[Prelims 2020] In News: Understanding IUCN, CITES and

WPA Classification and Species

blog.forumias.com/upsc-prelims-2020-in-news-understanding-iucn-cites-and-wpa-classification-and-
species/

Written by: ForumIAS March 30th, 2020

In this article we will study the following:

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) categories,

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and
Flora (CITES) Categories
Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 schedules
All the species those have been in news since 2019.

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) categories

Established in 1948, the IUCN is an international organization working in the field
of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. It has an observer
and consultative status at the United Nations.
It is best known for compiling and publishing the IUCN Red List, which assesses
the conservation status of species worldwide.
There are 9 categories in the Red List of Threatened Species: a) Extinct, b)
Extinct in the Wild, c) Critically Endangered, d) Endangered, e) Vulnerable, f)
Near Threatened, g) Least Concern, h) Data Deficient and i) Not Evaluated.
Among the categories, Critically Endangered (CR), Endangered (EN) and
Vulnerable (VU) species are considered to be threatened with extinction.

Category What does it mean?

Extinct The last individual has died or systematic and time-appropriate

(EX) surveys have been unable to find even a single individual

Extinct in members of the species survive only in captivity or as artificially

the Wild supported populations; outside their historical geographic range
(EW)

Critically Species are at extremely high risk of extinction as a result of rapid

Endangered population declines of 80 to more than 90% over the previous 10
(CR) years (or three generations, whichever is longer), a current population
size of fewer than 50 individuals, or other factors.

Endangered Species are at a very high risk of extinction as a result of rapid

(EN) population declines of 50 to more than 70% over the previous 10 years
(or three generations), a current population size of fewer than 250
individuals, or other factors

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 Vulnerable Species are at very high risk of extinction as a result of rapid
(VU) population declines of 30 to more than 50% over the previous 10 years
(or three generations), a current population size of fewer than 1,000
individuals, or other factors

Near Species are close to becoming threatened or may meet the criteria for
Threatened threatened status in the near future
(NT)

Least species that are pervasive and abundant after careful assessment
Concern
(LC)

Data Complete assessment not completed

Deficient
(DD)

Not Species are described in science but not assessed by IUCN

Evaluated
(NE)

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora

(CITES) Categories
CITES was drafted after a resolution was adopted at a meeting of the members of
the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 1963. It entered
into force in 1973.
It aims to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants
does not threaten their survival. Species are categorised under three Appendixes
and are given varying degrees of protection as under:

Categories Details

Appendix I It includes species threatened with extinction. Trade-in specimens of

these species are permitted only in exceptional circumstances.

Appendix II includes species not necessarily threatened with extinction, but in

which trade must be controlled in order to avoid utilization
incompatible with their survival.

Appendix It contains species that are protected in at least one country, which has
III asked other CITES Parties for assistance in controlling the trade

Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972

The Act provides for the protection of plants and animal in India. It consists of 6
schedules which provide a varying degree of protection

Categories Details

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 Schedule I Animal species given the highest protection
Hunting (except when a threat to human life) is prohibited
Wildlife trade strictly prohibited
Offences under this schedule prescribed highest penalties

Example: Tiger, Lion

Schedule II Animal species given the highest protection

Hunting (except when a threat to human life) is prohibited
Wildlife trade strictly prohibited
Offences under this schedule prescribed highest penalties

Example: Himalayan Brown Bear, King Cobra

Schedule III Animal protected but the penalty for any violation is less compared to
& IV the first two schedules.
Example Hyena (Schedule III), Swans (Schedule IV)

Schedule V Animal listed in the schedule are called vermin which can be hunted
Example: Mice, rat

Schedule VI Cultivation, collection, extraction, trade of plants and its derivatives

are prohibited
Example: Red Vanda, Blue Vanda

List of Species in news

Species Details

1. Lion- News: According to a study, they have shown rich tool-use

tailed behaviour to simplify their efforts.
macaque Geographic Range: Endemic to the Western Ghats of India
(Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu)

Conservation Status: IUCN: Endangered; CITES: Appendix I;

WPA: Schedule I

2. Giraffe News: Poachers killed two extremely rare white giraffes in

northeast Kenya
Geographic Range: savanna/woodland Geographic Ranges,
range widely throughout Africa.

