Wildlife Conservation in India

India is a home to a number of varied species of flora and fauna. Lots of measures are taken
from time to time to conserve wildlife in India. Taking this to next level, Wildlife Tours were
initiated in India and are one of the best ways to aware people about the importance of wildlife
and wilderness for humans and other species.

By embarking upon wildlife tours, you get a chance to explore the popular tiger reserves,
national parks and wildlife sanctuaries in India. Activities for wildlife conservation were
encouraged with the establishment of Jim Corbett National Park in early 1930s. If the wildlife
projects are to be considered, then Project Tiger leads the chart. It is because of these wildlife
protection acts and measures that the population of endangered species have seen drastic
improvements. Other wildlife conservation programs and projects which were initiated to
safeguard the wildlife are mentioned below.

More Wildlife Conservation Projects and Programs

The Government of India came up with various Wildlife Conservation Projects and Programs to
promote wildlife awareness amongst the people. Project Tiger, Jungle Lodges and Nature Camps
are the few names that not only aid in protecting the natural heritage, but encourage eco-
tourism as well. Let’s have a look at some of the remarkable ones.

Project Tiger– Aiming at ensuring a viable population of Bengal tigers in their natural habitat, this
tiger conservation programme was launched in 1973. The project is remarkably successful not
only in conservation of tigers but also of the entire ecosystem. Nearly 47 tiger reserves are
nestled in more than 17 regions including Ranthambore National Park and Jim Corbett National
Park.

Project Elephant– Project Elephant was started in 1992 by Indian Government to ensure
conservation of elephants and their habitat of migratory routes. The project also strives to
protect elephant against unnatural death and poachers.

Gir National Park– Considered as one of the most important protected areas in Asia, Gir National
Park is the only dwelling place of the Asiatic lions. Reckoned as one of the popular wildlife
sanctuaries in India, Gir is home to 2,375 distinct species of fauna.
Kaziranga Wildlife Sanctuary– Tucked beautifully in Assam, Kaziranga National Park is famed for
housing two-third population of the world’s great one-horned rhinoceroses. The sanctuary is
also titled as the World Heritage Site.

Dachigam National Park- Dachigam National Park boasts of preserving the Hangul. Also known as
Kashmir stag, it is the most famous subspecies of elk native to India. Initially, the park was
established to ensure supply of clean drinking water to the city of Srinagar.

The NGOs– Various NGOs endeavor to protect Indian wildlife. Some of them are 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).

Wildlife Sanctuaries in India

Various wildlife sanctuaries in India lure wildlife lovers and avid holidaymakers not only from
India but from abroad as well. With 17 biosphere reserves and more than 500 wildlife
sanctuaries in India to explore, one can rest assure of enthralling experiences.

Popular Wildlife Sanctuaries and National Park in India

Bandhavgarh National Park, Madhya Pradesh

Corbett National Park, Uttar Pradesh

Gir National Park & Sanctuary, Gujarat

Kanha National Park, Madhya Pradesh

Kaziranga National Park, Assam

Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala

Sunderbans National Park, West Bengal

Popular Biosphere Reserves in India

Agasthyamalai

Dibru Saikhowa

Manas

Nanda Devi

The Nilgiris

Nokrek

Pachmarhi

Simlipal

Sundarbans

Cold desert

Seshachalam Hills

Importance of Wildlife Conservation in India

Wildlife in India is confronting the danger of extinction because of illegal trading, excessive
poaching, pollution, loss of habitat and deforestation. Moreover, the disappearing wildlife holds
great economic and scientific value and disturbs the ecological balance. Thus, wildlife
conservation in India is surely the need of the hour.

Wildlife Conservation Initiatives by Indian Government

In 1894, Rudyard Kipling’s famous collection of stories got published and the rest is history.
Kipling’s incisive eyes and 6 years of hard work not only created a composition that excited kids
but indirectly boasts the rich wildlife in India. Even though it was just a fable it did show the
diversity of animals in the country. To really talk about diversity, India is one of the 17 mega
diversities in the world and is home to 7.6% of all mammal, 12.6% of bird, 6.2% of reptile, and
6.0% of flowering plant species. The country also has some of the most biodiverse regions on the
planet and it comprises of four of 35 biodiversity hotspots of the world like the Western Ghats,
the Eastern Himalayas, Indo-Burma and Nicobar Islands in Sundaland. So far, the country’s
wildlife is preserved in 120+ national parks, 515 wildlife sanctuaries, 26 wetlands, and 18 Bio-
Reserves, out of which 10 are part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves. Evidently, this
large biodiverse land needs protection, and inarguably conservation is a mandatory measure.
Keeping in view the recent human encroachment, the Indian Government did take effective
initiatives to conserve wildlife in the country, and amongst it, most commendable initiatives is
the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, which prohibits trade of rare and endangered species.
However, this is not the only laudatory measure taken by the Government of India (GOI), there is
so much more that needs to be told about the schemes and projects that have helped the
country maintain its rich wildlife. Here is a glance at the important wildlife conservation
initiatives that GOI has taken:

