WILDLIFE OF INDIA

The wildlife of India is a mix of species of diverse origins.

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The region's rich and diverse wildlife is preserved in

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numerous national parks and wildlife sanctuaries across the country.

Since India is home to a number of rare

and threatened animal species, wildlife management in the country is essential to preserve these species.
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According to one study, India along with 17 mega diverse countries is home to about 60-70% of the
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world's biodiversity.

India, lying within the Indomalaya ecozone, is home to about 7.6% of all mammalian, 12.6% of avian, 6.2% of reptilian, and 6.0% of flowering plant species.
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Many ecoregions, such as the shola forests, also exhibit

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extremely high rates of endemism; overall, 33% of Indian plant species are endemic.

India's forest cover

ranges from the tropical rainforest of the Andaman Islands, Western Ghats, andNortheast India to the coniferous forest of the Himalaya. Between these extremes lie the sal-dominated moist deciduous forest of eastern India; teak-dominated dry deciduous forest of central and southern India; and the babul-dominated thorn forest of the central Deccan and western Gangetic plain.
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Important Indian trees include the medicinal neem, widely used

in rural Indian herbal remedies. The pipal figtree, shown on the seals of Mohenjo-daro, shaded the Gautama Buddha as he sought enlightenment. Many Indian species are descendants of taxa originating in Gondwana, to which India originally belonged. Peninsular India's subsequent movement towards, and collision with, the Laurasian landmass set off a mass exchange of species. However, volcanism and climatic change 20 million years ago caused the extinction of many endemic Indian forms.
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Soon thereafter, mammals entered India from Asia through

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two zoogeographical passes on either side of the emerging Himalaya.

As a result, among Indian species, only

12.6% of mammals and 4.5% of birds are endemic, contrasting with 45.8% of reptiles and 55.8% of amphibians.
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Notable endemics are the Nilgiri leaf monkey and the brown and carmine Beddome's toad of the
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Western Ghats. India contains 172, or 2.9%, of IUCN-designated threatened species.

These include

the Asiatic lion, the Bengal tiger, and the Indian white-rumped vulture, which suffered a near-extinction from ingesting the carrion of diclofenac-treated cattle. In recent decades, human encroachment has posed a threat to India's wildlife; in response, the system of national parks and protected areas, first established in 1935, was substantially expanded. In 1972, India enacted the Wildlife Protection Act and Project Tiger to safeguard crucial habitat; further federal protections were promulgated in the 1980s. Along with over 500 wildlife sanctuaries, India now hosts 15 biosphere reserves, four of which are part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves; 25 wetlands are registered under the Ramsar Convention. The varied and rich wildlife of India has had a profound impact on the region's popular culture. The common name for wilderness in India is Jungle, which was adopted by the British colonialists to the English language. The word has been also 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.

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FAUNA
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 often being associated with deities. Other well known large Indian mammals include ungulates such as the rare Wild Asian Water buffalo, common Domestic Asian Water buffalo, Nilgai, Gaur and several species of deer and antelope. Some members of the dog family such as the Indian Wolf, Bengal Fox, Golden Jackal and the [[ow the world's rarest monkey, the golden langur typifies the precarious survival of much of India's megafauna.]] 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 Article 48 of the Constitution of India specifies that, "The state shall endeavour to protect and improve the environment and to safeguard the forests and wildlife of the country" and Article 51-A states that "it shall 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."
[11]

Large and charismatic mammals are important for wildlife tourism in India and several national parks and wildlife sanctuaries cater to these needs. Project Tiger started in 1972 is a major effort to conserve the tiger and its habitats.
[12]

At the turn of the 20th century, one estimate of the tiger population in India placed the figure at