Conservation Status: IUCN: Vulnerable; CITES: Appendix II;

WPA: NA

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3. Red News: Reduce in wildlife trade (TRAFFIC Report)
Panda Geographic Range: Native to the eastern Himalayas and
southwestern China. In India, found in Sikkim, western Arunachal
Pradesh, Darjeeling (WB)

Conservation Status: IUCN: Endangered; CITES: Appendix I;

WPA: Schedule I

4. Hard News: Increase in population in Kanha National Park

ground Geographic Range: North and central India, and southwestern
swamp deer Nepal. It is the state animal of Madhya Pradesh.
(Barasingha)
Conservation Status: IUCN: Vulnerable; CITES: Appendix I;
WPA: Schedule I

5. News: Spotted in Chilka Lake for the first time

Eurasian Geographic Range: Eurasia
otter
Conservation Status: IUCN: Near Threatened; CITES:
Appendix I; WPA: Schedule II

6. Fishing News: Spotted in Chilka Lake

cat Geographic Range: South and Southeast Asia

Conservation Status: IUCN: Vulnerable; CITES: Appendix II;

WPA: Schedule I

7. Smooth- News: India’s proposal to upgrade the protection of smooth-

coated Otter coated otter in CITES approved.
Geographic Range: Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia

Conservation Status: IUCN: Vulnerable; CITES: Appendix I;

WPA: Schedule II

8. Small- News: India’s proposal to upgrade the protection of small-clawed

Clawed Otter otter in CITES approved.
Geographic Range: Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia

Conservation Status: IUCN: Vulnerable, CITES: Appendix I,

WPA: Schedule I

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9. Indian News: India’s proposal to upgrade the protection of Indian star
Star Tortoise tortoise in CITES approved.
Geographic Range: North-western India (Gujarat, Rajasthan)
and adjoining south-eastern Pakistan; eastern and southern areas
of India (from Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and eastern Karnataka
to Odisha); and throughout Sri Lanka.

Conservation Status: IUCN: Vulnerable, CITES: Appendix I,

WPA: Schedule IV

10. Great News: Classified as “endangered migratory species” by UN’s

Indian Convention on Conservation of Migratory Species
Bustard The Supreme Court constituted a high powered committee to
urgently frame and implement an emergency response plan for the
protection of Great Indian Bustard. The bird’s population has
rapidly declined due to various threats including mortality by
collision with infrastructure, particularly power lines and wind
turbines

Geographic Range: Rajasthan (Desert National park), Gujarat,

Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh in
India and parts of Pakistan

Conservation Status: IUCN: Critically Endangered; CITES:

Appendix I; WPA: Schedule I

11. Asian News: Classified as “endangered migratory species” by UN’s

Elephant Convention on Conservation of Migratory Species
Geographic Range: Bangladesh; Bhutan; Cambodia; China;
India; Indonesia; Lao People’s Democratic Republic; Malaysia
Myanmar; Nepal; Sri Lanka; Thailand; Viet Nam

Conservation Status: IUCN: Endangered; CITES: Appendix I;

WPA: Schedule I

12. Bengal News: Classified as “endangered migratory species” by UN’s

Florican Convention on Conservation of Migratory Species
Geographic Range: Terai and the Brahmaputra valley (Uttar
Pradesh, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.)

Conservation Status: IUCN: Critically Endangered; CITES:

Appendix I; WPA: Schedule I

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13. Flame- News: Chosen as the mascot of the 36th National Games
throated Geographic Range: Western Ghats
bulbul
Conservation Status: IUCN Least Concern; WPA: Schedule IV

14. Indian News: Spotted in Phansad Wildlife Sanctuary for the first time
Gaur Geographic Range: Bhutan; Cambodia; China; India; Lao
People’s Democratic Republic; Malaysia; Myanmar; Nepal;
Thailand; Viet Nam

Conservation Status: IUCN: Vulnerable; CITES: Appendix I,

WPA: Schedule I

15. Steppe News: Sighted in Andhra Pradesh during Asian Bird Census.
Eagle Geographic Range: Russia, Kazakhstan, and Mongolia

Conservation Status: IUCN: Endangered; CITES: Appendix II

16. Española News: Galápagos National Park announced ending Giant Tortoise
Giant Restoration Initiative (GTRI)
Tortoises Geographic Range: Española Island [formerly Hood Island] in
the Galápagos Islands of Ecuador

Conservation Status: IUCN: Critically Endangered; CITES:

Appendix I; WPA: NA

17. Chinese News: Chinese Researchers concluded it is extinct

paddlefish Geographic Range: Yangtze River, China

Conservation Status: IUCN: Extinct

18. Greater News: Assam State Zoo and wildlife NGO Aaranyak jointly bred a
Adjutant pair of Hargila chicks in an artificial platform
Stork Geographic Range: few isolated pockets in Assam and Bihar in
(Hargila) India and PrekToal in Cambodia.

