Wildlife in India has religious and aristocratic background. It has been regarded as a symbol of fascination, awe, grandeur and reverence in the roots of Indian cultural sociology. Our mythology reflects it when it confers an exalted veneration on many wild animals by symbolizing them as the vehicles of Hindu Gods and Goddesses and as incarnations of God. There have always been twin themes associated with the wildlife since the early days of Indian society; a subject of dangers to be confronted and beauty to be enjoyed. When Rama is about to set on his long exile in the forests, his mother Kaushalya expresses her fears for his safety, which paints a portrait of the forest as a place of hidden menace. But a very different picture of the same emerges when Sita accompanies her husband in exile. The forested lands are a source of pleasure for her. Beauty replaces the menace. Indian wildlife, being a heritage in its true sense, finds its fair share in the ancient and modern literature. Infact, the common name for wilderness in India is Jungle which has been made famous in The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling. India's wildlife has been the subject of numerous other tales and fables such as the Panchatantra and the Jataka tales. The national heritage of India includes both cultural and natural sites. Our cultural legacy is beyond doubt the most majestic across the world; what is more, we are proud of our natural and wildlife heritage which continues to attract the focus of a great number of nature lovers, wildlife enthusiasts, environmentalists and holiday-makers.
The wildlife attractions of India are huge and worth appreciating. India is one of the 17 identified mega diverse countries of the world. From about 70 percent of the total geographical area surveyed so far, 45,500 plant species and 91,000 animal species, representing about seven percent of the world's flora and 6.5 per cent of the world's fauna have been described. The biological diversity of India contributes 8 per cent to the known global biological diversity. Numerous rare and endangered species of animals, birds and reptiles can be found in the country. India is home to several well known large mammals including the Asian Elephant, Bengal Tiger, Asiatic Lion, Leopard, Sloth Bear and Indian Rhinoceros, often engrained culturally and religiously.
The distribution of wildlife in India can be vaguely classified into certain geographical regions. The Himalayan foothills is one of the richest areas for the typical big mammals of Northern India. The Elephant, The Swamp Deer, Cheetal, Hog Deer, Barking Deer, Wild Boar and The Great Indian One Horned Rhinoceros all abound in this area. This is also the famous tiger country immortalized by Jim Corbett. The High Altitude Region of Western Himalayas comprises of Kashmir & Western Ladakh to Kumaon. The Wild Ass, the bovid family, most species of wild goats and sheep, antelopes like the Chiru, the Tibetan gazelle and the Musk Deer inhabits this high altitude region. The animal life in the temperate region of the The Eastern Himalayan Sub-Zone is different from the western Himalayas and is characterized by typical species like The Red Panda, Hog Badgers, Ferret Badgers, Crestless Porcupines and several other goat antelopes. However, Peninsular India and the Drainage Basin of the Ganges is the true home of the Indian wildlife heritage. Some of the larger inhabitants of the Indian deciduous forests are Elephant, Munijak, the auriferous Sambar deer and the ubiquitous Wild Boar. Two large antelopes, the Nilgai and the Blackbuck and the Chinkara gazelle, the smallest of the antelopes also inhabit the open habitats of the deciduous wood lands. The two big savannah cats of Peninsular India, the Cheetah and the Lion are the embodiment of wildlife heritage of India.
In recent decades, human intervention has posed a threat to India's wildlife heritage. This is an indicant of abysmally low standards and dismal sustainment policies that many of our wildlife species are on a brink of extinction. The heritage of plant and animal life needs to be preserved not only because of the immense current benefits and future gains to us, but also for ethical and aesthetic reasons. The immense opportunities for wildlife tourism that the country offers will get thwarted unless we preserve our wildlife heritage. The situation stands in need of urgent regard and redressal lest we stand deprived of a precious gift bestowed on our motherland.
Plants and animal communities are products of millions of years of natural evolution. They have a right to survive and evolve as nature intended them to, at least in some parts of the once-green earth that we have so drastically modified. Although an isolation of the wildlife will distort the meaning of biodiversity, albeit a holistic approach towards conservation of wildlife resources is desperately called for. Conservation includes preservation, maintenance, sustainable utilization and enhancement of the natural order. Off late, the government and the people have awakened to the looming danger over the existence of our wildlife species and have brought them under the protection programmes. Conscious efforts have been made in this direction but the need for conservation of wildlife in India is often questioned because of the apparently incorrect priority in the face of direct poverty of the people. However the fact remains that, wildlife conservation is an activity that we humans undertake, not the wild animals themselves. Therefore, wildlife conservation must involve a human dimension. The social, economic and cultural dimensions of conservation cannot be ignored. Conservation of our wildlife essentially starts with the conservation of their habitat and hence the conservation of their home ground id est our forests. The exploitation of forest resources by humans along with hunting and trapping for food and sport has led to the extinction of many species in India in recent times. Many species have not been seen since their description. Conserve the forests or let our wildlife perish, is written on the wall. Forest land should not be treated merely as a resource readily available to be utilized for various projects and programmes, but as a national asset which requires to be properly safeguarded for providing sustained benefits to the entire community.
