1. China
   Tanzania
2. Portugal
   Mongolia

Opened in January 2017 as a pilot project, the Giant Panda National Park of China spans 27,100 square kilometers and is intended to protect the country's endangered species, such as giant pandas, clouded leopards and Chinese yew. The project includes the Sichuan Giant Panda habitat.

1. Belize
   India
2. New Zealand
   Cambodia

In India, the king cobra represents rebirth. At birth, the snake is loaded with lethal neurotoxins, an amount which increases as the snake grows longer. The deadly snake can reach up to 18 feet in length.

1. Russia
   Philippines
2. South Africa
   Algeria

Tree plantations have wiped out much of the blue crane's distinctive grassland habitat in South Africa. Wild dog predators are another reason the species faces extinction in the area. The bird is South Africa's national animal.

1. Colombia
   Eritrea
2. United States
   Qatar

The bison is the largest dry land animal of North America. The American Expansion nearly wiped out bison populations in America. In 1907, President Theodore Roosevelt shipped 15 bison from New York to the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma to aid conservancy measures.

1. Colombia
   Romania
2. Spain
   Kenya

There are roughly 2,000 wild lynx in Romania. The Romanian government accepted environmental measures that were drafted by the World Wildlife Fund to deter habitat fragmentation caused by transport infrastructures that affect lynx and other native Romanian wildlife.

1. Democratic Republic of the Congo
   Morocco
2. India
   Saudi Arabia

So rare is the striped okapi (Okapia johnstoni) of the Congo, that the borderline-mythical creature was not known to the Western world until the start of the 20th century. These days only 10,000 okapi exist in the region.

1. Eritrea
   Belize
2. Oman
   South Africa

Conservationists at the Phoenix, London and San Diego Zoos facilitated successful breeding projects starting in the 1970s to preserve Oman's Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx) population. However, poachers continue to decrease numbers of oryx that have since been reintroduced into the Oman wild.

1. Iran
   Malta
2. Pakistan
   Greece

The markhor can weigh as much as 300 pounds and stand as tall as four feet. The elaborately-horned creature is Pakistan's national animal. In February 2019, an American hunter paid $110,000 to hunt one down.

1. Cuba
   Cyprus
2. Jamaica
   Bhutan

The Cypriot mouflon is a wild sheep with habitats in Greece, Turkey and the island nation of Cyprus. The elusive creatures were on the verge of extinction several decades ago, but their numbers have surged in recent years.

1. United States
   Gabon
2. Netherlands
   Finland

A black panther named Samba, which means "hello" and "welcome" in the Bantu language, was the 2017 African Cup of Nations mascot. The animal is also the national symbol of Gabon in Central Africa, where the games were held.

1. Japan
   Haiti
2. Finland
   Mexico

Mexico showcases its national bird, the Golden eagle, on its flag. Aguila Real (or royal eagle) is the Spanish name for the bird, which faces extinction in Mexico while global populations of the creature remain steady.

1. Algeria
   India
2. Sweden
   China

Harvesting moose is big business in Sweden. Since the 1960s moose have been one of the most hunted animals in Scandinavia. The animal is a source of recreational sport, income and meat for hunters.

1. Cyprus
   Iraq
2. Portugal
   Cuba

The Chukar partridge is the national bird of Iraq and exists throughout the Middle East region. The bird is hugely popular among bird-fighting fans in Iraq's Kurdistan region. Fighting Chukar partridges range in price from $50 to $300.

1. Finland
   Pakistan
2. St. Vincent
   Denmark

The St. Vincent macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) is the largest parrot in the world. The bird is in danger of extinction due to loss of habitat and illegal trade. You're most likely to witness a wild parrot of this type in the island of St. Vincent or Brazil.

1. Indonesia
   Belgium
2. Somalia
   New Zealand

Open-pit coal mines in New Zealand threaten the habitat of the kiwi bird. Ironically, the New Zealand government, well-informed of the threat, continues to fund both kiwi restoration projects and coal-mining endeavors in the country.

1. Belize
   United States
2. Netherlands
   Moldova

The extinct wild aurochs is the ancestor of modern breeds of cattle. The animal used to roam extensively across north Africa and Eurasia. The last aurochs, a female, was observed in 1627 in Poland.

1. Costa Rica
   Madagascar
2. Serbia
   Poland

East African migrants brought zebu cattle to Madagascar by boat over 1,000 years ago. Today, it's the island country's national animal, as well as a delicacy. The national dish of Madagascar consists of zebu meat, coconut, ground cassava leaves and rice.

1. Cambodia
   Belize
2. Portugal
   Israel

The kouprey, a large wild ox, is Cambodia's national animal. The beast has not been seen in the region since the early 1960s. In spite of its size and wide horns, the kouprey possessed deer-like grace and speed.

1. Canada
   Japan
2. Spain
   North Korea

Bulls have always been the center of Spain's national imagery. For years bull sympathizers have called for an end to bullfighting in the country. Espana Abierta, a cultural heritage group in Spain, petitioned to include the nation's "sacred cow" in the "national artistic patrimony."

1. Bhutan
   Costa Rica
2. Honduras
   Mexico

The elusive ox-like takin (Budorcas taxicolor) is Bhutan's national animal. The bovine herbivores are social creatures that also inhabit Northeastern India, Southeastern China and Myanmar.

