Wild life conservation efforts in India Submitted by Manoj M th
10 “A” Submitted to Sujatha mam Preface
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IMPORTANCE OF WILDLIFE CONSERVATION Threats for wild life
Introduction The Indian sub-continent with its 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. However, the past few decades have seen the greed and negligence of human beings working to the detriment of this rich wildlife. Large-scale poaching and habitat destruction have resulted in a rapid decline in the population of most of the wild animals and birds. Some animals like the Indian cheetah due to this 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 slowly and gradually understood their responsibility of saving wildlife in India.
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 by the government as well as the NGO’s, to protect the rich wildlife of the subcontinent. The private sector has also started stepping in as part of their corporate social responsibility to bring about this change and increase people’s awareness.
IMPORTANCE OF WILDLIFE CONSERVATION Wildlife conservation is applied ecology and may also be regarded as bio-economy. Wild life conservation is the management and sensible use of the available natural resources. Governments of India have passed laws and established national parks, sanctuaries and other wildlife reserves in an effort to save the dwindling wildlife. Every species plays an important role in maintaining an ecological balance among the living system of the earth. These systems must continue to function if is to survive. Loss of any species threatens the survival of several species inclusive of man. Destruction of wildlife may cause upset in such a balance resulting in severe consequences. Thus, protection of every animal species is of great importance to the quality of life and to the survival of man himself. On all continents wildlife is becoming an increasingly important recreational asset and tourist attraction. The preservation of wildlife helps many naturalists and behavior biologists to study morphology, anatomy, physiology, ecology, behavior biology of the wild animals under their natural surroundings.
Threats to Wildlife The problem of overpopulation is one of the major reasons for the depleting of natural wild life in India. Exploitation of wild populations for food has resulted in destructions of wild life. With the increase in tourism, the parks have witnessed an increase in wildfires also. Innocent campfires started by visitors have, more often than not, led to menacing wildfires. These fires not only kill animals, but also destroy their natural habitat. Releasing of chemicals and other toxic effluents into the water bodies has led to poisoning of the water. The animals and birds drinking such water face a fatal threat. Even the population of fish, living in such water bodies, is declining at a fast pace. The climate changes taking place in the world today, are affecting not only humans, but also the wildlife. The natural habitat as well as migration patterns of the animals and birds are experiencing disturbs patterns. The threat of poaching has been haunting the wildlife of India since ages. Even after the establishment of wildlife sanctuaries and national parks, the threat of poaching has not been totally eliminated. The destruction of forest land for agriculture, development of towns and cities, construction of dams, or other purposes is also an important threat for wild life.
Conservation of Wild life
Last few decades have seen emergence of human encroachment to an extent that has never been seen. This is one of the greatest threat to India's wildlife. In order to overcome the result of human encroachment many national parks as well as protected areas have been established so far and the first came in 1935. Also in 1972, to protect the tiger and wildlife in India, the Wildlife Protection Act and Project Tiger to safeguard were enacted.
National parks in India
Wildlife habitat and species around the world are facing a crisis. It is estimated that global warming may cause the extinction of 15–37% of species by 2050. This is another aspect which needs attention because we could lose about 1.25 million species. Unlike other environmental losses, this one cannot be reversed because nature does not give second chances to biodiversity. If we take into consideration the conventional reasons why wildlife is disappearing in Asia, India is doing far better than other countries. India has launched an extensive protected area network of research institutions in which legislation, socio-economic factors, and wildlife research are playing a great role. The Central Zoo Authority plays a key role with zoos in programming research activities related to the conservation and propagation of wild animals. Planned research activities include studies on wildlife biology, genetic variability, species- specific nutritional requirements, animal behavior, epidemiological surveys, and disease diagnosis through postmortem examination. The future depends on interaction between captive and wild animals, preservation of biodiversity, and genetic and demographic variations of species. India still has 65% of Asia’s tiger population, 85% of the Asian rhino population, 80% of the Asian elephant population, and 100% of the Asiatic lion population. These are all highly endangered and poached animals.
Acknowledgement I take this opportunity to express my profound gratitude and deep regards to my teachers Prof.____________________ and Prof_______________. for their exemplary guidance, monitoring and constant
encouragement throughout the course of this project. The blessing, help and guidance given by them time to time shall carry me a long way in the journey of life on which I am about to embark. I also take this opportunity to express a deep sense of gratitude to,_________ Principal, Senior Secondary School for his cordial support, valuable information and guidance, which helped me in completing this task through various stages. I would also like to express my heartily gratitude to the lab assistants for their support during the making of this project. Lastly, I thank almighty, my parents and friends for their constant encouragement without which this project would not be possible.