40,000, yet an Indian tiger census conducted in 2008 revealed the existence of only 1411 tigers. The passing of the Forest Rights Act by the Indian government in 2008 has been the final nail in the coffin and has pushed the Indian tiger on the verge of extinction.Various pressures in the later part of the 20th century led to the progressive decline of wilderness resulting in the disturbance of viable tiger habitats. At the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) General Assembly meeting in Delhi in 1969, serious concern was voiced about the threat to several species of wildlife and the shrinkage of wilderness in the India. In 1970, a national ban on tiger hunting was imposed and in 1972 the Wildlife Protection Act came into force. The framework was then set up to formulate a project for tiger conservation with an ecological approach. Launched on April 1, 1973, Project Tiger has become one of the most successful conservation ventures in modern history. The project aims at tiger conservation in specially constituted 'tiger reserves' which are representative of various bio-geographical regions falling within India. It strives to maintain a viable tiger population in their natural environment. Today, there are 39 Project Tiger wildlife reserves in India covering an area more than of 37,761 km. Project Elephant, though less known, started in 1992 and works for elephant protection in India. rhinos today survive in the Kaziranga National Park.
[13]

Most of India's

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Asiatic Lion

Brahminy Kite

Brown Fish-owl

Red Panda

Indian Cobra

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Indian Elephant

Indian Gazelle

Indian Peafowl

Indian Rhinoceros

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Indian Wild Dog

Lion-tailed Macaque

Pariah Kite

Ring-necked Parakeet

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Royal Bengal Tiger

Shikra

Importance Of Wildlife If you were of the opinion that cultivated plants and domesticated animals is what wildlife consists of, you are mistaken. Wildlife, in fact, comprises of the innumerous varieties of wild plants, animals, fungi and microorganisms that exist on our planet earth, rather than just cultivated plants and domesticated animals. Knowingly or unknowingly, we largely depend on this wildlife for every elementary requirement in our life. The food we eat, the clothes we wear, the medicines we

WILDLIFE OF INDIA
consume, a variety of building materials used for construction, numerous chemicals used for manufacturing our necessities, all are extracted from the wildlife existing around us. A study by the American Association for the Advancement of Science indicates that as many as 40,000 species of plants, animals, fungi and microscopic animals benefit us in some way or the other. To know the various benefits that this wildlife provides us, read on further.

Benefits Of Wildlife

Benefits To People Wildlife and nature have largely been associated with humans for numerous emotional and social reasons. A simple stroll around the park amidst some birds provides a fresh breath of life and charges our batteries. Apart from a bird feeder in the backyard, we can also take up other active pastimes, such as hiking, hunting, canoeing or wildlife photographing to relieve our parched nerves. Since prehistoric times, animals have been highly useful to us in providing food, clothing and source of income.

Benefits To Natural Processes Wildlife plays an essential role in the ecological and biological processes that are yet again significant to life. The normal functioning of the biosphere depends on endless interactions amongst animals, plants, and microorganisms. This, in turn, maintains and enhances human life further. To add on, these ecological processes are vital for agriculture, forestry, fisheries and other endeavors that support human life. Besides, there are several biological processes wherein wildlife plays a key role, such as pollinization, germination, seed dispersal, soil generation, nutrient cycling, predation, habitat maintenance, waste breakdown, and pest control.

Benefits to Science, Agriculture, & Medicine Studies indicate that woodpeckers are capable of destroying 90% of codling moth larvae residing under the bark of trees. This shows the significance of wildlife and wildlife habitat for preserving genetic diversity. Hence, places where agriculture, forests, and fisheries depend on crops or stocks can ensure that such living resources are enough to withstand the ever-increasing list of threats. Further, in medicine, development of new drugs and treatments are largely dependent on wildlife and wildlife habitat. Interestingly, most pharmaceutical products are a result of discovering or developing wildlife species and not discoveries through the traditional chemistry principles. Today, most medicinal remedies contain at least one ingredient derived from a wild plant or animal.

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Wildlife conservation
Wildlife conservation is the preservation, protection, or restoration of wildlife and their environment, especially in relation to endangered and vulnerable species. All living non-domesticated animals, even if bred, hatched or born in captivity, are considered wild animals. Wildlife represents all the non-cultivated and non-domesticated animals living in their natural habitats. Our world has many unique and rare animals, birds and reptiles. However the pressure of growing population in different parts of the world has led to the increasing need of using land for human habitations and agriculture. This has led to the reduced habitat of many wild animals.

Major threats to wildlife

Major threats to wildlife can be categorized as below:

Habitat loss: Fewer natural wildlife habitat areas remain each year. Moreover, the habitat that remains has often been degraded to bear little resemblance to the natural wild areas which existed in the past.