Conservation Status: IUCN: Endangered, WPA: Schedule IV

19. Asiatic News: Asiatic Lion Census is scheduled to take place in May 2020
Lion Geographic Range: Only surviving free-ranging population of
the Asiatic lion exists in the Gir forest, Gujarat

Conservation Status: IUCN: Endangered; CITES: Appendix I,

WPA: Schedule I

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20. Tibetan News: Declining population
gazelles Geographic Range: Tibet, Ladakh and parts of Sikkim

Conservation Status: IUCN: Near Threatened; WPA: Schedule I

21. News: Became extinct in Malaysia

Sumatran Geographic Range: Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park,
Rhino Gunung Leuser National Park, and Way Kambas National Park on
Sumatra; and on Indonesian Borneo west of Samarindah

Conservation Status: IUCN: Critically Endangered; CITES:

WPA: NA

22. Assam News: Conservation efforts

Roofed Geographic Range: Bangladesh, Assam (India)
Turtle
Conservation Status: IUCN: Endangered, CITES: Appendix II,
WPA: Schedule I

23. Olive News: Ban on fishing in Gahiramatha Marine Sanctuary

Ridleys Geographic Range: warm waters of the Pacific, Atlantic and
Indian oceans. Major mass nesting grounds in India: Gahiramatha
rookery (Gahiramatha Marine Sanctuary) close to the mouth of
Brahmani-Baitarani Rivers, Devi river mouth and Rushikulya river
mouth

Conservation Status: IUCN: Vulnerable; CITES: Appendix I;

WPA: Schedule I

24. Snow News: Session of Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection
leopard (GSLEP) programme held
Geographic Range: Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India
(Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh),
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia,
Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

It is the state animal of Himachal Pradesh.

Conservation Status: IUCN: Vulnerable; CITES: Appendix I,

WPA: Schedule I

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25. News: Though said to be extinct, spotted across Tasmania,
Tasmanian Australia 8 times during 2016 -2019
Tiger Geographic Range: Was native to Tasmania, New Guinea, and
the Australian mainland

Conservation Status: IUCN: Extinct

26. Gangetic News: annual Ganges river dolphin census

River Geographic Range: Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna and
Dolphin Karnaphuli-Sangu river systems of Nepal, India, and Bangladesh.

Conservation Status: IUCN: Endangered, CITES: Appendix I;

WPA: Schedule I

27. Emperor News: Scientists recommended IUCN status should be changed to

Penguins ‘vulnerable’.
Geographic Range: Antarctica

Conservation Status: IUCN: Near Threatened

28. African News: Supreme Court ruled that African Cheetah shall be
Cheetah permitted to be introduced in India
Geographic Range: North, Southern and East Africa, and a few
localities in Iran

Conservation Status: IUCN: Critically Endangered”, CITES:

Appendix I, WPA: NA

29. Indian News: Madhya Pradesh Forest Department has radio-tagged

Pangolin Indian Pangolins for the first time to learn their ecology.
Geographic Range:

Conservation Status: IUCN: Endangered, CITES: Appendix I,

WPA: schedule I

30. Chinese News: Coronavirus pandemic

Pangolin Geographic Range: Himalayan foothills of Nepal, southern
Bhutan, north and north-eastern India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Lao
PDR, Viet Nam, north-western Thailand, and across southern
China

Conservation Status: IUCN: Critically Endangered, CITES:

Appendix II, WPA: Schedule I

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31. News: India proposed to remove it from Appendix II of CITES
Rosewood Geographic Range: India (Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra
Pradesh, Karnataka, Sikkim); Indonesia (Jawa); Nepal

Conservation Status: IUCN: Vulnerable, CITES: Appendix II

32. Scaly foot News: First marine species to be assessed as officially endangered
snail/Sea due to the potential threat of deep-sea mining
Pangolin Geographic Range: three hydrothermal vents in the Indian
Ocean, east of Madagascar: Longqi vent field, Kairei vent field and
the Solitaire vent

Conservation Status: IUCN: Endangered

33. Gharial News: Odisha released five gharials into the Satkosia gorge of
Mahanadi- the southernmost limit of gharials’ home range in India
Geographic Range: Bangladesh, Nepal, India (Son River, Girwa
River, the Ganges, Mahanadi River and the Chambal River.)

