21 Wild Life conservation projects in India

Dr Sunil Mittal

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1. Introduction

Wildlife means the entire flora and fauna growing in wild and not domesticated. It includes animals, plants and microorganisms, which are not domesticated by humans. Wildlife is an important component of biodiversity. India is unique in diversity of both its wild animal and vegetation. But due to rapid industrialization, increasing population & pollution and high demand of food, hunting etc. has led to over exploitation and extinction of some well-known animals and plants from this nation. For prevention of extinction of species, conservation efforts have been initiated. India has started wild life conservation programmes since 1930 with the establishment of Jim Corbett National Park. A large number of Projects have been initiated by the Govt. of India to save animal biodiversity and prevent the extinction. Wildlife conservation is the attempt to protect endangered animal and plant species, along with their natural habitat. The present module focuses only on the various animal conservation projects in India. The conservation projects discussed are:

1.   Project Tiger

2.   Project Elephant

3.   Project Hangul

4.   Project Snow Leopard

5.   Project One Horn Rhino

6.   Project Ganges Dolphin

7.   Project Crocodile

8.   Project Cheetah

9.   Project Sea Turtle

10.   Vulture Conservation

2. Project Tiger

‘Project Tiger’ is one of the most successful conservation projects not only in India but also globally. The project was launched in the year 1973, based on the recommendations of a task force, set up by the then Prime Minister of India Mrs. Indira Gandhi. When the project was first initiated, 9 tiger reserves were settled to be covered under the project tiger. With the time, these have increased to 50 (December 2016) and covered almost 71027 km2area. It is spread in 18 states and covers around 2.21% of the geographical area of our country. Corbett National Park was the first national park of India to come under Project Tiger on April 1st, The names of tiger reserves with their states are shown in Table 1 and map in Figure

Table 1: Tiger Reserves in India (Source: Project Tiger)

The tiger (Figure 1) is a national animal of our country. It is a symbol of an intrinsic part of our culture. The world tiger day is celebrated every year on 29 July. The largest tiger reserve in India is Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve.

For improving of project strength, National Tiger Conservation Authority has been also set up in different states to monitor the project. National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) is constituted to regulate project tiger at national level. It is an administrative body of project tiger. In 2006, 1,411 tigers are reported in India, which increased to 1,706 in 2011 and 2,226 in 2014. In 2016, according to World Wildlife Fund and Global Tiger Forum, the total number of wild tigers has increased to 3,891.

Tiger Conservation is the most significant wildlife project of India. Govt. of India provides all the financial and technical support through the Project Tiger. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF) provides all the important decisions and funding support through ‘Project Tiger’. International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) has also been carried out for independent assessment of tiger reserves which is based on 45 parameters designed by the World Commission on Protected Areas. The Govt. of India is continuously coming forth to take immediate steps to implement the major recommendations from the task forces for strengthening efforts towards protection of tiger, convicting wildlife criminals, checking poaching, and reducing the smuggling of body parts of tigers in the international market.

Project Elephant (PE) was launched in February 1992 to provide financial and specialized help to significant elephant states among the nation for the security of elephants, their environments, habitats and corridors (Figure 3). The project additionally covered the issues of human-elephant conflict and welfare of domesticated elephants. Currently, 32 Elephant Reserves (ERs) are existing and occupied 69,583 square kilometers area. The list of state-wise Elephant Reserves with area is shown in Table 2.

3.1. The Major objectives of Project Elephant (PE):

  • Protect elephants environment, habitat & corridors
  • Address issues of man-animal conflict
  • Welfare of captive elephants

The Project is being implemented in 16 States / UTs, viz. Andhra Pradesh , Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Jharkhand , Karnataka , Kerala , Meghalaya , Nagaland , Orissa , Tamil Nadu , Uttaranchal , Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

3.2. Main  activities under the  Project are  as follows (Ministry of  Environment &Forest):

  • Ecological restoration of existing natural habitats and migratory routes of elephants
  • Development  of scientific and planned management for conservation  of elephanthabitats   and viable population of Wild Asiatic elephants in India
  • Promotion of measures for mitigation of man elephant conflict in crucial habitats and moderating pressures of human and domestic stock activities in crucial elephant habitats;
  • Strengthening of measures for protection of Wild elephants form poachers and unnatural causes of death
  • Research on Elephant management related issues Public education and awareness programmes Eco-development Veterinary care
  • Elephant Rehabilitation/Rescue Centers

3.3Monitoring of Illegal Killing of Elephants (MIKE) Programme:

MIKE program started in South Asia in the year 2003 to provide information for elephant range states to make appropriate management and enforcement decisions. The aim of this program  was  to  build  institutional  capacity  within  the  range  States  for  the  long-term management of their elephant populations.

