Wildlife Conservation Efforts in India

Introduction
The Indian subcontinent boasts of serving as the natural habitat of a large and varied
wildlife. The sub-continent with it’s varied geographical spread from the Himalayas in
the north to the Cauvery basin in the south and the Kutch region in the west to the
plains of Assam in East present a diverse range of environmental conditions for some of
the most magnificent as well as the rarest wildlife species of the world in India to exist.
The beauty and variety we see in the jungles of India is difficult to be expressed in
words and I bring together the breadth through pictures in this project . However, the
past few decades have seen the greed and negligence of human beings working to the
detriment of this rich wildlife. Large-scale poaching, habitat destruction and conflict with
humans have resulted in a rapid decline in the population of most of the wild animals
and birds. Some animals like the Indian cheetah due to this are now extinct.

Conservation of Indian wildlife was not given the requisite importance for a long time.
However, the government as well as the people slowly and gradually understood their
responsibility in this context. Today, efforts are being made towards wildlife
conservation in India, to preserve this natural wealth. Numerous wildlife conservation
projects have been undertaken in India, both at the government as well as the individual
level, to protect the rich wildlife of the subcontinent. The private sector has also started
stepping in as part of their corporate social responsibility to bring about this change and
increase people’s awareness. The “Save the Tiger” campaign by Aircel which is
discussed here.

I am a wildlife fan and have been to a fair number of national parks around the country.
In this project I analyze the threat to wildlife in India and then extensively report the
efforts of the government, societies, groups and individuals.
Importance of wildlife conservation
Due to the growing impact of deforestation, continuous efforts are being made by some
anxious animal lovers to protect the endangered species of wildlife as well as those that
are on the verge of extinction and thus save the world from running out its green
heritage. Wildlife is important for four main reasons:

 Beauty: Wild life provides aesthetic value to man. By their unique way of
existence, wild creatures exaggerate the natural beauty of the earth.
 Economic value: The financial value of wild species is important to the
economies of several nations, as it provides many valuable substances like wood
and other plant products, fibers, meat and other foods, and skins and furs. Many
wild plants provide useful substances like timber, paper, gums etc. And they also
have wide applications in Ayurveda and other branches of medicine.
 Scientific value: Most important contribution of wild life for human progress is
availability of large genepool for the scientists to carry breeding programmes in
agriculture, animal husbandry and fishery.By studying wildlife, scientists have
gained valuable knowledge about various life processes and discovered
important medical products
 Survival value: To maintain ecological 'balance of nature' and maintain food
chain and nature cycles. Wildlife helps in maintaining the balanced living systems
of earth, which consequently ensures survival of life.
 Wild life of a country is its cultural asset.

National Parks of India

The topography of Indian subcontinent is so varied that it supports a wide variety of
wildlife. There is a huge population of animals as well as birds living in the wild regions
of the country. However, the threat of poaching, along with habitat loss, has led to a
rapid decline in the population of wild animals. To reverse this trend, numerous national
parks as well as wildlife sanctuaries have been set up in India. These parks and
sanctuaries are serving as the natural abode of the majority of wildlife and helping in the
augmentation of their population. In the following lines, I have covered some of the
famous Indian national park and wildlife sanctuary in India and provided a list at the
bottom of the others covering most of them :
Bandhavgarh National Park
Bandhavgarh National Park is spread across the Vindhya hills of Madhya Pradesh, over
a coverage area of approximately 437 sq km. The topography of the park is
characterized by sharp ridges, surging forests and open meadows.

Bandipur National Park

Bandipur National Park is situated at the confluence of Deccan Plateau and Western
Ghat Mountains. The wildlife park falls under the Chamarajanagar district of the South-
Indian state of Karnataka.

Jim Corbett National Park

Jim Corbett National Park is situated in the foothills of the Himalayas and comes under
the state of Uttaranchal. The park was established in the year 1936 and at that point of
time, it was known as the Hailey National Park.

Desert National Park is located in the Jaisalmer city of Rajasthan. Stretching in the Thar
Desert, over an area of 3150 sq km, the park serves as the perfect example of its
ecosystem.

Gir National Park

Gir National Park, established in the Junagarh district of Gujarat, is spread over an area
of 1412 sq km. The park holds the distinction of being the only natural habitat of Asiatic
Lions in the whole world.

