WILDLIFE PROTECTION ACT

1972

The act was passed by the parliament of India in 1972

to protect India's wildlife.

Wildlife

According to the wildlife protection act of 1972, wildlife

includes any animal, bees, butterfly, crustacean, fish
and moth; and aquatic or land vegetation, which form
part of any habitat.
Example: lion, deer, crocodiles, whales, trees and
shrubs in dense forests etc. Therefore, wildlife refers to
living organisms (flora and fauna) in their natural
habitats.
But cultivated plants and domesticated animals are not
included in wildlife!

Objectives
The

main objective of the Act is to provide

protection to wild animals birds and plants.
The Act empowers the Central Govt. to
declare certain areas as Sanctuaries or
National Parks. The Act prohibits hunting of
wild animals; birds etc. and impose
punishment for violating the same.

Objectives

Setting up and management of national

parks and wildlife sanctuaries

Before 1972 India only had five designated

national parks

Control of trade and commerce in wildlife,

and wildlife products

Salient Features
Applicable

all over India except Jammu and Kashmir which

has its own Act.

It

has six schedules which give varying degree 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 I and schedule III are also

protected but the penalties are much lower.

Salient Features

Schedules I,II,III & IV list different protected

species, the killing or trade of which are
prohibited.

Schedule V lists vermin which may be killed.

Schedule VI lists protected plants.

A schedule I offence can earn a repeat offender

6 years in prison and a fine of rs.25,000.

Sanctuaries
The state govt. By notification, may declare any
area within the reserved forest or territorial
waters as a sanctuary if it considers fit the area
for protection and conservation of wild life.

Sanctuaries
A sanctuary is a protected area of land, wetland or sea
reserved for the conservation of wild animals, birds and
plants. India has over 492 wildlife sanctuaries. These
cover over 3% of India's total geographical area.
Hunting of any kind is prohibited in sanctuaries. Private
ownership rights over sanctuaries and limited human
activities may be granted provided they do not interfere
with the normal activities(feeding, nesting, breeding of
wildlife

National Parks
The

state govt. By notification, may declare an area whether

within a sanctuary or not, is by reason of its ecological or other
technical grounds needed to be constituted as a national, park
for the purpose of protection, propagating or developing wild life.

National Parks
A national park is protected area of land in which a typical ecosystem with

all its wild plants and animals are protected and preserved in natural
surroundings.

As of April 2012, there were 102 national parks.

Jim Corbett national park in Uttarakhand, established in 1936, was the

first national park in India.

All national park lands then encompassed a total 39,919 km2, comprising
1.21% of India's total surface area

A total of 166 national parks have been authorized.

Over 17 national parks and sanctuaries have been selected for project
tiger to protect and increase tiger population in India.

Hunting

It includes capturing , killing , poisoning ,

snaring or trapping any wild animals and
every attempt to do so

Driving any wild animals for any of the

purpose specified in sub clause

Injuring destroying or taking any body part

of any animals, or in the case of wild birds or
reptiles , disturbing or damaging the eggs or
nests of such birds or reptiles

Taxidermy

Taxidermy means the curing , preparation or

preservation of trophies

Trophy means the whole or any part of any captive or

wild animal which has been kept or preserved by any
means , whether artificial or natural . this include

Rugs ,skins, and specimens of such animals mounted

in whole or in part through a process of taxidermy

Antler, horns, rhinoceros horn , feather, nail , tooth ,

musk , eggs and nests

Penalties
Penalties are prescribed in section 51 .
Enforcement can be performed by agencies
such as the forest department , the police , the
wildlife control bureau , the customs and the
central bureau of investigations