1. Israel
   India
2. Estonia
   Qatar

There are roughly 200 wolves in Estonia. In February 2019, one of the creatures almost drowned after sinking through thin ice on top of southwest Estonia's Parnu River. Construction workers managed to save the animal that they had assumed was a dog.

1. Canada
   Malaysia
2. Norway
   Malta

The Pharaoh hound, formerly the canine of choice of ancient Egyptian kings, escaped the fall of Egypt because Phoenician merchants transported the breed to Malta, where they were used as guard dogs and to hunt rabbits. The first U.S. hound was brought over from England to America in 1967.

1. Pakistan
   Canada
2. Romania
   Netherlands

Beavers are master dam engineers. Beavers build dams so well in Canada that they can last for decades. However, when dams do break, they stand to wreak havoc. When a beaver dam burst in 1992 in rural Ontario, the flood waters destroyed a freight train.

1. Peru
   Egypt
2. Brazil
   Lithuania

White stork nests positioned atop telephone poles and chimneys are common sights in Lithuania. The people of the nation believe that it's good luck for a stork to construct its nest on their homes.

1. Bangladesh
   Denmark
2. Canada
   Croatia

Bangladesh's national bird is the magpie robin, otherwise known as the doel. In May 2016, a Bangladeshi mayor unveiled a renovated sculpture of a doel bathing in rain water at the campus of Dhaka University.

1. Finland
   Mexico
2. Madagascar
   Costa Rica

In Finland, the whooper swan is known as the laulujoutsen. The bird was on the verge of extinction in the country due to extensive hunting. There were roughly 800 nesting pairs in 1988; today, there are more than 4,000 pairs.

1. Denmark
   Pakistan
2. Sri Lanka
   Singapore

Mute swans mate for life but can adjust to new partners if the first one dies. The bird is named for the fact that they make virtually no noticeable sound. The mute swan can weigh as much as 30 pounds.

1. Sierra Leone
   Morocco
2. Japan
   Luxembourg

The seemingly harmless common carp (Cyprinus carpio) and other marine omnivores have triggered large-scale damage to freshwater systems in Australia and North America. The Japan-native creatures have disrupted the ecological balance of the waters due to predation of necessary marine life.

1. Antigua
   Algeria
2. Russia
   Thailand

Guiana Island, Antigua's fourth largest island, sits just off the northeast coast of Antigua and is a refuge for the nation's fallow deer population. The country is also home to the vulnerable West Indian whistling duck.

1. Sweden
   Nigeria
2. Australia
   Cuba

The three-toed flightless emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) is Australia's largest bird. Oil from the bird's fat has been known to heal skin issues, such as sunburns, inflammation and irritation from insect bites.

1. Nigeria
   Poland
2. Papua New Guinea
   Mexico

Nearly 200 people inhabit Torres Strait's Mabuiag Island, which is a major hub for harvesting dugong. The mammal is an important source of food for the island, and the animal's commercial value helps to sustain the island's economy.

1. Thailand
   Australia
2. Japan
   Jamaica

Every March 13 is National Elephant Day in Thailand, where national zoos and elephant parks hold events to promote elephant conservancy. At some events, elephants are washed down before Buddhist priests pray over them.

1. Belize
   Azerbaijan
2. India
   Rwanda

The Karabakh horse is native to the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. So revered is the thoroughbred in the republic that the horse is featured on statues and postage stamps. The country's Karabakh Foundation estimates that there are less than 1,000 Karabakh horses in existence.

1. Norway
   South Africa
2. France
   Indonesia

For more than 4,000 years, the Fjord horse has been connected with Norwegian culture. The Fjord horse is one of the few breeds in the world with ancient origins. The adult Fjord can weigh as much as 1,2000 pounds and stand as high as 15 hands tall.

1. United Arab Emirates
   Philippines
2. Guatemala
   Angola

Experts suggested using peregrine falcons to take out troublesome drone devices at London's Gatwick Airport. In the wild, the birds catch their prey by crashing into them at high speeds with extreme accuracy.

1. Argentina
   Iceland
2. Guatemala
   Pakistan

The gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus) is the world's largest falcon species. The ideal nesting environment for the creature is the arctic region; however, the bird will migrate as far south as Oklahoma if food is scarce.

1. Iran
   Pakistan
2. Sierra Leone
   France

The France-based National Institute for Agronomic Research attempted to collect and deep-freeze the sperm of Gallic roosters, France's national symbol. The project was meant to ensure the survival of the dwindling rooster population in case of a disaster.

1. Canada
   Tanzania
2. Iceland
   Mexico

Killing a giraffe in Tanzania is illegal. The long-necked creature is the national animal, but poachers continue to hunt and kill it for its meat. An underground poaching network exists in and around Tarangire, Tanzania.

1. Zimbabwe
   Pakistan
2. Denmark
   South Korea

Populations of sable antelope throughout Zimbabwe have diminished in the past few decades with slight rebound occurrences. Scientists have determined that the heightened vulnerability of the adult female sable antelope is driving the decline.

1. Belize
   Austria
2. Oman
   Eritrea

The barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) is classified as a Palearctic-Afrotropical migrant. The birds breed in Europe, then travel to sub-Saharan regions between South Africa and West Africa, where the creature develops most of its feathers.