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. However, the past
few decades have seen the greed and negligence of human beings working to the detriment
of this rich wildlife. Pollution, climate charge, deforestation, industrialization and population
explosion have destroyed the natural habitat of wildlife. Hunting, habitat reduction and land
degradation have threatened the biodiversity in the industrialized world. Due to this, some
animals like the Indian cheetah 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 are
slowly understanding their responsibility. 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. Wildlife is a national resource that maintains
ecological balance and is beneficial for economic, recreational and aesthetic proposes.
Therefore, the need for wildlife conservation has now become a necessity.

Major wildlife conservation programmes:

PROJECT TIGER
• It is a centrally sponsored scheme launched in 1973 this project aims to stem the
dwindling population of the endangered Bengal tiger and work to increase their
numbers. The project aims to ensure a viable population of Bengal tigers in their
natural habitats, protecting them from extinction, and preserving areas of biological
importance as a natural heritage forever represented as close as possible the diversity
of ecosystems across the distribution of tigers in the country. The Tiger population has
been reduced from the last decades as evident from the tiger consensus held every
four years. At the beginning of the 20th century, there were around 40,000 tigers in
India as compared to the tiger consensus of 2008 which revealed only 1,411 tigers
remaining.
• Tiger Protection Force comeback was initiated to combat poachers and funds were
given to villagers who leave in the wildlife reserve to avoid animal-human conflict.
• A national ban was imposed on Tiger Hunting in 1970, and the project was
administered by the National Tiger Conservation Authority.
• The program had started with 9 Tiger reserves. Currently, there are around 39 Project
Tiger wildlife reserves in India encompassing an area of more than 37,761 sq. km.
• ‘Project Tiger’ is considered to be the most successful conservation project all
throughout India. Owing to the project, the number of tigers increased to 2,226 as per
 the census report released in 2015. State surveys have reported a significant increase
in the tiger population which was estimated at 2,967 during the 2018 count.

PROJECT ELEPHANT
• It is also a centrally sponsored scheme, launched in 1992 to provide financial and
technical support to wildlife management efforts by states for their free-ranging
populations of wild Asian Elephants. The project aims to ensure the long-term survival
to the populations of elephants in their natural habitats by protecting the elephants,
their habitats and migration corridors. Other goals of Project Elephant are supporting
the research of the ecology and management of elephants, creating awareness of
conservation among local people, providing improved veterinary care for captive
elephants.
• As a part of this project, 25 elephant reserves were made in India in 13 states and
Union Territories, and 10 reserves have implemented ‘MIKE’-Monitoring of Illegal killing
of Elephants.
• The existing natural habitats and migratory routes of elephants were ecologically
restored and strictest adherence was imposed to "No poaching" acts formulated for
minimizing cases of unnatural deaths of elephants due to human interference
• Haathi Mere Saathi scheme was also launched by the Ministry of Environment, Forest
and Climate Change in partnership with wildlife trust of India to to generate
groundswell support from various stakeholders for the country’s National Heritage
Animal.

National Parks:
JIM CORBETT NATIONAL PARK
• Jim Corbett National Park is the oldest national park in India and was established in
1936 as Hailey National Park to protect the endangered Bengal tiger. It is located in
Nainital district and Pauri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand and was named after hunter
and naturalist Jim Corbett. The park was the first to come under the Project Tiger
initiative. The National Park is an ideal home to a wide variety of wildlife species.

• Corbett National Park comprises 520.8 km2 area of hills, riverine belts, marshy
depressions, grasslands and a large lake. The thick jungle, the Ramganga river and
plentiful prey make this reserve an ideal habitat for tigers which prey upon a range of
animals.
• Though the main focus is protection of wildlife, the reserve management has also
encouraged ecotourism. The Indian government has organised workshops on
ecotourism in Corbett National Park and Garhwal region to ensure that the citizens
become aware of their environmental obligance while the profit from tourism may be
used for the maintenance and protection of the park.
 • Major wildlife conservation projects like Project Tiger, Crocodile Conservation and
Project Elephant are running in Jim Corbett to protect its flora and fauna. The Corbett
Foundation comprises a set of devoted men and women, who are dedicated to the
conservation of wildlife and nature’s bounty, and to the accomplishment of the goal that
human beings and nature must breathe together in coherence. The Corbett foundation
is working rigorously for the conservation of wildlife, and they carry out initiatives such
as Nature Camps, Nature Walks, Signature Camps, Tiger Programs and Presentation
on tiger conservation in schools.

Sanctuary:
KAZIRANGA NATIONAL PARK
• Kaziranga National Park is a national park in the Golaghat, Karbi Anglong and Nagaon
districts of the state of Assam, India. The sanctuary, which hosts two-thirds of the
world's great one-horned rhinoceroses, is a World Heritage Site. According to the
census held in March 2018, the rhino population in Kaziranga National Park is 2,413.
• Kaziranga is home to the highest density of tigers among protected areas in the world,
and was declared a Tiger Reserve in 2006. The park is home to large breeding
populations of elephants, wild water buffalo, and swamp deer. Kaziranga is recognized
as an Important Bird Area for conservation of avifaunal species. When compared with
other protected areas in India, Kaziranga has achieved notable success in wildlife
conservation. Located on the edge of the Eastern Himalaya biodiversity hotspot, the
park combines high species diversity and visibility.
• Kaziranga National Park has been granted maximum protection under the Indian law
for wildlife conservation. Various laws, which range in dates from the Assam Forest
Regulation of 1891 and the Biodiversity Conservation Act of 2002 have been enacted
for protection of wildlife in the park. The rising demand of one horned rhinos in the
illegal wildlife trade is the greatest matter of concern for the authorities working for
wildlife conservation in Kaziranga. Preventive measures such as construction of anti-
poaching camps and maintenance of existing ones, patrolling, intelligence gathering,
surveillance cameras and control over the use of firearms around the park have
reduced the number of casualties due to illegal poaching. To prevent the spread of
diseases and to maintain the genetic distinctness of the wild species, systematic steps
such as immunization of livestock in surrounding villages and fencing of sensitive
areas of the park, which are susceptible to encroachment by local cattle, are
undertaken periodically. The recent wildlife census showed an increase of 39 one
horned rhinos at Kaziranga which shows the success of the above mentioned efforts.

