Conservation of Indian Wildlife
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Conservation of Indian Wildlife relates to several attempts to protect wild species in India. Enactment of Wildlife Protection Act, initiation of projects like Project Tiger by the Government of India, establishment of organizations like WWF-India are the various efforts towards the protection of Indian Wildlife.
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Conservation of Indian wildlife is the protection of different species of flora and fauna in the country, which are considered to be rich natural heritage. Some Indian species are extremely rare and therefore require protection. Some are endangered due to their reducing population in the wild and some are either vulnerable (species which can become endangered, if conditions threatening their existence and reproduction do not improve) or threatened (species susceptible to endangerment in near future). Conservancy and conservation were terms first used to describe a set of forestry practices. With the rarity of key game birds and animals over time, they acquired a wider meaning. Hunting, poaching, human encroachment, increasing deforestation as well as negligence started posing a threat to the existence of Indian wildlife. Conservation of Indian wildlife is considered to be a significant step for promoting awareness about Indian wildlife among people. Thus, conservation projects were initiated in India and are given due importance.
History of Conservation of Indian Wildlife
In the past, one of the first steps towards the conservation of Indian wildlife was the declaration of several species as completely off the list of hunting. It was a small but a significant step. Several forest rules were formulated in many provinces for the conservation of Indian wildlife. An awareness of the plight of extinct creatures like the quagga in South Africa and the decline of bison in North America did have some effect on the initiation of conservation of Indian wildlife. Many reserved forests sheltered an array of wild animals and birds. But small and significant steps were taken to protect certain species that were likely to vanish. During British rule in India, the issue of survival and extinction of rare wildlife was closely linked to forest laws. One of the first species to benefit was the great Indian one-horned rhinoceros. In 1908, a large tract of grassland along the banks of the Brahmaputra River in Assam was set aside as a rhino reserve. Such protection in the wet grassland was far more effective than the efforts to regulate or ban the trade in rhino horn, which continued until the end of the colonial era in India.
Steps for Conservation of Indian Wildlife
There were only five national parks before 1972 in India. Kaziranga Natoional Park in Assam is a leading example of the effort to save the rare rhinoceros. Dachigam National Park is involved in saving hangul or Kashmir stag. Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala is another effort towards preserving wild elephants and tigers. Wildlife sanctuaries, bird sanctuaries, tiger reserves, elephant reserves and biosphere reserves are other types of special areas present in India. When the Parliament of India enacted the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, schedules of protected plant and animal species were framed and hunting or harvesting of these species was largely forbidden. The Government of India started several projects as well as programmes for the conservation of Indian wildlife. These projects not only help in the preservation of Indian wildlife, but also encourage eco-tourism. Project Tiger is one of the most successful efforts taken by the government to protect and preserve the tiger population in India. Wildlife Conservation Society is an Indian program which is involved in protecting wildlife and wild lands. The society conducts wildlife based research activities and helps in building positive attitudes towards nature. India has organizations like WWF-India and Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), which are involved in the conservation of Indian wildlife. Other conservation measures include establishment of jungle lodges and nature camps and control of cattle grazing in tiger reserves and accumulation of research data regarding environmental changes. Moreover, there are various NGO’s (non-governmental organization) in different states that are involved in the conservation of Indian wildlife.
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Conservation of Indian Wildlife
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