Important Wildlife Protection Projects by Indian Government

Project Tiger

Project Tiger 1972

One of the most successful wildlife conservation ventures 'Project Tiger' which was initiated way
back in 1972, has not only contributed to the conservation of tigers but also of the entire
ecosystem. This project is sponsored by Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change.
About 47 tiger reserves situated in more than 17 regions including Corbett National Park and
Ranthambore National Park are part of this project which conducts assessments of number of
tigers, their habitat, hunting habits under the supervision of the Tiger Task Force. Project Tiger
has seen significant success in recovery of the habitat and increase in the population of the
tigers in the reserve areas, from a scanty 268 in 9 reserves in 1972 to above 1000 in 28 reserves
in 2006 to 2000+ tigers in 2016.

Project Elephant

Project Elephant

Initiated in 1992 by the Government of India Project Elephant aims at conserving elephants and
their habitat and of migratory routes by developing scientific and planned management
measures. Under the project welfare of the domestic elephants is also considered, issues like
mitigation of human-elephant conflict are also taken care of. The project’s endeavour is to
strengthen the measures for protection of elephants against poachers and unnatural death.

Crocodile Conservation Project

Crocodile Conservation Project

This project is yet another successful venture by Government of India to conserve the Indian
Crocodiles, whose species were on the verge of extinction once. The project also contributes
towards the conservation in a plethora of related fields. The main objectives of the crocodile
project is to protect the remaining population of crocodiles and their natural habitat by
establishing sanctuaries; to promote captive breeding; to improve management; and to involve
the local people in the project intimately. It is worth noticing that with the initiation of Crocodile
Conservation Project, 4000 gharial/aligator, 1800 mugger/crocodile and 1500 saltwater
crocodiles could be restocked.

UNDP Sea Turtle Project

UNDP Sea Turtle Project

With an objective to conserve the Olive Ridley Turtles, the UNDP Sea Turtle Project was initiated
by Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun as the Implementing Agency in November 1999. The
project is for 10 coastal state in India especially Odisha where it has contributed towards the
preparation of a map of breeding sites of Sea Turtles; identification of breeding places and
habitats along the coast line, and migratory routes taken by Sea Turtles. The project also helped
in the development of guidelines to safeguard the turtle mortality rate and for tourism in sea
turtle areas. Amongst the major achievements of the project is the demonstration of use of
Satellite Telemetry to locate the migratory route of sea turtles in the sea.

Apart from these projects, GOI also has been handling projects like Vulture Conservation and
India Rhino Vision (IRV) 2020.

Steps Taken By Indian Government to Protect Biodiversity

Along with above specified conservation projects of the wild animals, GOI has also initiated few
schemes that are worked upon to protect the biodiversity and minimize the mortality of critically
endangered, endangered and threatened animals. Here are few important steps that
Government of India has taken for the wildlife protection:

In the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, GOI created Protected Areas like National Parks,
Sanctuaries, Conservation Reserves and Community Reserves for the wildlife and imposed
punishments on those indulged in illegal act of hunting.

Wetland (Conservation and Management) Rules 2010 have been drafted to protect of wetlands
in India. The Central Government has also initiated the scheme, National Plan for Conservation
of Aquatic Eco-System that lends assistance to the states for the sound management of all
wetlands.
In order to curb the illegal trade of wildlife and that of endangered species, Wildlife Crime
Control Bureau has been established.

Special organizations like Wildlife Institute of India, Bombay Natural History society and Salim Ali
Centre for Ornithology and Natural History are formed to conduct research on conservation of
wildlife.

To check the dwindling population of Gyps vulture in India, Government of India has banned the
veterinary use of diclofenac drug.

For restocking of the endangered species, the Central Government first initiated Integrated
Development of Wildlife Habitat Scheme and later modified it by including a new component,
Recovery of Endangered Species which included animals like Hangul/stag deer in Jammu &
Kashmir, Vultures in Punjab, Haryana and Gujarat, Snow Leopard in Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal
Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Arunachal Pradesh, Swiftlet in Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Nilgiri Tahr
in Tamil Nadu, Sangai Deer in Manipur. Financial and technical assistance is also extended to the
state government to provide better means of protection and conservation for the specified
species.

