National animals (and birds) are supposed to be intrinsically related to the culture and eco-system of a particular nation. But oddly enough, some of these nationalistic ‘specimens’ have gone beyond the avenue of realism into the very realm of fantasy and memories (yes, one of them is literally extinct!). So, without further ado, let us take a gander at the ten weirdest national animals and birds from countries around the world.
1) Beaver (Canada) –
A beaver is nocturnal and yet a semi-aquatic rodent. It has the capacity to build ‘dams’ and ‘lodges’. And on top of that – it is the national animal of Canada! This honorable designation was given to it due to the animal’s crucial prevalence in global fur trade since the 17th century. In fact, the great beaver was already used a supporter in the Hudson’s Bay Company’s coat of arms in 1678. Since then the resourceful rodent had made its mark in Canada’s very first pictorial postage stamp in 1849, emerged as Canada’s mascot in 1976 Summer Olympics and is still depicted in the reverse side of the Canadian nickel.
2) Chollima ‘the Magical Horse’ (North Korea) –
It is not really surprising that North Korea has opted for a mythical creature for its rather ‘inflated’ nationalistic pride. But what really is interesting pertains to the folkloric credentials of the ‘Chollima’ – a magical winged horse which is depicted as being swift and svelte beyond mortal means. The legend of the mythical horse started out around 3rd century BC in China, when it was known as ‘Qianlima’ (or ‘thousand-li horse’), as it could gallop at a speed of 400 km per day. In present-day North Korea, this scope of ‘speediness’ symbolizes fast economic, innovation and infrastructural developments; and as such there are several statues of the winged horse in Pyongyang (North Korea’s capital).
3) Dodo (Mauritius) –
There is no denying that Dodo had made its mark in the world of literature as well as popular culture – with oft used phrases like ‘as dead as dodo’ or even ‘as dumb as dodo’. But such negative connotations haven’t stopped the adoption of the long-extinct flightless bird in several national symbols of Mauritius, including on the nation’s coat of arms and as a conspicuous watermark in the country’s currency notes. And in case you are interested, the ‘novel’ coat of arms was designed in 1906, by Johann Van Der Puf, who was the Mayor of Johannesburg when Mauritius was still a colony of Great Britain.
4) Druk (Bhutan) –
The Druk or the ‘Thunder Dragon’ is an intrinsic symbol of Bhutanese culture, mythology and monarchy. To that end, the elaborately scaled drake is prominently featured in Bhutan’s national flag and national anthem, while the Himalaya-nestled nation itself is called as ‘Druk Yul‘ (in Dzongkha), which translates to the ‘Land of Druk’. The prevalence of the dragon-inspired scope also extends to personal titles with the leaders of Bhutan being addressed as Druk Gyalpo or ‘Thunder Dragon Kings’. And, if you thought that was stretching things a bit – well, even all the political parties were named as ‘Druk Party’, for the mock election that was held in 2008.
*note – Takin is also considered as the national animal of Bhutan, while Druk serves a more ceremonial purpose as a symbol of the country.
5) Gallic Rooster (France) –
The Gallic Rooster (or ‘le coq gaulois‘ in French) is the unofficial national symbol of France; and to think it all came from a Latin case of homonyms! How so? Well, Roman historian Suetonius was among the first to identify that in Latin both rooster and Gaul (the region of France) were known as Gallus. Oddly enough, the rooster couldn’t have been identified as a national ‘personification’ during that time, because firstly France didn’t exist as a nation – with different Gaulish tribes ruling over separate regions of ancient France. And secondly, Celtic mythology also didn’t have any direct analogy to roosters (in relation to super entities). In any case, the Gallic Rooster had its resurgence as an odd but identifying national symbol during the French Revolution. Since then the ‘Chanteclair‘ had held its own in the realm of French consciousness, including being depicted in coins, sporting events and even war memorials.
6) Grey peacock-pheasant (Myanmar) –
A peacock and a pheasant?! Well, actually the peacock-pheasants are a particular bird genus (Polyplectron) who have wondrous ability to alter their shapes when they feel threatened. The Grey peacock-pheasants (also known as the Burmese peacock-pheasant) are the most widespread of this genus, and hence they are evaluated as a Species of Least Concern on list of Threatened Species by IUCN. As as is usual in the cases of birds, the male specimen tends to be more elaborate and ornamented than the female in its dark spotted plumage.
7) Harpy Eagle (Panama) –
The Harpy Eagle is the most powerful, largest and vicious raptor found in the extended continent of the Americas. With a wingspan that extends to more than 7 ft and a height that goes almost till 4 ft, the powerfully-built bird also has an exhilarating ‘swooping down’ speed of over 50 mph. So, it really comes as no surprise that the winged beast is named after the ‘Harpy‘, the mythological monster-creature with human face and eagle body. And as for the Harpy Eagle’s brutish capacity, the predator bird is even known to make preys of monkeys and sloths that mainly dwell inside rain forests.
8) Hedgehog, Rabbit and Wood Mouse (Monaco) –
The holy trinity of adorable critters – Monaco’s national animals are surely a far cry from the tiny tax haven’s ostentatious wealth, ritzy casinos and convoluted Grand Prix track. Now, were they inspired by the famous pop cultural characters of Sonic the Hedgehog, Bugs Bunny and Jerry? We highly doubt that, since Monaco’s other national symbols (like its flag) are often considered as being among the oldest ones in the world. And since we brought up the flag, here is a bit of trivia – the particular ensign showcases the same color-combination as that of Indonesia’s flag!
9) Okapi (Democratic Republic of the Congo) –
Often perceived as the closest ‘real’ thing to unicorn, the Okapi is incidentally also the closest relative to the tall Giraffe. In fact, both the animals have evolved from the ancient antelope, and still maintains no definite connection with the modern-day antelope. And, for those of you who are confused about its unicorn-related credentials – the Okapi is known for its ardent elusiveness (much like its mythical counterpart) so much so that the first photograph of the animal in its wild state was only captured after 2008. Unfortunately, a comprehensive study done in 2013 estimated that only around 10,000 Okapis remain in the wild – which sadly makes the ‘real unicorn’ an endangered species.
10) Unicorn (Scotland) –
Yes, you have read that right – unicorn! As a matter of fact, the unicorn has been a heraldic symbol of Scotland since the 12th century, and the mythical creature was also depicted in the gold coins of King James III during the late 15th century. And, while it may seem weird for a country to adopt this one-horned beast as a national animal; unicorns featured prominently in the Celtic mythology (as opposed to our earlier mentioned rooster), with them mainly symbolizing purity, innocence and even healing powers. The unicorn is presently used as one of the heraldic supporters in the royal coat of arms of United Kingdom, with the other supporter being a lion – thus epitomizing the union of England and Scotland.
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