The main objectives of the MIKE are:

1.  To measure levels and trends in the illegal hunting of elephants;

2. To determine changes in these trends over time; and

3. To determine the factors causing or associated with such changes, and to try and assess in particular to what extent observed trends are a result of any decisions taken by the Conference of the Parties to CITES

Project Elephant has been officially implementing MIKE programme of CITES in ten Elephant Reserves in India since 2004. These consist of Shiwalik (Uttarakhand), Mayurbhanj (Orissa), and Nilgiri (Tamilnadu). Ripu Chirang and Dehing-Patkai (Assam), Garo Hills (Meghalaya), Deomali (Arunchal Pradesh, Eastern Dooars (West Bengal), Wayanad (Kerala), and Mysore (Karnataka)

  1. Project Hangul

Hangul project was initiated in the year 1970 with the help of World Wide Fund (WWF) . Hangul also called as Kashmir Stag (Cervus affinis Hanglu) is a state animal of Jammu and Kashmir (Figure 4).

Hangul is a subspecies of central Asian Red Deer. It is native to Northern Parts of India and found in dense riverine forest, mountains of Kashmir valley and Northern Chamba in Himachal Pradesh. Initially the project failed due to lack of participation of local people, cement factories & militancy dealt.

Further, this project was again launched with the name of “Save Kashmir’s Red Deer Hangul” in 2009. Another attempt to save the Hangul was to breed it in captivity. Funds were sanctioned for captive breeding. Under the Species Recovery Programme, conservation breeding centres are opened at Sikargah Tral, Pulwama District and Kangan. But there is not much progress on increasing the numbers.

Figure 4: Kashmir Stag – Hangul

5. Project Snow Leopard

Snow Leopard also known as Mystical Apex Predator (Figure 5). The project was launched in January 2009 in five states of Northern Himalayas. The project was initiated in hilly areas, high altitude areas above the forest in Himalayas (J&K, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand), Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. It is a highly endangered species. They are mostly found in China and Mongolia other than India. This was an Indian initiative for strengthening wildlife conservation in the Himalayan Region.

Figure 5: Snow Leopard

WWF India in partnership with Tata Housing Development Company in January 2014 launched ‘Save Our Snow Leopards’ project.

Ladakh becoming role model in protecting Snow leopard

The Ladakh region has set an example as a role model for the rest of the country to protect the endangered Snow Leopard. This is an excellent example of cooperation among government and local community for success of any project. With the help of local community, the Wildlife Department and several Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) succeeded to prevent man-animal conflict and discouraged killing of the exotic wild cats or Snow leopards found in Trans Himalayan-Karakorum Mountains of the region and central Asia. There are more than 400 wild cats found within the Indian Territory in Ladakh.

 

6.  Project One Horn Rhino

The Indian rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) is also called the greater one-horned Rhinoceros (Figure 6). It is listed as a vulnerable species under the IUCN Red List. Indian Rhino Vision 2020, was initiated by the Department of Environment and Forests, Assam with the BODO autonomous council. This project will be supported by the WWF, Asian Rhino and Elephant Action Strategy (AREAS), International Rhino Foundation (IRF) and Local NGOs to save rhinos. The main vision of this project is to increase the number of Rhinoss in Assam at least to 3000 by the end of year 2020. The project also ensures that rhinos should be distributed over to at least 7 protected areas to provide future visibility. It also involves transfer of Rhinoss from one protected area to another. Manas National Park was the first park selected for the translocation of Rhinos.

Figure 6: One Horn Rhino

  1. Project Ganges Dolphin

The ministry of Environment and Forest has notified the Ganges River Dolphin as the National Aquatic Animal (Figure 7).On 5th October 2009, the honorable Prime Minister of India had declared the Ganges River Dolphin as India’s National Aquatic animal.

The River Dolphin inhabits the region in Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli-Sangu river systems of Nepal, India and Bangladesh.

It is listed in Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act (1972).

The Ganges River Dolphin was once present in tens of thousands of numbers but deistically decreased to less than 2000 in the last century due to direct killing, river water pollution, accidental entanglement in fishing nets and poaching.

WWF India started to work with the local communities for the conservation of Ganges River Dolphin in 1997. This campaign is highly popular and local community has contributed to a great extent.

Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary is located in Bhagalpur District of Bihar, India. It is a protected area for the endangered Gangetic dolphins in Asia. West Bengal is in process to establish the country’s first community reserve for the mammal to protect the endangered Gangetic river dolphins

  1. Crocodile Project

Project Crocodile was started in 1975 with support from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). This project is resultant of enactment of Wild Life Protection Act 1972. All three species of crocodile come under the project:

  1. Crocodiles (Gharial, Gavialisgangeticus, Mugger crocodile
  2. Crocodylus palustris
  3. Saltwater crocodile

8.1. The objective of Project crocodile are:

  • To protect the remaining population of crocodilians in their natural habitat by creating sanctuaries.
  • To rebuild natural population quickly through ‘grow and release’ or ‘rear and release’ technique.
  • To promote captive breeding.

