deserts of Africa, the Middle East and Western Asia. Honey badgers have a broad, stocky build with short, thickset legs and a short tail. Head and snout are rounded, the ears are small with very little external structure. Most subspecies have grey-white fur dorsally that goes along their back, halfway down their sides and over the top of their head. Male honey badgers are about a third larger than females.