Bangalore’s animal population seems to consist of mainly three species: cattle, dogs, and ravens. Cows, being a holy animal in the Hindu religion, roam the streets mostly free. Sometimes they are accompanied by someone, or bound to a tree, but mostly they just walk around – or stand on the streets. Yes, a lot of times you can see a cow standing or even laying right in the middle of the street, and traffic just (tries) to flow around it.
The dogs, on the other hand, are much less liked, but much more common. The dogs are all medium-sized, mostly brown, and I am sure they are mostly cross-breeds. They usually just sleep somewhere on side of the streets, or try to find something edible in the litter laying around. Bangaloreans don’t like them, and especially at nighttime people carry large sticks with them… The dogs also proudly take their part in creating the unique Bangalorean soundscape. Barking is especially heard in the evening and the night. Unfortunately for the dogs, Indians do not break for them like they do for cows, so frequently they can be found as roadkill on the major streets :(.
Finally, the birds. The most common species is some kind of raven, though not all black but with dark gray feathers. I am no ornothologist, so I cannot tell you if it is really a raven. Enlightenment would be welcome. One can also observe some hawk- or buzzard-like birds, hovering over the roofs of the city, and now (May/June) seems to be their mating season. Don’t ask me how I found out… 😉
Other animals are very rare in Bangalore. Of course there are the chickens on the market, but they don’t count. Occasionally you can spot some goats, and I have so far seen a total of two (2) cats. But other than that… Also, insects are rather rare. A few flies and mosquitos, of course, but the (fortunately) only cockroach I spottet was in the men’s restroom at the Leela Palace, the top hotel in town.