Conservation Status: IUCN: Critically Endangered, WPA:

Schedule I

34. Lesser News: Supreme Court constituted a high-powered committee to

Florican urgently frame and implement an emergency response plan for the
protection of Lesser Florican.The bird’s population has rapidly
declined due to various threats including mortality by collision with
infrastructure, particularly power lines and wind turbines
Geographic Range: Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh,
Maharashtra

Conservation Status: IUCN: Endangered, WPA: Schedule I

35. Dugong News: Thailand named a sea-cow Yamil

or Sea Cow Geographic Range: coastal and inland waters between East
Africa and Vanuatu between latitudes of about 27° north and south
of Equator, India (Andaman and Lakshadweep)

Conservation Status: IUCN: Vulnerable, CITES: Appendix I,

WPA: Schedule I

36. Greater News: Proposal to introduce in Jim Corbett National Park

One-horned Geographic Range: 90% of the population concentrated in
Rhino/Indian Assam’s Kaziranga National Park. Outside Kaziranga, rhinos are
Rhino found in West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar.

Conservation Status: IUCN: Vulnerable, CITES: Appendix I,

WPA: Schedule I

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37. Asiatic News: Six different colour morphs discovered in Arunachal
Golden Cat Pradesh
Geographic Range: Nepal, Bhutan, north-east India, Myanmar,
China, and South-East Asia (Thailand, Sumatra and Indonesia)

Conservation Status: IUCN: Near Threatened

38. Purple News: to be designated as Kerala’s state animal

Frog Geographic Range: The Western Ghats in India, and is known
from only two localities, both in Idukki District, Kerala

Conservation Status: IUCN: Endangered,

39. Hangul News: The massive decline in the population

Geographic Range: Kashmir; State animal of Jammu & Kashmir

Conservation Status: IUCN: Critically endangered, CITES:

Appendix I, WPA: Schedule I

40. Painted News: Deaths in Koonthankulam Birds’ sanctuary (Tamil Nadu)

stork Geographic Range: wetlands of the plains of tropical Asia south
of the Himalayas in South Asia and extending into Southeast Asia

Conservation Status: IUCN: Near Threatened

41. Nilgiri News: Rise in population in Mukurthi National Park.

Tahr Geographic Range: Endemic to the Nilgiri Hills and the
southern portion of the Western Ghats in Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

Conservation Status: IUCN: Endangered; WPA: Schedule I

42. Peacock News: Spotted in the Pakkamalai Reserve Forests (Tamil Nadu)
Parachute Geographic Range: endemic to India and its home range is less
Spider/ than 100 sq. km in a reserve forest between Nandyal and Giddalur
Gooty in Andhra Pradesh
tarantula
Conservation Status: IUCN: Critically Endangered

43. Malabar News: Spotted in the urban centre during coronavirus lockdown
Civet Geographic Range: Endemic to the Western Ghats

Conservation Status: IUCN: Critically Endangered, CITES:

Appendix I, WPA: Schedule I

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 44. Sangai News: Conservation issues
(Brow Geographic Range: Endemic to Manipur (it is the state animal of
antlered deer Manipur), found in Keibul Lamjao National Park; largely seen over
or the floating biomass, locally called “phumdi”
dancing deer
or Eld’s Conservation Status: IUCN: Endangered, WPA: Schedule I
deer)

45.Hog deer News: Increase in population in Manas National Park

Habitat: Bangladesh; Bhutan; Cambodia; India; Nepal; Pakistan

Conservation Status: IUCN Endangered, WPA: Schedule III

46. Vultures News: The current population of vultures in Vulture Conservation

and Breeding Centres (VCBC) in India is 700.
The population of vultures had drastically reduced after feeding on
cattle carcass with contaminated veterinary drug diclofenac which
caused renal failures in the birds.

In 2008, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare prohibited

the manufacture of Diclofenac for animal use and later also
restricted packaging of multi-dose vials of Diclofenac to single dose
for humans.

Conservation Status: 9 species of vultures found in India. The

critically endangered and endangered ones are:

White-rumped vulture: Critically Endangered

Slender-billed vulture: Critically Endangered
Long-billed vulture: Critically Endangered
Redheaded vulture: Critically Endangered
Egyptian vulture: Endangered

White-rumped, Long-Billed and Slender Billed Vultures are listed

in Schedule I of the WPA

This article is a part of the Series of Articles Important for Prelims 2020. To see the full
list of articles, visit this page.

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