Climate change: Because many types of plants and animals have specific habitat requirements, climate change could cause disastrous loss of wildlife species. A slight drop or rise in average rainfall will translate into large seasonal changes. Hibernating mammals, reptiles, amphibians and insects are harmed and disturbed. Plants and wildlife are sensitive to moisture change so, they will be harmed by any change in the moisture level.

Pesticides and toxic chemicals: Pesticides are deliberately spread to make the environment toxic to certain plants, insects, and rodents, so it should not be surprising that other plants and wildlife are deliberately harmed at the same time. In addition many chemical pollutants are toxic to wildlife, such as PCBs, mercury, petroleum by-products, solvents, antifreeze, etc.

Hunting and poaching: Unregulated hunting and poaching causes a major threat to wildlife. Along with this, mismanagement of forest department and forest guards triggers this problem.

Natural phenomena: Floods, earthquakes, volcanoes, lightning, forest fires Pollution: Pollutants released into the environment are ingested by a wide variety of organisms. Over-exploitation of resources: Exploitation of wild populations for food has resulted in population crashes (over-fishing, for example).

Accidental deaths: Car hits, window collisions (birds), collisions with ships (whales).

Various Projects:Gir National Park in Gujarat is the only existent habitation for the nearly extinct Asiatic Lions in India. The Kaziranga Sanctuary in Assam is a major example of good effort to save the endangered Rhinoceros. Similarly, Periyar in Kerala is doing a great job to preserve the wild Elephants and Dachigam National Park is progressing rapidly to save Kashmiri Stag. Wildlife Conservation in India occupies a total area of about 3.29 million sq. km. that contains floral and faunal species, mammals, reptiles, insects and birds. The Wildlife Conservation in India has become the most popular holiday destinations because of its diverseness. In India there are 571 sanctuaries and reserve parks that are protected by the Indian Government, mainly meant for the protection of the extinct species of animals and birds. Predators, Carnivores and Herbivores, - all are equally important to maintain the vital

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ecological processes as nutrient and water cycling. India has over 500 animal sanctuaries, referred to as Wildlife Sanctuaries (IUCN Category IV Protected Area). Among these, the 28 Tiger Reserves are governed by Project Tiger, and are of special significance in the conservation of the tiger. Some wildlife sanctuaries are specifically named Bird Sanctuary, eg. Keoladeo National Park before attained National Park status.

Many National Parks were initially Wildlife Sanctuaries. Wildlife sanctuaries of national importance to conservation, usually due to some flagship faunal species, are named National Wildlife Sanctuary, like national chambal (gharial) Wildlife Sanctuary for conserving the Gharial (1978). Some of the important wildlife sanctuaries in India are: Bandhavgarh National Park in Madhya Pradesh Corbett National Park in Uttar Pradesh Gir National Park & Sanctuary in Gujarat Kanha National Park in Madhya Pradesh Kaziranga National Park in Assam Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary in Rajasthan Sunderbans National Park in West Bengal Dachigam National Park in Jammu & Kashmir Manas Tiger Reserve in Assam National Parks of India:India's first national park (an IUCN category II protected area) was established in 1935 as Hailey National Park, now known as Jim Corbett National Park. By 1970, India only had five national parks. In 1972, India enacted the Wildlife Protection Act and Project Tiger to safeguard the habitats of conservation reliant species. Further federal legislation strengthening protections for wildlife was introduced in the 1980s. As of April 2007, there are 96 national parks. All national park lands encompass a combined 38,029.18 km, 1.16% of India's total surface area. A total of 166 national parks have been authorized. Plans are underway to establish the remaining scheduled parks. Biosphere Reserves:The term Biosphere Reserve' should denote an area: Which is, set aside for the conservation of the resources of the biosphere and for the improvement of the relationship between man and the environment; Which is, to serve as sites for long term scientific research as well as education all over the world. List of National Parks: Dibru-Saikhowa National Park-Assam Desert National Park-Rajasthan Dachigam National Park-Jammu and Kashmir Corbett National Park-Uttarakhand