Article 48 of the Constitution of India specifies that, "The state shall endeavor to protect and improve the environment and to safeguard the forests and wildlife of the country". A major stride in this direction was the declaration and maintenance of protected areas. The concept involves earmarking of a geographical area for sustenance of certain wildlife species that already abounds in the region and subsequently facilitating conditions conducive for their thriving and breeding. The immense heritage of wildlife in India comprises of more than 70 national parks and about 400 wildlife sanctuaries including the bird sanctuaries. India’s National Animal, the tiger happens to be a symbol of strength and speed. India boasts of two dozen Tiger Reserves. The highly successful ‘Project Tiger’ has shown that man can undo in small ways the loss and destruction of natural habitat due to continuous growth and expansion of the population. Ranthambore, one of India's conservation success stories, was taken up under Project Tiger in 1973 in an effort to preserve a species that was in danger of extinction. There were 14 tigers there in 1973. At the census conducted in 2003, there were 40! Project Elephant, though less known, started in 1992 and works for elephant protection in India. Most of India's rhinos today survive in the Kaziranga National Park. However, for the conservation of total biological diversity, the network of national parks, sanctuaries, biosphere reserves and other protected areas should be strengthened and extended adequately. Another serious menace that inflicts our wildlife is that of crimes against wildlife and wildlife trafficking. Global demand for wildlife and its products puts at risk the mega diversity of the country. The Government of India constituted a statutory body, the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau in 2007, by amending the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, a special Act to protect the wildlife in the country. Nevertheless the changing market dynamics and the lifestyles make the existing regulatory regimes inadequate in dealing with the wildlife crimes assuming organized status. It calls for coordinated actions in combating the wildlife related crimes including building capacity for scientific and professional investigation along with other measures.
It is urgent to be emphasized that a change no smaller than a paradigm transformation is needed to preserve the rich wildlife heritage of our country. It is essential that the Government, the NGOs and other civic bodies duly contribute to the preservation of wildlife. Equally significant is the promulgation of federal protections for wildlife species and crucial habitats. However, for an appreciable feat to be realized, it is indispensable that the civil society involves itself at each and every phase of wildlife protection and deem it to “be the duty of every citizen of India to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers, and wildlife and to have compassion for living creatures" as our constitution pronounces.
The wildlife attractions of India are huge and worth appreciating. India is one of the 17 identified mega diverse countries of the world. From about 70 percent of the total geographical area surveyed so far, 45,500 plant species and 91,000 animal species, representing about seven percent of the world's flora and 6.5 per cent of the world's fauna have been described. The biological diversity of India contributes 8 per cent to the known global biological diversity. Numerous rare and endangered species of animals, birds and reptiles can be found in the country. India is home to several well known large mammals including the Asian Elephant, Bengal Tiger, Asiatic Lion, Leopard, Sloth Bear and Indian Rhinoceros, often engrained culturally and religiously.
The distribution of wildlife in India can be vaguely classified into certain geographical regions. The Himalayan foothills is one of the richest areas for the typical big mammals of Northern India. The Elephant, The Swamp Deer, Cheetal, Hog Deer, Barking Deer, Wild Boar and The Great Indian One Horned Rhinoceros all abound in this area. This is also the famous tiger country immortalized by Jim Corbett. The High Altitude Region of Western Himalayas comprises of Kashmir & Western Ladakh to Kumaon. The Wild Ass, the bovid family, most species of wild goats and sheep, antelopes like the Chiru, the Tibetan gazelle and the Musk Deer inhabits this high altitude region. The animal life in the temperate region of the The Eastern Himalayan Sub-Zone is different from the western Himalayas and is characterized by typical species like The Red Panda, Hog Badgers, Ferret Badgers, Crestless Porcupines and several other goat antelopes. However, Peninsular India and the Drainage Basin of the Ganges is the true home of the Indian wildlife heritage. Some of the larger inhabitants of the Indian deciduous forests are Elephant, Munijak, the auriferous Sambar deer and the ubiquitous Wild Boar. Two large antelopes, the Nilgai and the Blackbuck and the Chinkara gazelle, the smallest of the antelopes also inhabit the open habitats of the deciduous wood lands. The two big savannah cats of Peninsular India, the Cheetah and the Lion are the embodiment of wildlife heritage of India.