8.2. Project Sites

In 1976, it is conducted in river system of Bhitakanika area and Mahanadi (Orissa). The captive breeding program was carried out for Gharials, Crocodiles, and Mugger.

a. Baula Project: It was conducted at Dangamal in Bhitakanika sanctuary of Orissa state. Baula is an Oriya term, which means salt Crocodile. The eggs were collected locally and young ones are released in estuaries and creeks.

b. Mugger Project in Ramathirtha: Started 1984 for care to Mugger species. It is fish eater but harmless to humans. It lives in deep water. It is found in Indian Sub-Continent and being totally extinct from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Pakistan and Burma.

8.3. Protecting Gharials: Gharial comes under critically endangered category of IUCN. In 1940s around 10,000 adult gharials were estimated in the north of the Indian subcontinent. But today, these are limited to nearly 200 adult individuals. It was reported in 2008, dozens of the gharial are turning up dead on the banks of the Chambal River. Prague Zoo works together with an international organization called Gharial Conservation Alliance (GCA) to protect the last wild populations. This organization plays a key role in gharial conservation on the Chambal River; its activities, however, are not limited to that zone, but extend throughout India.

Gharial Project at Tikarpada: Capacitive breeding program carried out and has resulted in increase the number of gharials.

  1. Project Cheetah

Beginning of the twentieth century, the extinction of Cheetah was making headlines. Government of India took an initiative as Project Cheetah to get back to their original state. It is the only large mammal which has been extinct from India in recent history. Supreme Court in 2012 set forth the Cheetah Reintroduction Program by which the Ministry of Environment and Forests had proposed to import Cheetah to India. The cheetah is found only in Africa, arid regions of eastern Iran in Asia (Figure 9).

Kuno Palpur and Nauradehi Sanctuaries in Madhya Pradesh and Shahgarh landscape in Jaisalmer in Rajasthan have been selected by the Wildlife Institute of India as most suitable sites for the reintroduction project. Government of India is talking to Islamic Republic of Iran&  African countries to export of Cheetah.

10.  Sea Turtle Project

The project was implemented by an NGO called Project Swarajya located at Cuttack in Orissa.

The sea turtles (Figure 10) migrate from ocean to ocean and do not have any particular habit except the female ones who instinctively returns to the same beach year after year for laying its eggs. It feeds at the bottom of the ocean and comes outside periodically outside the ocean only to replenish the oxygen.

Figure 10: Turtle

Today, 7 species of sea turtles such as Flatback, Olive Ridley, Kemp’s Ridley Green Hawksbill, Leatherback and Loggerhead are existing. Altogether, 5 out of the 7 species of sea turtles are found in the oceans of the Indian sub-continent, the Olive Ridley being the most populous amongst them. Gahirmatha Beach on the coast of Orissa, along the Bay of Bengal is the place where 1000 of them come during December and February to lay eggs.

MoEF initiated the Sea Turtle Conservation Project in collaboration of UNDP in 1999 with Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, as the Implementing Agency.

The project is being implemented in 10 coastal States of the country with special emphasis in State of Orissa.

The project has helped in preparation of inventory map of breeding sites of Sea Turtles, identification of nesting and breeding habitats along the shore line and migratory routes taken by Sea Turtles, development of guidelines to safeguard and minimize turtle mortality.

One  of  the  important  achievements  have  been  demonstration  of  use  of  Satellite Telemetry  to  locate  the  migratory  route  of  Olive  Ridley Turtles  in  the  sea  and sensitizing the fishermen and State Government for the use of Turtle Exclusion Device (TED) in fishing trawlers to check turtle mortality in fishing net.

  1. Vulture Conservation

Vultures are those types of birds, who feed on dead animals. It is found across the world, including Indian subcontinent. These have ecological, social and cultural significance in India. It is nature –scavenger and helps to keep the environment clean. Presently, they are one of the most endangered bird species inIndia. This is a matter of great concern as vultures are natural scavengers and play a crucial role in the ecosystem, and are also essential for the overall well-being of the environment and life support system.

In 1998, observations and counts of vultures at Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur, indicated a decline in number of vultures. In 1999, it was found that there is a sharp decline in number of vultures in India, Pakistan and Nepal. Research was focused around food shortages, poisoning, use of pesticides, disease or other factors. The report of the Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries made a shocking revelation on the population of vultures that has decimated in the entire region of South Asia. One of the major causes of decimation of the population of vultures is the pharmaceutical drug, diclofenac, which is toxic to the bird even at relatively low dosage.

In May 2006, the Government of India, initiated preventive actions to curb further decline in the population of vultures which also includes banning the use of diclofenac in veterinary sector. The government had released the “Vulture Recovery Plan” in 2006. The Bombay Natural History Society (BHNS) has led the movement of vulture conservation in India.

In Asia, the first vulture Conservation Breeding Centre was opened at Pinjore, Haryana in 2005. At present, India has four vulture breeding facilities:

  1. Rani, Guwahati (Assam)
  2. Pinjore (Haryana)
  3. Buxa (West Bengal)
  4. Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh)

There four centers are managed by the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) in Junagarh in Gujarat, Nandankanan in Orissa, Hyderabad in Telangana and Muta in Ranchi.

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