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Chandoli National Park-Maharashtra Campbell Bay National Park-Andaman and Nicobar Anshi National Park-Karnataka Balphakram National Park-Meghalaya Bandhavgarh National Park-Madhya Pradesh Bandipur National Park-Karnataka Bannerghatta National Park-Karnataka Vansda National Park-Gujarat Betla National Park-Jharkhand Bhitarkanika National Park-Orissa Blackbuck National Park, Velavadar-Gujarat Buxa Tiger Reserve-West Bengal Fossil National Park-Madhya Pradesh Great Himalayan National Park-Himachal Pradesh Indira Gandhi National Park (Annamalai National Park)- Tamil Nadu Dudhwa National Park-Uttar Pradesh Intanki National Park-Nagaland Guindy National Park-Tamil Nadu Govind Pashu Vihar-Uttarakhand Kaziranga National Park-Assam Khangchendzonga National Park-Sikkim Kishtwar National Park-Jammu and Kashmir Van Vihar National Park-Madhya Pradesh Kanha National Park-Madhya Pradesh Mollem National Park-Goa Mount Harriet National Park-Andaman and Nicobar The programme of Biosphere Reserve was initiated under the 'Man & Biosphere' (MAB) programme by UNESCO in 1971. Biosphere Reserves are areas of terrestrial and coastal ecosystems promoting solutions to reconcile the conservation of biodiversity with its sustainable use. They are internationally recognized, nominated by National Governments and remain under sovereign jurisdiction of the states where they are located. Biosphere Reserves serve in some ways as 'living laboratories' for testing out and demonstrating integrated management of land, water and biodiversity (CES., UNESCO, 2005., IUCN, 1979). List of Biosphere Reserves Achanakmar-Amarkanta- Madhya Pradesh & Chhattishgarh Agasthyamalai- Kerala Dehang-Debang- Arunachal Pradesh Dibru-Saikhowa- Assam Great Nicobar- Andaman and Nicobar Gulf of Mannar - Tamil Nadu Khangchenjunga Sikkim Manas- Assam Nanda Devi-Uttaranchal

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Nilgiri -Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka Nokrek-Meghalaya Pachmarhi -Madhya Pradesh Simlipal-Orissa Sunderbans-West Bengal IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) is an international organization dedicated to natural resource conservation.Founded in 1948, its headquarters is located in the Lake Geneva area in Gland, Switzerland. The IUCN brings together 83 states, 108 government agencies, 766 Non-governmental organizations and 81 international organizations and about 10,000 experts and scientists from countries around the world. IUCN's mission is to influence, encourage and assist societies throughout the world to conserve the integrity and diversity of nature and to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable. Biosphere Reserve Objectives:Each Biosphere Reserve is intended to fulfill three basic functions, which are complementary and mutually reinforcing: A conservation function - to contribute to the conservation of landscapes, ecosystems, species and genetic variation; A development function - to foster economic and human development which is socioculturally and ecologically sustainable; A logistic function - to provide support for research, monitoring, education and information exchange related to local, national and global issues of conservation and development (UNESCO, 2005). The Indian government has established 15 Biosphere Reserves of India, (categories roughly corresponding to IUCN Category V Protected areas), which protect larger areas of natural habitat (than a National Park or Animal Sanctuary), and often include one or more National Parks and/or preserves, along buffer zones that are open to some economic uses. Protection is granted not only to the flora and fauna of the protected region, but also to the human communities who inhabit these regions, and their ways of life. Four of the fifteen biosphere reserves are a part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves, based on the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme list. Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve Sundarbans Biosphere Reserve Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve Conservation of wildlife in India:-