In recent decades, human intervention has posed a threat to India's wildlife heritage. This is an indicant of abysmally low standards and dismal sustainment policies that many of our wildlife species are on a brink of extinction. The heritage of plant and animal life needs to be preserved not only because of the immense current benefits and future gains to us, but also for ethical and aesthetic reasons. The immense opportunities for wildlife tourism that the country offers will get thwarted unless we preserve our wildlife heritage. The situation stands in need of urgent regard and redressal lest we stand deprived of a precious gift bestowed on our motherland.
Plants and animal communities are products of millions of years of natural evolution. They have a right to survive and evolve as nature intended them to, at least in some parts of the once-green earth that we have so drastically modified. Although an isolation of the wildlife will distort the meaning of biodiversity, albeit a holistic approach towards conservation of wildlife resources is desperately called for. Conservation includes preservation, maintenance, sustainable utilization and enhancement of the natural order. Off late, the government and the people have awakened to the looming danger over the existence of our wildlife species and have brought them under the protection programmes. Conscious efforts have been made in this direction but the need for conservation of wildlife in India is often questioned because of the apparently incorrect priority in the face of direct poverty of the people. However the fact remains that, wildlife conservation is an activity that we humans undertake, not the wild animals themselves. Therefore, wildlife conservation must involve a human dimension. The social, economic and cultural dimensions of conservation cannot be ignored. Conservation of our wildlife essentially starts with the conservation of their habitat and hence the conservation of their home ground id est our forests. The exploitation of forest resources by humans along with hunting and trapping for food and sport has led to the extinction of many species in India in recent times. Many species have not been seen since their description. Conserve the forests or let our wildlife perish, is written on the wall. Forest land should not be treated merely as a resource readily available to be utilized for various projects and programmes, but as a national asset which requires to be properly safeguarded for providing sustained benefits to the entire community.
Article 48 of the Constitution of India specifies that, "The state shall endeavor to protect and improve the environment and to safeguard the forests and wildlife of the country". A major stride in this direction was the declaration and maintenance of protected areas. The concept involves earmarking of a geographical area for sustenance of certain wildlife species that already abounds in the region and subsequently facilitating conditions conducive for their thriving and breeding. The immense heritage of wildlife in India comprises of more than 70 national parks and about 400 wildlife sanctuaries including the bird sanctuaries. India’s National Animal, the tiger happens to be a symbol of strength and speed. India boasts of two dozen Tiger Reserves. The highly successful ‘Project Tiger’ has shown that man can undo in small ways the loss and destruction of natural habitat due to continuous growth and expansion of the population. Ranthambore, one of India's conservation success stories, was taken up under Project Tiger in 1973 in an effort to preserve a species that was in danger of extinction. There were 14 tigers there in 1973. At the census conducted in 2003, there were 40! Project Elephant, though less known, started in 1992 and works for elephant protection in India. Most of India's rhinos today survive in the Kaziranga National Park. However, for the conservation of total biological diversity, the network of national parks, sanctuaries, biosphere reserves and other protected areas should be strengthened and extended adequately. Another serious menace that inflicts our wildlife is that of crimes against wildlife and wildlife trafficking. Global demand for wildlife and its products puts at risk the mega diversity of the country. The Government of India constituted a statutory body, the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau in 2007, by amending the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, a special Act to protect the wildlife in the country. Nevertheless the changing market dynamics and the lifestyles make the existing regulatory regimes inadequate in dealing with the wildlife crimes assuming organized status. It calls for coordinated actions in combating the wildlife related crimes including building capacity for scientific and professional investigation along with other measures.
It is urgent to be emphasized that a change no smaller than a paradigm transformation is needed to preserve the rich wildlife heritage of our country. It is essential that the Government, the NGOs and other civic bodies duly contribute to the preservation of wildlife. Equally significant is the promulgation of federal protections for wildlife species and crucial habitats. However, for an appreciable feat to be realized, it is indispensable that the civil society involves itself at each and every phase of wildlife protection and deem it to “be the duty of every citizen of India to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers, and wildlife and to have compassion for living creatures" as our constitution pronounces.
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