Efforts for wildlife conservation: In the last few decades, in response to decrease in the
numbers of wild animals, human encroachment and poaching activities, and to promote
wildlife awareness among the people, the Indian government has started various natural
projects and programs such as Nature Camps and Jungle Lodges. These projects not only
help to preserve our natural heritage, but encourage eco-tourism as well. The government of
India established a system of national parks and protected areas in 1935, which was
subsequently expanded. In 1972, India enacted the Wildlife Protection Act and Project Tiger
to safeguard crucial animal habitats. Further, federal protections were promulgated in the
1980s. The other initiatives undertaken by the Government of India to conserve wildlife are as
follows:

 The Forest Conservation Act 1980 was enacted to lessen the large-scale habitat
destruction caused by deforestation.
 India also indorsed the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of
Wild Fauna and Flora (CITIES) in 1976. As a result, ban was imposed on the
commercial trading of Asian elephants which involved the export of ivory.
 There has been a significant change in the Forest Department’s planning policy, which
not only brought an end to the alteration of first-growth forests into eucalyptus
plantations, but it also swung the importance from a commercially-centered forest
management to the conservation-centered forest management.
 The elephants have enjoyed an absolute protection in Uttar Pradesh, since the
promulgation of a Wild Elephant Protection Act 1879. The authorities are also putting
their efforts to instigate Rajaji National Park, Motichur and Chilla reserves.
 The Forest Department also compensated the families whose persons were killed by
the wild animals.
 The capturing of elephants had been banned and immense punishment was dealt out
to poachers.
 A new conservation area was also established which was named as Nilgiri Biosphere
Reserve covering 5,520 km2. This area protects elephants ranging from North of
Palghat Gap in Karnataka, Tamilnadu, and Kerala.
 The Karnataka state government has decided to exclude tourist development on
elephant migration routes all throughout the Kabini River.

Results of conservation programmes: Under the Indian Wildlife (protection) Act 1972,
certain species are protected, certain activities (such as hunting at specified times of the year
or in specified locations) are forbidden, and a much larger area of land is protected under
national parks. Prior to the Act, hunting of endangered species such as tigers, elephants, and
leopards was widespread, and led to each of these species becoming endangered. Since the
Act was developed, many people have been convicted of offences related to poaching,
hunting out of season, and killing endangered animals. The most notable of these are
convictions related to tiger poaching: up to April 2010, at least 16 people were convicted of
offences related to killing tigers. An extremely positive effect of the Wildlife Act is that before it
was enacted, India had just five national parks. Today, that number has grown to at least 103,
with more proposed parks in the process of being developed. Many other protected areas
exist, including over 500 wildlife sanctuaries, 48 tiger reserves, 18 biosphere reserves, and a
number of private protected areas, conservation areas, and community reserves. As of July
2016, 4.89% of India’s land area was dedicated to wildlife conservation zones. Another huge
area of success for conservation efforts in India is the implementation of tiger reserves. In
2010, an estimated 1711 tigers remained in India’s jungles – just 2% of the population that
existed 100 years ago. However, in the past six years, the population has increased to around
2500 tigers. Also, the number of the Indian one-horned rhinoceros is steadily growing across
India and Nepal. From the 600 odd rhinos left in the wild in 1975, there are more than 3,555
roaming in the wild now. These facts point to very successful conservational efforts in our
country.

Conclusion: In concluding, it is very important to conserve and protect wildlife. Following are
some of the reasons why wildlife protection is of utmost importance: Biodiversity is essential
for a healthy and functional ecosystem. If wildlife is extracted from its natural habitat, the
delicate balance of the ecosystem will be disturbed which will then lead to disastrous results.
For instance, there is a wide diversity of species living in a tropical rain forest. If any species
should become extinct, the food chain will be disrupted affecting all the species. For this
reason, promoting biodiversity is one of the main reasons why we should protect wildlife.
Secondly, we as humans can learn a lot from animals which have the potential to benefit the
human race. For instance, a lot of medicines have been derived from the chemicals produced
by animals. These medicines are then used to help cure various health conditions, such as
heart diseases, disorders, and other illnesses. Thirdly, Wildlife diversity has a broad appeal.
The psychological benefits of biodiversity for humans can be difficult to measure, but they're
also difficult to dismiss. Research indicates that eco-tourists experience a tremendous sense
of wonder, contentment, and fulfilment from their wildlife encounters. And lastly, when we
conserve and protect the natural habitat of wildlife species, we enrich our planet. To do so, we
must keep the animals in their natural place. Conservation of natural habitats will also be
beneficial for humans since it helps keep the essential watersheds intact and ensuring clean,
fresh water. There are many reasons - both emotional and practical - why wildlife
conservation is important. Conservation can have powerful, direct impacts on the daily lives of
people around the world, as well as on plant and animal life and the environment as a whole.
Thus, it must be our prime responsibility to protect the rich biodiversity of our country and
spread the awareness to all around us.

Acknowledgment: I would like to express my special thanks of gratitude to my teacher Mrs.

Bibliography:

• en.wikipedia.org
• www.animalstime.com
• www.unodc.org
• www.indianholiday.com
• www.silverphoenixllc.com