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The need for conservation of wildlife in India is often questioned because of the apparently incorrect priority in the face of dire poverty of the people. However Article 48 of the Constitution of India specifies that "the state shall endeavour to protect and improve the environment and to safeguard the forests and wildlife of the country" and Article 51-A states that "it shall 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." Large and charismatic mammals are important for wildlife tourism in India and several national parks and wildlife sanctuaries cater to these needs. Project Tiger started in 1972 is a major effort to conserve the tiger and its habitats. At the turn of the 20th century, one estimate of the tiger population in India placed the figure at 40,000, yet an Indian tiger census conducted in 1972 revealed the existence of only 1827 tigers. Various pressures in the later part of the 20th century led to the progressive decline of wilderness resulting in the disturbance of viable tiger habitats. At the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) General Assembly meeting in Delhi in 1969, serious concern was voiced about the threat to several species of wildlife and the shrinkage of wilderness in the India. In 1970, a national ban on tiger hunting was imposed and in 1972 the Wildlife Protection Act came into force. The framework was then set up to formulate a project for tiger conservation with an ecological approach. Project Tiger which was launched on April 1, 1973, has become one of the most successful conservation ventures in modern history. The project aims at tiger conservation in specially constituted 'tiger reserves' which are representative of various bio-geographical regions falling within India. It strives to maintain a viable tiger population in their natural environment. Today, there are 27 Project Tiger wildlife reserves in India covering an area of 37,761 km.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. The wildlife institute of India (WII) is a government institution run by the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education which trains wildlife managers and wildlife researchers. Trained personnel from WII have contributed in studying and protecting wildlife in India. WII has also popularized wildlife studies and careers. The institute is based in Dehradun, India. It is located in Chandrabani, which is close to the southern forests of Dehradun. The Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education also runs the Forest Research Institute and the Indian Institute of Forest Management Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 :In 1972 by the Government of India. Prior to 1972, India only had five designated national parks. Among other reforms, the Act established schedules of protected plant and animal species; hunting or otherwise harvesting these species was largely outlawed. 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

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which give varying degrees of protection, with absolute protection being provided under Schedule I and part II of schedule II with the highest penalties prescribed for offences under these schedules and Species listed in the Sch. IV are also protected but the penalties are much lower, with the enforcement authorities having the power to compound offences (as in they impose fines on the offenders).

7 Ways to Conserve Wild Life

Wild Life is integral to the ecosystem. They help in maintain the prey-predator relationship and hence maintain the balance in the food web. However, there are many endangered species of wildlife today than ever before, thanks to practices like poaching, destruction of habitats because of deforestation and other such practices. Here are some ways that can help in conservation of wildlife and their habitat too.

Habitat Management
Habitat Management refers to taking care of the habitat of the wildlife, so that they feel at home, safe and secure. Study of different kind of habitats, devising ways of protecting it, its preservation and regular checking of these habitats through census and statistical data help a great deal in working out a plan of action in managing a habitat and the species therein.

Habitat creation
National Parks, Biosphere Reserves, zoological parks and botanical gardens and sanctuaries work as protected areas for wild life. They help in conserving the wild life in their wild state. Besides being the protected habitats of various species, they are also good places to take a tour of.

Breeding in Captivity
Breeding in captivity has helped many wild life species in their effort to survive. The national parks and other such protected areas help in the breeding process of many wild lives. For example, breeding in National Park of Alberta helped Mountain Gorilla survive. The European Bison that was breeding in the National Parks of Poland to managed to survive under care and a protected environment.

Reintroduction
Several endangered species were allowed to reproduce and flourish in places and habitats that suited them. These places were similar to their original habitats. Later, they were introduced to protected areas such as parks and reserves and also to their original habitats after they were found fit to fight for survival.

Awareness and Mass Education

Awareness about wild life is essential for protecting and appreciating them. People can be encouraged and educated to participate in the preservation processes in a number of ways.

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Some of the ways of increasing awareness levels on wild life are: Celebrating different days dedicated to different species of wildlife. Bringing publicity to this issue through media, film shows, talks, discussions and documentaries. Arranging tours for people and children to seminars and lectures and to areas with wild life such as the local zoo Making children participate through nature clubs in educational institutions and at community level. Publishing and promoting books and journals on wild life and Supporting the establishment of natural history museums.

People Participation and Movement

People backed movements have a deep impact on policies and bringing about the necessary changes. There have been many such movements in the history that have supported wild life and helped prevent their destruction. Some of them are the Chipko Movement, Appiko Movement, The Silent Valley Movement and the Narmada Bachao Andolan to name a few.

Protection by Law
Strict laws and their effective execution are essential to protect wild life. In India, there is a Wild Life (Protection) Act 1972. As per this act, prior permission from competent authorities is essential before tampering with wild life and poaching is punishable under law. We need more laws like this and strict execution of them to save our wild life. We should be aware, read, talk and participate in wild life protection measures as much as we can as we live in inter-dependence with them in various ecosystems and wild life is also a heritage that deserves to be protected like other heritages of the world

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