In addition to a uniform, anthem and a flag every country also has a national animal to represent itself. All the national animals mentioned below signify certain principles that a nation stands for. Let’s know the national animals of various countries.
Did You Know?
The lion is the most popular national animal in the world.
A nation can have an animal, tree, bird, or an object as its national symbol. For example, the Bald Eagle is the national animal of the United States of America. It was adopted as a symbol of national significance by the Continental Congress on June 20th 1782. The design of the Bald Eagle holding 13 arrows, and a 13-leaf olive branch has been the same since its inception.
National symbols are extremely important, as they represent certain aspects which are considered to be of national significance for the country and its people. These symbols may or may not appear on the national flag, emblem, or on the coat of arms. It is essential to understand that national symbols should never be confused with less formal symbols that are usually associated with cliches.
Now we move on the various national animals of countries around the world.
Snow Leopard (Afghanistan)
IUCN Status: Vulnerable
Red Deer (Åland Islands)
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Golden Eagle (Albania)
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Fennec Fox (Algeria)
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Sable Antelope (Angola)
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Zenaida Dove (Anguilla)
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Fallow Deer (Antigua and Barbuda)
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Rufous Hornero (Argentina)
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Eagle (Armenia)
IUCN Status: Vulnerable
Kangaroo (Australia)
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Black Eagle (Austria)
IUCN Status:Least Concern
Karabakh Horse (Azerbaijan)
IUCN Status: NA
Blue Marlin and Flamingo (Bahamas)
IUCN Status: Vulnerable and NA
White Cheeked Bulbul (Bahrain)
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Royal Bengal Tiger (Bangladesh)
IUCN Status: Endangered
European Bison (Belarus)
IUCN Status: Vulnerable
Lion (Belgium)
IUCN Status: Vulnerable
Baird’s Tapir (Belize)
IUCN Status: Endangered
Humpback Whale (Bermuda)
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Takin and Druk (Bhutan)
IUCN Status: Vulnerable and Mythological Creature
Alpaca (Bolivia)
IUCN Status: NA
Zebra (Botswana)
IUCN Status: NA
Jaguar (Brazil)
IUCN Status: Threatened
Lion (Bulgaria)
IUCN Status: Vulnerable
Beaver (Canada)
IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
Huemul (Chile)
IUCN Status: Endangered
Giant Panda (China)
IUCN Status: Endangered
Andean Condor (Colombia)
IUCN Status: Near Threatened
Okapi (Democratic Republic of Congo)
IUCN Status: Endangered
White-tailed Deer (Costa Rica)
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Marten (Croatia)
IUCN Status: NA
Cuban Tocororo (Cuba)
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Cypriot Mouflon (Cyprus)
IUCN Status: Vulnerable
Mute Swan (Denmark)
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Palmchat (Dominican Republic)
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Crocodile (Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste)
IUCN Status: NA
Andean Condor (Ecuador)
IUCN Status: Near Threatened
Golden Eagle (Egypt)
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Lion (England)
IUCN Status: Vulnerable
Turquoise-browed Motmot (El Salvador)
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Arabian Camel (Eritrea)
IUCN Status: NA
Barn Swallow (Estonia)
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Lion (Ethiopia)
IUCN Status: Vulnerable
Eurasian Oystercatcher (Faroe Islands)
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Brown Bear (Finland)
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Gallic Rooster (France)
IUCN Status: NA
Golden Eagle (Germany)
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Eagle (Ghana)
IUCN Status: NA
Gibraltar Barbary Macaque (Gibraltar)
IUCN Status: NA
Dolphin (Greece)
IUCN Status: NA
Polar Bear (Greenland)
IUCN Status: Vulnerable
Grenada Dove (Grenada)
IUCN Status: NA
Quetzal (Guatemala)
IUCN Status: NA
Guernsey Cow (Guernsey)
IUCN Status: NA
Jaguar (Guyana)
IUCN Status: Near Threatened
Hispaniolan Trogon (Haiti)
IUCN Status: Near Threatened
White-tailed Deer (Honduras)
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Turul (Hungary)
Mythological Creature
Gyrfalcon (Iceland)
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Royal Bengal Tiger (India)
IUCN Status: Endangered
Komodo Dragon (Indonesia)
IUCN Status: Vulnerable
Persian Leopard, Asiatic Lion, Persian Fallow Deer, Persian Cat, Mugger Crocodile, and Asiatic Cheetah (Iran)
IUCN Status: Endangered, Endangered, Endangered, NA, Vulnerable, and Critically Endangered
Red Deer (Ireland)
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Manx (Isle of Man)
IUCN Status: NA
Israeli Gazelle (Israel)
