The national animal that a country chooses to have can carry a lot of weight. That animal goes on to become a symbol of that nation and represent it on the world stage, so they have to possess a lot of great qualities that reflect local values and ambitions.

With that in mind, it’s always confusing when the national animal of a country is something odd or imaginary, like a unicorn! Sometimes, the national animal might be as normal as a house cat, but the national insect or bird is something spectacular. Keep reading to find out what strange national animals these countries have adopted as their own.

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11 Scotland: The Unicorn

This is not a drill. The national animal of Scotland really is a unicorn. It’s official: we are all moving to Scotland! Even though unicorns are mythological creatures, they can still serve as national animals. A variety of countries have mythical creatures as their national animals (many of which you’ll see on this list!).

Scotland is exactly the type of country that would have something as magical as a unicorn representing their country. The dramatic green landscape, misty off-shore islands, and crumbling medieval ruins all add to the enchanted vibe. If unicorns did exist, they would definitely live in Scotland!

10 Wales: The Dragon

It looks like Scotland isn’t the only country in the United Kingdom to have a mythical beast as its national animal. Game of Thrones fans will love this! The national animal of Wales is a Welsh dragon. This creature appears on the Welsh flag, portrayed in vibrant red against a white and green backdrop.

Legend has it that this flag was the battle standard that King Arthur and his men carried with them. Even if it never really belonged to King Arthur, it’s still a pretty great flag to have.

9 China: Chinese Dragon

Speaking of dragons, China also has a dragon as its national animal. And of course, theirs is a Chinese dragon rather than a Welsh dragon. Not all dragons were created equal! The Chinese dragon appears in Chinese mythology and is said to have control over the element of water.

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The Emperor of China would traditionally exhibit the dragon to showcase his strength, as the Chinese dragon is also believed to be a symbol of power. Dragons are a big deal in Chinese culture, often seen as lucky and favorable.

8 Serbia: White Eagle

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National animals don’t always appear on a country’s flag, but when your animal is as cool as Serbia’s, how can you not want to make it the design of your flag? The double-headed Serbian white eagle is not only the country’s national animal and appears on the flag, but has also historically appeared in Serbian heraldry.

Originating from medieval times, the white eagle is brandished with a cross and was actually adopted from the Byzantines. In times of war, propaganda has been released depicting the eagle triumphing over Serbia’s enemies.

6 North Korea: Winged Horse (Chollima)

In Greek mythology, the winged horse is known as Pegasus. But in East Asian mythology, the winged horse is called Chollima and serves as the national animal of North Korea. The story goes that the Chollima is so divine that it can’t be ridden by men.

In Pyongyang, there is a statue of the Chollima which draws in tourists from all over the world. However, this statue is mounted by a rider. Chollima is also the name of the North Korean football team and has been used to refer to political and economic movements in the country

5 Greece: Phoenix

Greek mythology just has too many fascinating creatures for the country to adopt a real creature as one of its national animals. While the national animal of Greece is the dolphin, the national bird is the phoenix. For those who aren’t familiar with Greek mythology (and haven’t seen Harry Potter), the phoenix is a bird that bursts into flames when it dies and is then reborn from its own ashes.

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All over the world, the phoenix has come to resemble starting again and rebirth. It’s definitely a very cool animal to have represent your country, even if it doesn’t really exist!

4 Hungary: Turul

Another country to have a mythical creature as its national animal is Hungary, which is represented by the Turul. Similar to a hawk or falcon, the Turul is a bird of prey from Hungarian mythology that sometimes serves a guardian or protector spirit.

According to legend, the Turul guided the Magyars from the plains of Asia to what is now Budapest. It then dropped a sword on the site, letting the people know that this was to be their new home. The bird is also a symbol of the Hungarian army.

3 Bhutan: Thunder Dragon

Sometimes referred to as the Druk, the thunder dragon is the national animal of the Kingdom of Bhutan. You’ll be able to see this creature on the country’s national flag, where it is depicted with jewels to convey the idea of wealth.

Throughout Bhutan, you’ll also see further evidence of the thunder dragon on the local culture. A number of hotels in the country are named after the Druk, as is Drukair, the Royal Bhutan Airlines. There are also tour companies named after the famous thunder dragon. Like Bhutan and China, many other Asian countries have their own versions of dragons that are important in their culture.

2 Portugal: Rooster Of Barcelos

A rooster isn’t a very exciting national animal. But Portugal hasn’t given just any rooster the role. In fact, the national animal of Portugal is the Rooster of Barcelos. Aside from the Iberian wolf, this is one of the most popular symbols in Portugal.

The folk tale that accompanies the rooster states that the rooster once saved an innocent man from a false conviction and death sentence by crowing to declare his innocence. You’ll find the rooster’s image all over Portugal, and even if you’ve never been to Portugal, there’s a chance you might have seen it before. The Rooster of Barcelos is actually the logo for the fast-food chain Nando’s!

1 Czech Republic: Double-Tailed Lion

A regular lion would be a sufficient enough animal to represent your country, but the Czech Republic takes it one step further by having the double-tailed lion as their national animal. The creature also appears on the coat of arms of the Czech Republic.

It’s a good thing that the Czech Republic had more than a regular lion serving as the national animal because there is already a list of countries whose national animal is just a plain old lion. They include England, Ethiopia, Gambia, Iran, Kenya, Libya, Luxembourg, Morocco, Singapore, and Sri Lanka among others.

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