GEOGRAPHY

WILDLIFE CONSERVATION EFFORTS IN INDIA

MEANING

Wildlife traditionally refers to undomesticated animal species, but has come to include all organisms that grow or
live wild in an area without being introduced by humans.[1] Wildlife can be found in
all ecosystems. Deserts, forests, rain forests, plains, grasslands and other areas including the most
developed urban areas, all have distinct forms of wildlife. While the term in popular culture usually refers to
animals that are untouched by human factors, most scientists agree that much wildlife is affected by human
activities.[2]
Humans have historically tended to separate civilization from wildlife in a number of ways including the legal,
social, and moral sense. Some animals, however, have adapted to suburban environments. This includes such
animals as domesticated cats, dogs, mice, and gerbils. Some religions declare certain animals to be sacred, and
in modern times concern for the natural environment has provoked activists to protest against the exploitation of
wildlife for human benefit or entertainment.
The global wildlife population decreased by 52 percent between 1970 and 2014, according to a report by
the World Wildlife Fund.[3]
IMPORTANCE

Wildlife plays an important role in balancing the environment. Wild life provides a stability to different natural
processes of nature. The importance of wildlife can be categorized as ecological importance, economic
importance, investigatory importance, conservation of biological diversities etc.

Ecological importance

Wildlife helps in maintaining the balance of nature. Killing of carnivores leads to an increase in the
number of herbivores which in turn affect the forest vegetation, thus due to lack of food in the forest
they come out from the forest to agriculture land and destroy our crops. Therefore, once the
equilibrium is disturbed it leads to many problems.

Economic importance

The wild life can be used to earn money. Wild plant products like food, medicine, timber, fibres, etc.
are of economic value and the wild animal products such as meat, medicines, hide, ivory, lac, silk, etc.
are of tremendous economic value.

Investigatory importance

Some wild organisms are used for scientific experiments such as to test effect of medicine. Generally monkey,
chimpanzee, etc. are used for scientific experiments.

1. Conservation of biological diversities

2. By conserving wildlife, diversity in the environment can be conserved. According to some scientists an
ecosystem with more diversity is more stable.

As a gene bank

Group of genes of a population of any particular area is called as gene bank. To produce disease resistant
variety diversity in gene bank is necessary.

Recreation

A visit to the parks and sanctuaries is an enjoyable proposition for children as well as adult. Thus, wildlife is
best means of recreation.

Cultural importance

The wildlife of India has rooted effects on religion, art, sculpture and literature. Many mythological stories and
children's stories are based on wildlife.
Importance in agriculture

Wild organisms are very important for modern agriculture. Importance of wildlife in agriculture field are as
follows:

1. Production of new hybrid variety using wild plants.

2. Production of better hybrid variety of animals used for agriculture using wild animals.

3. New species of plants and animals can be produced by them.

IMPORTANCE OF WILDLIFE CONSERVATION

Wildlife plays an important role in balancing the ecosystem and provides stability to different natural
processes of nature.

Seven Major Reasons Why Wildlife Should Be Conserved:

Wildlife is a source of medicine: more than 40,000 species of plants, animals, fungi and microscopic animals are
used in some way to benefit humans. Ore than a third of pharmaceuticals originated from wild plants.

Wildlife enriches food production: Bees, bats, birds, among other animals help plants become productive by
serving as agents of pollination.

Wildlife serves as models for man’s innovations and inventions: Inventors and engineers modeled some
submarines on fish movement. Nematodes were used by scientists to model an electronic robot that can detect
land mines. Airplanes were modeled after birds.

Wildlife serves as food to people: Animals like wild pigs, deer, and a whole lot of coastal and marine life like
fishes, crabs, mollusks, shells, among others support human population.

Wildlife serves as gene pool for pest-resistant strains: Scientists look for resistant strains in wild plants because
wild plants have evolved features resistant to disease.

Wildlife is a pool of nutrients and determines the rate and extent of nutrient distribution: Wildlife controls the rate
and extent by which nutrients are being distributed in an ecosystem. Animals scatter their manure or excretions in
different places and make the soil fertile.

Wildlife has bequest value. 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.

Wildlife sanctuaries
A wildlife refuge, also known as a wildlife sanctuary, is a naturally occurring sanctuary, such as an island, that
provides protection for wildlife species from hunting, predation, competition or poaching; it is a protected
area, a geographic territory within which wildlife is protected. Refuges can preserve animals that are
endangered.

Such wildlife refuges are generally officially designated territories. They are created by government legislation,
publicly or privately owned. Unofficial sanctuaries can also occur as a result of human accidents; the Chernobyl
Exclusion Zone has in practice become a wildlife refuge since very few people live in the area. Wildlife has
flourished in the Zone since the Chernobyl nuclear accident in 1986.[1]

In the United States, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service applies the term "refuge" to various categories of areas
administered by the Secretary of the Interior for the conservation of fish and wildlife. The Refuge System
includes areas administered for the protection and conservation of fish and wildlife that are threatened with
extinction, as well as wildlife ranges, game ranges, wildlife management areas, and waterfowl production
areas.[2]

Biosphere reserves
Biosphere reserves are areas comprising terrestrial, marine and coastal ecosystems. Each reserve promotes
solutions reconciling the conservation of biodiversity with its sustainable use.
Biosphere reserves are ‘Science for Sustainability support sites’ – special places for testing interdisciplinary
approaches to understanding and managing changes and interactions between social and ecological systems,
including conflict prevention and management of biodiversity.