IUCN Status: Vulnerable
Italian Wolf (Italy)
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Red-billed Streamertail (Jamaica)
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Raccoon Dog (Japan)
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Arabian Oryx (Jordan)
IUCN Status: Vulnerable
Lion (Kenya)
IUCN Status: Vulnerable
Magnificent Frigatebird (Kiribati)
IUCN Status: Vulnerable
Arabian Camel (Kuwait)
IUCN Status: NA
Indian Elephant (Laos)
IUCN Status: Endangered
White Wagtail (Latvia)
IUCN Status: NA
Striped Hyena (Lebanon)
IUCN Status: Near Threatened
Black Rhinoceros (Lesotho)
IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
Lion (Liberia)
IUCN Status: Vulnerable
Barbary Lion (Libya)
IUCN Status: Extinct in the Wild
White Stork (Lithuania)
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Lion (Luxembourg)
IUCN Status: Vulnerable
Lynx (Macedonia)
IUCN Status: NA
Ring-tailed Lemur (Madagascar)
IUCN Status: Near Threatened
Thomson’s Gazelle (Malawi)
IUCN Status: Near Threatened
Malayan Tiger (Malaysia)
IUCN Status: Endangered
Yellow-fin Tuna (Maldives)
IUCN Status: Near Threatened
Kelb tal-Fenek (Malta)
IUCN Status: NA
Dodo (Mauritius)
IUCN Status: Extinct
Golden Eagle (Mexico)
IUCN Status: Least Concern
European Rabbit, Wood Mouse and European Hedgehog (Monaco)
IUCN Status: Near Threatened, Least Concern, and Least Concern
African Elephant (Ivory Coast)
IUCN Status: Vulnerable
Aurochs (Moldova)
IUCN Status: Extinct
Saker Falcon (Mongolia)
IUCN Status: Endangered
Barbary Lion (Morocco)
IUCN Status: Extinct
African Elephant (Mozambique)
IUCN Status: NA
Tiger (Myanmar)
IUCN Status: Endangered
Oryx (Namibia)
IUCN Status: NA
Great Frigatebird (Nauru)
IUCN: Least Concern
Cow (Nepal)
IUCN Status: NA
Lion (Netherlands)
IUCN Status: Vulnerable
Kagu (New Caledonia)
IUCN status: Endangered
Kiwi (New Zealand)
IUCN Status: Vulnerable
Turquoise-browed Motmot (Nicaragua)
IUCN Status: NA
Eagle (Nigeria)
IUCN Status: NA
Chollima (North Korea)
Mythological Creature
Elk (Norway)
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Markhor (Pakistan)
IUCN Status: Endangered
Palestine Sunbird (Palestine)
IUCN Status: Near Threatened
Harpy Eagle (Panama)
IUCN Status: Near Threatened
Dugong (Papua New Guinea)
IUCN Status: Vulnerable
Pampas fox (Paraguay)
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Vicuña (Peru)
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Carabao (Philippines)
IUCN Status: Least Concern
European Bison, White Stork and Bielik Eagle (Poland)
IUCN Status: Vulnerable, Least Concern, and Least Concern
Iberian Wolf (Portugal)
IUCN Status: NA
Coquí (Puerto Rico)
IUCN Status: NA
Arabian Oryx (Qatar)
IUCN Status: Vulnerable
Lynx (Romania)
IUCN Status: NA
Russian Bear (Russia)
IUCN Status: NA
African Leopard (Rwanda)
IUCN Status: Near Threatened
Vervet Monkey (Saint Kitts and Nevis)
IUCN Status: Least Concern
St Vincent Parrot (Saint Vincent and Grenadines)
IUCN Status: Vulnerable
Arabian Camel (Saudi Arabia)
IUCN Status: NA
Unicorn (Scotland)
Mythological Creature
Wolf (Serbia)
IUCN Status: NA
Striped Dolphin (Seychelles)
IUCN Status: NA
Lion (Singapore)
IUCN Status: Vulnerable
Leopard (Somalia)
IUCN Status: Near Threatened
Springbok (South Africa)
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Tiger (South Korea)
IUCN Status: Endangered
African Fish Eagle (South Sudan)
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Bull (Spain)
IUCN Status: Vulnerable
The Royal Lion (Sri Lanka)
IUCN Status: Vulnerable
Thomson’s Gazelle (Swaziland)
IUCN Status: Near Threatened
Dalecarlian Horse (Sweden)
Mythological Creature
Formosan Black Bear (Taiwan)
IUCN Status: Endangered
Giraffe (Tanzania)
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Thai Elephant (Thailand)
IUCN Status: Endangered
Rufous-vented Chachalaca and Scarlet Ibis (Trinidad and Tobago)
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Gray Wolf (Turkey)
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Grey Crowned Crane (Uganda)
IUCN Status: Endangered
Peregrine Falcon (United Arab Emirates)
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Bald Eagle (United States of America)
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Rufous Hornero (Uruguay)
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Venezuelan Troupial (Venezuela)
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Dragon, Water Buffalo and Tiger (Vietnam)
IUCN Status: Mythological Creature, NA, and Endangered
Welsh Dragon (Wales)
Mythological Creature
African Fish Eagle (Zambia)
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Sable Antelope (Zimbabwe)
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Kouprey (Cambodia)
IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
It is really unfortunate to see that most animals and birds mentioned are on the verge of extinction. Since centuries, humans have underestimated the importance of fauna in maintaining ecological balance. It is our priority to preserve these amazing natural treasures, and make our world a more beautiful place.