Manas National Park of India boasts of amazing wildlife as well as picturesque beauty.
The park is situated in the Kamrup district of the northeastern state of Assam.

Periyar National Park lies nestled in the Western Ghats, falling in the Idukki district of
Kerala. The lake that constitutes a major portion of the park came into existence after a
dam was constructed on the Periyar River, in the year 1895.

Sariska National Park lies nestled in the Aravali Hill ranges of Rajasthan. Sariska was
declared as a wildlife sanctuary in the year 1958.

Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary

Sultanpur National Park falls under the Gurgaon district of Haryana. It is situated on the
Gurgaon-Farukh Nagar Road, at a distance of 15 km from Gurgaon.

Sundarbans National Park

Sundarbans National Park forms a part of the largest delta created by the Ganga and
Brahmaputra Rivers. Its core area is made up of the largest mangrove forest in the
world.
Threats to Wildlife

The major threats being faced by the wildlife in India are:

 The problem of overcrowding is one of the major reasons for the depleting
population of wild animals in India. The wildlife sanctuaries of India have become
overcrowded and their capacity has decreased to quite an extent.
 Tourism in the national parks of the country is increasing day by day. One of the
reasons for this is a rise in the popularity of eco-tourism and adventure tourism.
This has led to a growth in vehicle pollution and wildlife road fatalities, apart from
leading to a damage of the natural habitat of birds and animals.
 With the increase in tourism, the parks have witnessed an increase in wildfires
also. Innocent campfires started by visitors have, more often than not, led to
menacing wildfires. These fires not only kill animals, but also destroy their natural
habitat.
 The wildlife of coastal areas is constantly disturbed by personal watercrafts, like
jet skis or wave runners. These personal watercrafts enter shallow waters and
expel nesting birds from their roosts. Such activities are disturbing the mating
pattern of birds.
 Releasing of chemicals and other toxic effluents into the water bodies has led to
poisoning of the water. The animals and birds drinking such water face a fatal
threat. Even the population of fish, living in such water bodies, is declining at a
fast pace.
 The climate changes taking place in the world today, are affecting not only
humans, but also the wildlife. The natural habitat as well as migration patterns of
the animals and birds is experiencing disturb patterns.
 Last but not the least, the threat of poaching has been haunting the wildlife of
India since ages. Even after the establishment of wildlife sanctuaries and national
parks, the threat of poaching has not been totally eliminated.
Wildlife conservation projects and
programs
To promote wildlife awareness among the people, the Indian government has started
various natural projects and programs such as Project Tiger, Nature Camps and Jungle
Lodges. These projects not only help to preserve our natural heritage, but encourage
eco-tourism as well.

Project Tiger was formed in 1972 and launched on the 1st April 1973 at Corbett
National Park. Till date, the project has been the most successful one in preserving the
tiger population at Tiger Reserves in Bandhavgarh, Corbett, Pench, Ranthambhore,
Kanha, Bandipur, Panna, Dudhwa, Sunderbans, Manas and Sariska. All these reserves
act as Conservation Centers for tigers in India.

Besides, there is the Gir National Park, the only habitat for Asiatic lions in India. The
Kaziranga Wildlife Sanctuary is Assam is renowned for protecting the endangered one-
horned Rhinoceros. There's also Dachigam National Park, which conserves the Hangul
or Kashmiri Stag.

Project Elephant, a centrally sponsored scheme, was launched in February 1992 to

provide financial and technical support to major elephant bearing states in India for
protection of elephants, their habitats and corridors. The Project, involving 25 Elephant
Reserves across the country, is being implemented in 13 States and Union Territories in
India, namely, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Jharkhand, Karnataka,
Kerala, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh and
West Bengal.

The NGOs

There are also various NGOs working on wildlife conservation in India such as Wildlife
Society of Orissa (Orissa), Rhino Foundation for Nature (Assam), Friends of Forests
(Maharashtra), North Eastern Society for Preservation of Nature and Wildlife (West
Bengal), Nature's Beckon (Assam), Nature Conservation Society Amravati
(Maharashtra), The Friends of the Doon (Uttaranchal) and Bali Nature and Wild Life
Conservation Society (West Bengal).
Summarization of the Wildlife
Conservation work done by the Wildlife
Protection Society of India (WPSI)

WPSI collaborates with state governments to monitor the illegal wildlife trade and
provide them with hands-on training and support to combat poaching and the illegal
wildlife trade.