The State Governments have been asked to strengthen the field formations and increase
patrolling in and around the Protected Areas.

GOI intensified anti-poaching activities and initiated special patrolling strategy for monsoon
season. Also, deployment of anti-poaching squad.

In order to strengthen tiger conservation, National Tiger Conservation Authority is constituted by

A Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF) has also been constituted and is deployed in Karnataka,
Maharashtra and Odisha.

E-Surveillance has been started in Kaziranga National Park in Assam and borders of Ratapani
Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh.

Important Environment and Biodiversity Acts Passed by Indian Government

Fisheries Act 1897

Indian Forests Act 1927

Mining And Mineral Development Regulation Act 1957

Prevention of Cruelty To Animals 1960

Wildlife Protection Act 1972

Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974

Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1981

Environment Protection Act 1986

Biological Diversity Act 2002

Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Rights) Act 2006

Not only this, there are a few International schemes and projects that India has signed drafted
with its neighbours, Nepal and Bangladesh related to illegal wildlife species trade and
conservation of tigers and leopards. Apart from this, there are plenty of other legal,
administrative and financial steps that Government of India has taken for effective wildlife
conservation in the country. And apparently the success of its some projects and schemes
related to Indian Rhinos, tigers and poaching have earned it immense confidence to continue
working towards a prosperous and intact wildlife.

Wildlife conservation is the practice of protecting wild plant and animal species and their
habitats. Wildlife plays an important role in balancing the ecosystem and provides stability to
different natural processes of nature like rainfall (transpiration from plant), changing of
temperature (heat evolution by animals), and fertility of soil (making of manure by earthworm).
The goal of wildlife conservation is to ensure that nature will be around for future generations to
enjoy and also to recognize the importance of wildlife and wilderness for humans and other
species alike.[1] Many nations have government agencies and NGO's dedicated to wildlife
conservation, which help to implement policies designed to protect wildlife. Numerous
independent non-profit organizations also promote various wildlife conservation causes.[2]

Wildlife conservation has become an increasingly important practice due to the negative effects
of human activity on wildlife. An endangered species is defined as a population of a living
species that is in the danger of becoming extinct because the species has a very low or falling
population, or because they are threatened by the varying environmental or prepositional
parameters like land slides,increasement in temperature above optimum temperature, acid rain.

Major dangers to wildlife

Fewer natural wildlife habitat areas remain each year. Moreover, the habitat that remains has
often been degraded to bear little resemblance to the wild areas which existed in the past.
Habitat loss due to destruction, fragmentation, and degradation of habitat is the primary threat
to the survival of wildlife.

Climate change: Global warming is making hot days hotter, rainfall and flooding heavier,
hurricanes stronger and droughts more severe. This intensification of weather and climate
extremes will be the most visible impact of global warming in our everyday lives. It is also
causing dangerous changes to the landscape of our world, adding stress to wildlife species and
their habitat. Since many types of plants and animals have specific habitat requirements, climate
change could cause a disastrous loss of wildlife species. A slight drop or rise in average rainfall
will translate into large seasonal changes. Hibernating mammals, reptiles, amphibians and
insects are harmed and disturbed. Plants and wildlife are sensitive to moisture change so, they
will be harmed by any change in moisture level. Natural phenomena like floods, earthquakes,
volcanoes, lightning and forest fires also affect wildlife.[3][4]

Unregulated Hunting and poaching: Unregulated hunting and poaching causes a major threat to
wildlife. Along with this, mismanagement of forest department and forest guards triggers this
problem.

Pollution: Pollutants released into the environment are ingested by a wide variety of organisms.
Pesticides and toxic chemical being widely used, making the environment toxic to certain plants,
insects, and rodents.

Overexploitation: Overexploitation is the overuse of wildlife and plant species by people for
food, clothing, pets, medicine, sport, and many other purposes. People have always depended
on wildlife and plants for food, clothing, medicine, shelter and many other needs. More
resources are being consumed than the natural world can supply. The danger is that if too many
individuals of a species are taken from their natural environment, the species may no longer be
able to survive. The loss of one species can affect many other species in an ecosystem. The
hunting, trapping, collecting and fishing of wildlife at unsustainable levels is not something new.
The passenger pigeon was hunted to extinction, early in the last century, and over-hunting
nearly caused the extinction of the American bison and several species of whales.

