In 1996 the Indian government announced the intention to ban the slaughter of cows which are worshipped by Hindus as a symbol of life. The Hindu regard for cobras is less well-known. Despite the fact that the cobra is responsible for many deaths each year in India, it is regarded with religious awe and seldom killed. Some American Indian tribes considered the horse, the buffalo, the eagle and the wolf as sacred, and have been affected culturally by their disappearance.