 They conduct Wildlife Law Enforcement Workshops for enforcement agencies.

More than 4000 forest and police officers have received training in more than 63
workshops which have been held in 16 states across India. They have also given
specialist presentations to the National Police Academy, the Indian Institute of
Criminology, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Indo-Tibetan Border
Police (ITBP), Customs and Excise, the Wildlife Institute of India, tiger reserve
authorities, and enforcement training centres.

 The Wildlife Crime Database built by them has details of over 19,100 wildlife
cases and is continuously updated with inputs from their countrywide network of
investigators. This information plays a critical role in the development of new
strategies to protect Indian wildlife.
o WPSI was the first organisation to expose the workings of the shahtoosh
trade and its links with the trade in tiger parts.They uncovered this trade in
the mid-1990s, while investigating the smuggling of tiger bones, and
produced a path-breaking report on the subject in 1997 - “Fashioned for
Extinction: An Expose of the Shahtoosh Trade”.

 Over the years, they have assisted in the arrests of over 375 wildlife criminals
and seizures of massive amounts of illegal wildlife products, particularly tiger
parts. Their Legal Programme supported the prosecution of over 151 wildlife
court cases in 13 Indian states. These include poaching and trade cases that
involve tiger and other endangered species. They also file petitions on important
wildlife conservation issues, including encroachments in protected areas.

 They support Conservation Projects for species as varied as the tiger, otter and
sea turtle in the States of Assam, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa, Madhya
Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.
 They have now broadened the scope of their activities to deal with other critical
issues such as human-animal conflict involving tigers, leopards and elephants.
They also support research projects on issues as diverse as tiger census
 techniques, the ecological impact of forest resource extraction, and the plight of
the snow leopard.

 The most important aspect of the job now is in constantly liaising with policy
makers and international conservation agencies, particularly on issues
concerning poaching and the illegal wildlife trade.

 WPSI has been in the forefront of media campaigns to highlight the importance
of wildlife protection.

In 2005 and 2006, WPSI and the UK- based Environmental Protection Agency
(EIA) carried out a joint investigation into the tiger and leopard skin trade in the
Tibet Autonomous Region and other provinces in China. Their findings revealed
a hitherto unknown scale of trade in Asian big cat skins that were being traded
and worn as status symbols in Tibet. Our investigations were compiled in a report
– “Skinning the Cat: Crime and Politics of the Big Cat Skin Trade”, published in
2006. The results of the investigation and condemnation of the trade by the Dalai
Lama have since sparked a massive movement by Tibetans to end the use of
wild animal skins
Annexure
Sampling of the wildlife of India
Indian subcontinent has a rich and varied biodiversity to boast of. Infact, the country is
home to some of the most rare and magnificent wild animals. Most of the wild animals
of India are being protected from poaching as well as habitat loss through the numerous
national parks and wildlife sanctuaries. Indian culture preaches respect for each and
every form of life, including wildlife. Still, greedy individuals as well as the ever-
increasing population are putting pressure on the peaceful existence of Indian wild
animals. There are also a large number of resident birds in India, some native and some
introduced. However, all of them today beautifully reflect the rich natural life of the
country. One can also find some of the rarest wild bird species in the subcontinent.
Numerous bird sanctuaries have been set up in the country to provide the birds with a
natural habitat and augment their population.
Of the 1,228 species of birds found in India, approximately 82 species have been listed
as threatened in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals (IUCN 2006).

In this section, I have provided information on some of the wild animals and birds from
India:

Indian Asiatic Lion

Asiatic Lions once used to roam around the area, stretching from northern Greece,
across Southwest Asia, to central India. However, today the natural habitat of the
majestic animal has been reduced to the Gir forests of India only, making the Asiatic
Lion almost synonymous with the Indian Lion.

Bengal Tiger
Bengal tiger is a subspecies of tiger, which is found in the Bengal region of the Indian
subcontinent. One of the most common tiger subspecies, it is also found in a number of
other Asian countries, like Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Tibet, etc.

Indian Black Buck

Indian black buck is also known by a number of other names like Kala Hiran, Sasin,
Iralai Maan and Krishna Jinka. The scientific name of the black buck antelope is
Antilope cervicapra and it natural habitat is the Indian subcontinent.