Deforestation: Humans are continually expanding and developing, leading to an invasion of

Population: The increasing population of human beings is a major threat to wildlife. More people
on the globe means more consumption of food, water, and fuel, therefore more waste is
generated. Major threats to wildlife are directly related to the increasing population of human
beings. Low population of humans results in less disturbance to wildlife.The activities like nuclear
test ,use of phones,loudspeaker etc produce harmful radiations which decrease the growth rate
of animals and plants.These radiations also change the genetic order of DNA.Nowadays
governments are making laws to restrict the use of loudspeaker,fire crackers and many harmful
substances.

Culling: Culling is the deliberate and selective killing of wildlife by governments as a population
control measure. An example of this is shark culling, in which Australian government shark
control programs have killed thousands of sharks, as well as turtles, dolphins, whales, and other
marine life. [5][6][7] There are also examples of population culling in the United States, such as
bison in Montana and swans, geese, and deer in New York and other places.[8][9]

Wildlife conservation as a government involvement

The marking off of a sea turtle nest. Anna Maria, Florida, 2012.

In 1972, the Government of India enacted a law called the Wild Life (Protection) Act. In America,
the Endangered Species Act of 1973 protects some U.S. species that were in danger from
overexploitation, and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and
Flora (CITES) works to prevent the global trade of wildlife, but there are many species that are
not protected from being illegally traded or being over-harvested. The World Conservation
Strategy was developed in 1980 by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and
Natural Resources (IUCN) with advice, cooperation and financial assistance of the United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Wildlife Fund and in collaboration with the Food
and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco)"[10] The strategy aims to "provide an intellectual
framework and practical guidance for conservation actions."[10] This thorough guidebook covers
everything from the intended "users" of the strategy to its very priorities. It even includes a map
section containing areas that have large seafood consumption and are therefore endangered by
overfishing. The main sections are as follows:

According to the National Wildlife Federation, wildlife conservation in the United States gets a
majority of its funding through appropriations from the federal budget, annual federal and state
grants, and financial efforts from programs such as the Conservation Reserve Program, Wetlands
Reserve Program and Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program.[11][12] Furthermore, a substantial
amount of funding comes from the state through the sale of hunting/fishing licenses, game tags,
stamps, and excise taxes from the purchase of hunting equipment and ammunition, which
collects around $2000 million annually.[13]

The objectives of conservation and requirements for their achievement:

Maintenance of essential ecological processes and life-support systems.

Preservation of genetic diversity that is flora and fauna.

Sustainable utilization of species and ecosystems.

Priorities for national action:

Policy making and the integration of conservation and development.

Environmental planning and rational use allocation.

Priorities for international action:

International action: law and assistance.

Tropical forests and drylands.

A global programme for the protection of genetic resource areas.

Map sections:

Tropical forests.

Deserts and areas subject to desertification.

Non-government involvement

As major development agencies became discouraged with the public sector of environmental
conservation in the late 1980s, these agencies began to lean their support towards the “private
sector” or non-government organizations (NGOs).[14] In a World Bank Discussion Paper it is
made apparent that “the explosive emergence of nongovernmental organizations” was widely
known to government policymakers. Seeing this rise in NGO support, the U.S. Congress made
amendments to the Foreign Assistance Act in 1979 and 1986 “earmarking U.S. Agency for
International Development (USAID) funds for biodiversity”.[14] From 1990 moving through
recent years environmental conservation in the NGO sector has become increasingly more
focused on the political and economic impact of USAID given towards the “Environment and
Natural Resources”.[15] After the terror attacks on the World Trade Centers on September 11,
2001 and the start of former President Bush’s War on Terror, maintaining and improving the
quality of the environment and natural resources became a “priority” to “prevent international
tensions” according to the Legislation on Foreign Relations Through 2002[15] and section 117 of
the 1961 Foreign Assistance Act.[15] Furthermore, in 2002 U.S. Congress modified the section on
endangered species of the previously amended Foreign Assistance Act.

Active non-government organizations

Many NGOs exist to actively promote, or be involved with wildlife conservation:

The Nature Conservancy is a US charitable environmental organization that works to preserve

World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is an international non-governmental organization working
on the issues regarding the conservation, research and restoration of the environment, formerly
named the World Wildlife Fund, which remains its official name in Canada and the United States.
It is the world's largest independent conservation organization with over 5 million supporters
worldwide, working in more than 90 countries, supporting around 1300[4] conservation and
environmental projects around the world. It is a charity, with approximately 60% of its funding
coming from voluntary donations by private individuals. 45% of the fund's income comes from
the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States.[17]

WildTeam

Wildlife Conservation Society

Audubon Society

Traffic (conservation programme)

Born Free Foundation

African Wildlife Defence Force

Save Cambodia's Wildlife

WildEarth Guardians