India which is known for its rich culture and heritage is also known for its wildlife. Wildlife conservation in India became the need of the hour because of the people who failed to realize the importance of both wild species and the environment and unintentionally caused harm to them. Wild species and their habitat go hand in hand and even if people or organizations are affecting environment in a negative way, then indirectly they are causing a great impact on the population of the animals.
The least anyone can do is to not perform activities which harm the wildlife, be it illegal hunting or poaching or using them for entertainment purposes. Before it gets too late, we the people of India have to wake up and strive to ensure that everyone takes a step towards conservation and protection of wildlife because without them, our lives will have an adverse effect and so will our environment and we won’t be able to function well.
Not only the people of India but the government too is taking steps towards the protection of wild species so that we do not lose on such an important part of our country. Some of the important initiatives taken by both the people and the government are:
PROMOTION OF ECOTOURISM
From the idea of conserving the wildlife, the idea of ecotourism came up which was initiated for people who love nature and want to travel to less explored places. This initiative was an alternative to mass tourism which used to affect the wild species and environment indirectly. Kerela is one of the best ecotourism places in India. With the idea of ecotourism, people have become more responsible towards the environment and are also trying to ensure that because of their enjoyment, they don’t cause any harm to wildlife. Ecotourism places are more peaceful and secluded. The idea behind it is to enjoy nature while caring for the local people and animals there and promoting their culture.
PROJECT ELEPHANT
The initiative to save the elephants and to protect them from entering the category of endangered species was started in 1992. The illegal killing and poaching of elephants for their tusks became so prominent in those times that it posed a threat to the population of elephants in India. Due to this, the government too banned the use of elephants for entertainment purposes because elephants are not only a part of our country’s rich wildlife but also are culturally significant. They are a part of our lives since the time of kings and rulers and it is also important for us to protect our culture. Proper management and care of elephants were ensured and due to this initiative, there is a noticeable increase in the population of elephants.
PROJECT TIGER
The most successful initiative towards wildlife conservation in India was Project Tiger which was started in 1972 when only 268 tigers were found to be alive. The main reason behind this project was to stop tigers from going extinct and increase their population in any which way possible. Not only their population increased but their habitat too was protected. There was a significant increase in their population, 268 to 1000 in 2006 and then to 2000+ in 2016. Under this project, more than 47 tiger reserves were included.
WILDLIFE PROTECTION ACT 1972
Wildlife protection act was initiated for the protection of species of plants and animals. This act was a benchmark in the history of wildlife protection because due to this act, more people realized the importance of wildlife and worked towards protecting them. At the beginning of this act, there were only 5 national parks and in today’s time, there are 166 National Parks and 551 Wildlife sanctuaries. This was a huge jump and we successfully saved and protected the most prized possession of our country- Our rich and incredible Wildlife.
NGOs WORKING TOWARDS WILDLIFE CONSERVATION
There are several NGOs in India which work day and night just to ensure that no wild species is being harmed in any way and even if that’s the case then they find out the reason behind it and the measures they can take to overcome this problem. Many volunteers keep a check on killing and poaching of animals and even find out new ways of spreading awareness among people about wildlife protection. They even introduce new and innovative measures to protect the wilderness.
It’s high time that we learn from our mistakes which we did in past by cutting trees, killing wild species and even abandoning them from their natural habitat. Its time to come together and bring about a change in society where animals too are treated with respect and considered as an important part of our lives. Spread awareness about the conservation of wild species and promote ecotourism places in India.
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