Indian Clouded Leopard

Clouded leopards belong to the Neofelis genus and have the scientific name of Neofelis
nebulosa. The average lifespan of a clouded leopard is 11 years in the wild. However, in
cases of captivity, it may go upto 17 years.

Indian Elephant
Indian elephant, known with the scientific name of 'Elephas maximus indicus', is a
subspecies of the Asian Elephant. It is mainly found in the Indian subcontinent, that to in
the scrub forested areas.
Indian Leopard
Indian leopard is one of the 8-9 valid leopard subspecies found throughout the world.
Known by the scientific name of Panthera pardus, it is the fourth largest of the four 'big
cats' of the Panthera genus.

Indian Rhinoceros
Indian Rhinoceros holds the distinction of being the fourth largest animal, after the three
elephant species. Known by the scientific name of Rhinoceros unicornis, the animal is
found in only two places in the world, Assam (India) and Nepal.

Indian Snow Leopard

Snow leopard is a native animal of mountain ranges of central and southern Asia,
including India. It is also known as Ounce and has a scientific name of "Panthera
uncia". Snow leopards can live for a maximum of 18 years in then wild.

Peacock
Blue peacock is regarded as one of the most beautiful birds throughout the world. It is
also the National Bird of the Indian subcontinent. Peacock is the name given to a male
peafowl, while the female is known as Peahen. Scientifically known as Pavo cristatus
(Linnaeus), the Peafowl of India is a swan-sized bird, with a long and slender neck.

Crested Serpent Eagle

Indian Crested Serpent Eagle, a member of Accipitridae family, is scientifically known
as Spilornis cheela. It is a specialist reptile eater, which mainly hunts snakes and
lizards.

Greylag Goose
Greylag goose, Anser anser, is one of the Old World species of birds and was known in
the pre-Linnean times as Wild Goose. It has ancestral relations with the domesticated
geese of Europe and North America. Gray Lag Goose is a very frequent winter visitor to
the north regions of the Indian subcontinent.

Great Indian Hornbill

Greater Indian Hornbill is considered to be the largest member of the hornbill family.
Scientifically known as Buceros bicornis, it is usually found inhabiting the forests of
Indian subcontinent, the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra, Indonesia. The average
lifespan of the Great Pied Hornbill of India exceeds 35 years and may go upto 50 years
in captivity.

Heron
Indian heron belongs is a member of the large wading bird family, known as Ardeidae. It
is found mostly inhabiting the tropical and sub tropical areas. However, Indian herons
can also be seen in temperate areas. There is one major characteristic that
distinguishes herons from the other birds.

Jungle Bush Quail

Jungle bush quail bird is one of the species of quails found in South Asia. The bird is
usually seen in small coveys and is quite shy by nature. One can get a glimpse of the
Jungle bush quails of India mainly when they burst out into flight from under the
vegetation.

Stork
Indian stork is one of the 17 different species of storks found throughout the world. The
only continent where storks are not found is that of Antarctica. The natural habitat of the
storks comprises of Indian fields, savannas and marshes.
Listing of the balance national parks in
the country :
Dachigam National Park is situated in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Dudhwa National Park falls under the Lakhimpur-Kheri district of Uttar Pradesh. It is
situated along the India-Nepal border, in the foothills of the Himalayas.

Kanha National Park is one of the most famous habitats of the tiger in the whole world,
situated in the valleys of the state of Madhya Pradesh.

Keoladeo Ghana National Park, situated in the Bharatpur city of Rajasthan, is one of the
major attractions of India.

Nagarhole National Park is situated at the southern tip of Karnataka. Sharing its
boundary with Bandipur National Park, the park covers an area of approximately 643
km.

Nanda Devi National Park is situated in the Chamoli district of Uttaranchal.

Rajaji National Park is situated in the state of Uttaranchal, now known as Uttarakhand.

Ranthambore National Park forms a part of the Sawai Madhopur District of Rajasthan.
The park is nestled on the intersection of the Aravalli hill range and the Vindhya hill
range.

Valley of Flowers National Park is nestled in the Himalayan ranges of Uttaranchal.

Little Rann of Kutch Wildlife Sanctuary is situated in Gujarat.

Mudumalai National Park is situated in the state of Tamil Nadu, stretching over the
forest belt between the Western Ghats and the Nilgiri Mountains.

Mukurthi National Park is situated in the Nilgiri district of Tamil Nadu.

Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary is situated in the South-Indian state of Kerala.