India has always been at the forefront of wildlife conservation efforts.

Spread across the nation, various

efforts like Project Tiger, Wildlife Protection Act (1972), Project Elephant, etc. have been initiated.
Amongst them, the aim of Project Snow Leopard (2009) is to promote and conserve the endangered
Snow Leopards and their habitats. A recent 4-year study shows 718 Snow Leopards across the states of
Ladakh, Uttarakhand, Jammu & Kashmir, Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim. However,
further studies revealed that only a third of their habitat is under legal protection, according to a report
released by the Government of India. Only 34% of the 1,20,000 sq.km. Snow Leopard habitat is legally
protected. Snow Leopards face threats from free ranging dogs, climate change, human-wildlife conflicts,
and poaching. So, while conducting surveys gives a detailed monitoring of the Snow Leopard population,
it is more important to bring those areas under legal protection that are unprotected as of now. 70% of
the Snow Leopard covered land is unprotected, according to the Status Report of Snow Leopard in
India. So, to better conserve these animals and help their growth, it is essential to provide them with a
secure environment.

Top predators tend to be concentrated in biodiversity hotspots. Reduction or disappearance of apex

predators could be indicators of overexploitation of resources, changes in food chain and other
important ecosystem transformations. Gangetic River Dolphins have had ‘Endangered’ status since
1990s. Project Dolphin (2021) was introduced decades after the status of these dolphins was declared.
Disposal of untreated chemicals into the water, building of waterways, illegal fishing of dolphins for their
meat and oil, are some of the many reasons why this species, declared the ‘National Aquatic Animal’ of
India faces the risk of extinction. While the Wildlife Protection Act (1972) enables Dolphins as well as
Snow Leopards to the highest degree of protection, the law was ineffective until the end of 20 th century
and neither has the disposal of untreated chemicals been reduced. While the conservation efforts,
especially after the establishment of the Wildlife Protection Act (1972) gave way to significant
development in terms of conservation and wildlife sanctuaries, the loopholes are undeniable. Efforts
need to be taken to conserve wildlife species and their habitats before they’re at risk of extinction and
doing this might even help us to curb climate change, one of the most pressing issues of the 21 st century.