Conservation of Wildlife in India
Wildlife is an important and integral part of our world. It not only beautifies our world but is also a source of pride for countries, governments & communities who have taken up the responsibility of conserving nature & wildlife in their original form. Nowadays we feel need to conserve our wildlife because the past few decades were not very good for the conservation of wildlife in India.
The reason for a need to conserve our wildlife resources is to maintain ecological balance. Lots and lots of activities that we perform every day such as deforestation, mining, hunting, and poaching are hurting wildlife in some way. Our greed is responsible for the extinction of some wildlife species, while putting many others in the endangered list. Hunting was a favorite sport for people in the past time, trophy killing animals and stuffing them for showcases was considered as bravery.
But now the condition is different, many forest department and NGO’s have gathered and taken full responsibility to help in conservation wildlife. Demarcation of protected sanctuaries to restrict & control human intervention has allowed wildlife to take control.
Steps taken for conservation of wildlife
Project tiger
Project Tiger was initiated by the Indian government to ensure the safety of tigers. There was a time in India when the tiger population was decreasing exponentially. Due to excessive trophy hunting during the Raj period and then due to poaching for it’s body parts tiger population came to a fraction of what it used to be. This project took off in 1972, inaugurated by the ministry of environment, forest and climate change. Many celebrities have now joined this project and have appealed people to come forward to help in protecting our national animal. Project Tiger is a huge success of India and now the tiger population is coming back to normal stats.
The project elephant started in 1992 by Indian forest ministry. The aim of this project was not only to restore the elephant population but also to stop unnatural deaths. It focussed on preventing poaching & man-animal conflicts. While protection against killing was it’s primary goal, it was not possible to achieve without the protection & re-juvination of natural habitat of Elephants. Elephants come in conflict with when they venture out of their habitats, this initiative not only focussed on the core issue but also tried to address undelying causes of the problem.
Project crocodile had become a necessity some years ago because the crocodiles were about to extinct. This project, launched in 1975, is an example of highly successfull campaign as the population of Indian crocodiles recovered from certain extinction and is flourishing. The primary reason for dwindling crocodile population was loss of habitats. Artificial habitats were created and natural ones were protected in sanctuaries to allow success of breeding programmes. The crocodile population is now increasing at constant rate India all thanks to project crocodile.
Sea turtle is one of the most endangered animals in the world. Continuous decline in sightings and population in 90’s led to the launch of project ‘Sea turtle’ in1999. This project aims at tracking the turtles for bringing them to breeding places and migratory tracks. Turtle’s breeding places should be monitored properly to decrease the death rate and help them to breed with speed. Sea turtle is one of the most beautiful sea creatures and many steps were taken by UNDP to protect them.
Rules & Regulations regarding protection of wildlife
Following laws have provided much needed legal framework for protection & the conservation of wildlife in India;
- Wildlife protection Act 1972
- Wetland rules 2010
- Fishery Act 1897
- Prevention of cruelty to animals 1960
- Biological diversity Act 2002
- Forest conservation act 1980
The government forms dedicated special task forces for the purpose of protecting species from abuse of all kinds and judiciary has generally been strict against the people who break the law.
The current legislative & policy framework is not strong enough to deter habitual offenders. For time & again implementation of law by local authorities is proven to be a weak link.
NGO’s and community
There are hundreds of Ngo’s who work for the social cause and some have taken up the cause of nature. They organize awareness drives to bring local communities onboard and collect funds. They also arrange wildlife protection drives and tree plantation drives to make a difference of the ground. For children to understand the need for conserving wildlife, they encourage participation of schools. The government provide financial aids to some NGOs and allows others to collect funds through private & corporate donations. Ngo’s work very responsibly to protect the natural habitat of animals and whole wildlife as well. Eco-tourism plays an important role in creating awareness and resources required for conservation.
We believe that wildlife is now suffering a lot due to human activities and greed. Humans have captured many animals and snatched away from their homes from them and jungles are continuously being converted into cropland and commercial lands. Wildlife is very important for maintaining the ecological balance of an area. Wildlife is equally important to us as the air and water are, so it is the high time that we should understand our responsibility and conserve it. Many government departments and Ngo’s are working hand in hand to protect wildlife. PETA is annually contributing a lot just to maintain the balance of wildlife by conserving it. People worldwide are now coming up with their wildlife conservation ideas and are ready to do anything for wildlife conservation.