Biosphere reserves are nominated by national governments and remain under the sovereign jurisdiction of the
states where they are located. Their status is internationally recognized.

National parks
National park, an area set aside by a national government for the preservation of the natural environment. A
national park may be set aside for purposes of public recreation and enjoyment or because of its historical or
scientific interest. Most of the landscapes and their accompanying plants and animals in a national park are
kept in their natural state. The national parks in the United States and Canada tend to focus on the protection
of both land and wildlife, those in the United Kingdom focus mainly on the land, and those in Africa primarily
exist to conserve animals. Several other countries have large areas reserved in national parks, notably Brazil,
Japan, India, and Australia.

It is generally thought that the concept of a park or nature reserve under state ownership originated in the
United States in 1870 and that the world’s first such park was Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, created
through legislation signed by U.S. Pres. Ulysses S. Grant in 1872. However, some naturalists and others have
argued that there is evidence that indicates that the creation of Yellowstone was predated by the creation of
Bogd Khan Mountain National Park in Mongolia, which may date from as early as 1778.

Biodiversity parks
It is now well understood that the last century has seen unprecedented loss of ecosystems that flourished on
the banks of river Yamuna, the siwalik foothills, and the northern limits of the Aravallis. This has occurred
primarily owing to habitat conversion and urbanization. The unique habitats in these areas harboured
extraordinary diversity of flora and fauna, which are now either lost or highly diminished. One of the major
objectives of the Biodiversity Parks is to create refugia for such biodiversity so that is can be conserved for
posterity.

In a short span of four years, the dedicated team of professional and volunteers at the Park have been able to
bring back a large number of plants and animals and recreate representative communities and ecosystems.

Wildlife conservation centers

Corbett National Park, Uttarakhand

Ranthambore National Park, Rajasthan

Bandipur National Park, Karnataka

Keoladeo Ghana National Park – Bharatpur, Rajasthan

Nagarhole National Park, Karnataka

Sariska National Park, Rajasthan

Kaziranga National Park, Assam

Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary, Karnataka

Kanha National Park, Madhya Pradesh

Sundarbans National Park, West Bengal

Bandhavgarh National Park, Madhya Pradesh

Gir National Park and Sasan Gir Sanctuary, Gujarat

Periyar National Park, Kerala

Pench National Park, Madhya Pradesh

Manas National Park, Assam

Dudhwa National Park, Uttar Pradesh

Panna National Park, Madhya Pradesh

Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve, Maharashtra

Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala

The Great Himalayan National Park, Himachal Pradesh

Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary, Karnataka

Silent Valley National Park, Kerala

Rajaji National Park, Uttarakhand

Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary, Goa

Hemis National Park, Jammu and Kashmir

Laws for the protection of wildlife

The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 is an Act of the Parliament of India enacted for protection of plants and
animal species. Before 1972, India only had five designated national parks. Among other reforms, the Act
established schedules of protected plant and animal species; hunting or harvesting these species was largely
outlawed. [1] The Act provides for the protection of wild animals, birds and plants; and for matters connected
therewith or ancillary or incidental thereto. It extends to the whole of India, except the State of Jammu and
Kashmir which has its own wildlife act. It has six schedules which give varying degrees of protection. Schedule I
and part II of Schedule II provide absolute protection - offences under these are prescribed the highest
penalties. Species listed in Schedule III and Schedule IV are also protected, but the penalties are much lower.
Schedule V includes the animals which may be hunted. The specified endemic plants in Schedule VI are
prohibited from cultivation and planting. The hunting to the Enforcement authorities have the power to
compound offences under this Schedule (i.e. they impose fines on the offenders). Up to April 2010 there have
been 16 convictions under this act relating to the death of tigers.

Detailed Info on Wildlife Sanctuary

A wildlife sanctuary is a place of refuge where abused, injured and abandoned captive wildlife may live in
peace and dignity for the remainder of their lives.

True wildlife sanctuaries do not breed or exploit for commercial activites (including, but not limited to: use of
animals for entertainment or sport, sale or trade of animals, their offspring or animal parts and by-products.)

A true sanctuary respects the integrity of individual animals, providing safe, healthy, and secure refuge in
enclosures specifically designed for the unique animals whom they support.

Experts estimate that there are about 1,200 exotic animal facilities which provide the barest minimum of care
for thousands of animals with little or no knowledge of animals’ nutritional or behavioral needs. These facilities
often breed animals to provide cute babies as an attraction for public display and for sale, and many depend on
public sale of “treats” for the animals as the major source of food.
These facilities often function as the end-of-the-line for surplus animals who can no longer earn dollars for
mainstream zoos, circuses, traveling shows and exotic pets. They often call themselves “sanctuaries” while they
continue to breed and exploit the animals in their care. “Pseudo-sanctuaries” are really a part of the animal
industry but attempt to cover themselves with the positive “sanctuary” label, using their animals as fund-
raising tools with appearances on television shows to plead for funds or displaying them for photo sessions at
shopping malls and fund-raising events.

At PAWS, rescued animals live in peaceful and natural habitats, free from fear, chains and harsh confinement.
Individually designed enclosures encourage natural behavior and dedicated keeping staff monitor the animals
24/7, 365 days a year.

No true sanctuary should be involved in breeding or commercial exploitation of the animals in its care. PAWS’
animals are not bred, traded, sold, rented or forced to perform. With the exception of a limited number of
planned educational and fundraising events held annually, PAWS’ facilities are not open to the public.