India's Endangered

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Plastic Is Killing Sea Turtles

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Plastic use threatens sea turtles and other marine life with extinction, study finds

Sea Turtles represent one of the most highly threatened groups of wildlife in today’s world. Pollution, bycatch, destruction of nesting habitat and hunting have served to make 4 of the 7 extant species highly threatened. And as if that wasn’t bad enough, our everyday habits might end up pushing the survivors beyond the brink. A recent study indicates that consuming plastic waste greatly increases the risk of mortality to juvenile and adult sea turtles. The study also predicts that such waste could affect marine food webs on a large scale, with potentially catastrophic consequences.

Read More: Why Life Is Not A Walk on The Beach For Odisha’s Olive Ridley Turtles

The study, spearheaded by the Loggerhead Marinelife Center and the University of Georgia, was carried out on 96 “post-hatchling”(a term used to refer to juveniles and adults) turtles found along the coast of Florida. Half of these turtles were later rehabilitated, with a further 27 being studied extensively. All these turtles were found to have plastic waste in their stomachs. 3 of the turtles died after capture, possibly from the ingestion of these toxic materials.

Image via phys.org

Sea turtles are believed to confuse plastic wastes for jellyfish, a common prey item. The scale of this issue is likely to lead to population decline, according to the scientists who carried out the study. They believe that at this rate, the number of sea turtles capable of reproducing might not be enough to sustain their species. Furthermore, studies upon the plastic matter ingested found that they often break up into tiny pieces in the digestive tract, making them inherently unstable. This can further threaten the digestive systems of sea turtles.

Read More: Turtle Thought To Be Extinct In The Wild Redicovered In Nagaland

Numerous other marine species, both large and small, are at risk from this toxic threat. From sea lions and seabirds to baby fish and possibly even plankton might be among them. Declines in small marine fauna can easily cause the collapse of entire food webs, because of the high levels of dependence that other species have upon them.

Plastic waste pollutes not only our immediate surroundings, but also the vital habitats of highly endangered species. Only by moving towards a plastic-free world can we prevent our oceans from turning into lifeless kingdoms of toxic waste.

Read More: Over Thousands of Turtles Rescued From Smugglers in Bangalore

Featured Image courtesy

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Plastic Is Killing Sea Turtles was originally published on India's Endangered

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11 Lions Found Dead In Gujarat’s Gir Forest

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Bodies of 11 Asiatic Lions were found in Gujarat’s Gir Forest in the last 11 days. Officials deny foul play and say that most of them died of a lung infection the cause of which is still not known. Gir is the last bastion of the Asiatic Lion and it has been long felt that some of the lions should be trans-located to a second protected area to ensure an epidemic of any kind does not wipe out the entire species.

Image via cc/Flickr by Kabacchi

The 11 bodies include three adult females, two adult males, and six cubs. All the dead lions were found mainly from Dalkhaniya range – the east forest range of the national park. The authorities believe that some of them may have also died due to infighting. 3 of the cubs aged between 5 and 9 months were being treated at the Jasadhar Animal Care Centre and the Junagadh Veterinary College. They passed away during treatment.

Read More: Endangered Asiatic Lion Dies in a Flash Flood In Gujarat

Veterinary Forest Officer Hitesh Vamja from the Gir National Park, informed, “All of them have died due to lung infection. Cause of infection isn’t known as yet. We’re giving preventive medicines to other lions so that they don’t get affected.”

Additionally, a dead lioness was also found a day earlier after she preyed on a poisoned wild boar. Earlier the same week a carcass of another wild cat had been found by authorities but the body was severely decomposed and it was hard for the officials to ascertain if it was a male or a female.

While all these deaths have taken in the same range, the forest officials say the area is too vast to say for sure that all of them died of the same cause. For three of the deaths they are certain of infighting.

Read More: Asiatic Lion Pride Spotted on Coastal Highway

As per the 2015 census, Gir is home to 523 lions and the numbers are growing with the lions spreading out and looking for new territories. As per reports at least 54% of the lions live outside the protected territories of Gujarat.

Image via cc/Flickr by Paul Mannix

Urgent Need For New Habitats

In 2013, the Supreme Court of India had issued an order to move certain number of lions from Gir National Park to Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh but till date no lion has been moved. The Gujarat government states the move will happen only after the 33 studies for translocation under the guidelines set by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) are conducted in Madhya Pradesh. It is not clear why these studies have not been conducted in the last 5 years.

Meanwhile, in June this year the Gujarat government also announced plans to move some lions within the state in new locations namely – Barda Sanctuary in Porbandar and Rampura Sanctuary near Rajkot. And yet, even these trans-locations have not happened till now.

Most experts feel it is the complete unwillingness of the state governments and the central government to deal with the urgency of the problem that is delaying the move of the lions to a secondary location. After putting effort for decades to save the unique Asiatic Lions from imminent extinction it would be sad to see their numbers plummet again because of simple lack of initiative from governments’ end to save India’s pride.

Read More: In A First Lion Gives Birth Through In-Vitro Fertilisation 

Featured image via Flickr/cc by kabacchi

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11 Lions Found Dead In Gujarat’s Gir Forest was originally published on India's Endangered

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Scientist Finds An Unusual Bond Between Himalayan Bears And Langurs

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It was fruiting season of Acorns in the pristine Himalayan alpine forests of the Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary. Researcher Himani Nautiyal was on a field trip to observe the Central Himalayan Langur (Semnopithecus schistaceus) and their interactions with livestock, when she observed an interaction of a very different kind. A Himalayan black bear was prowling in the langur home range which normally would be threatening to the langurs as bears are known to hunt them. Oddly enough, this bear was not after the monkeys. It was waiting for the langurs to accidentally drop the fruits of the acorn tree so that it could eat them too!

Himalayan Langur. Image courtesy Himani Nautiyal

This is a first-of-its-kind study documenting the direct interactions between Himalayan Black bear and Central Himalayan Langur – a hunter and the hunted peacefully interacting for a common food source. While one animal feeding on the food accidentally dropped by another species is a commonly documented scientific phenomenon called gleaning, what makes this particular interaction interesting is that the feeding association is between a primate and a non-primate omnivore.

Read More: Rare Golden Langurs Saved By Ropeway

“There has been only one study prior to this presenting a direct interaction between any primate and carnivore species, which was on Hanuman Langur and Jackal recorded in Central India by Newton in 1985, “Himani told India’s Endangered.

Could this have been a chance encounter? The researcher does not think so.

“I began my study in June 2016 and during the first month of research, I could not find any direct or indirect evidence for the presence of Himalayan Black Bear (Ursus tibetabus) in langur home range,” Himani tells us.

“However during the fruiting season of Quercus semecarpifolia, which is in July-August, I found three direct sightings of langur feeding on acorns, and bear gleaning acorns on the ground as well as many indirect evidence of presence of bear such as scat, scratch marks on trees, and footprints. Then again in September, which is the end of fruiting season for Quercus semecarpifolia, I did not find any direct evidences and minimal indirect signs to tell the presence of Himalayan Black Bear inside the langur home range.”

This means the presence of bears increased in the langur range especially during the fruiting months of the tree. The results of the study have been published in Mammal Study by Himani Nautiyal and Michael Allan Huffman where they explain how such kind of primate –carnivore feeding association has been rarely seen.

The researchers also have an idea why the bears could be benefitting from this type of interaction.

Season’s Best Resource

The study suggests that the black bears, especially the females who have young cubs could be using this smart strategy not only to conserve precious energy before the winter months but also to keep their cubs safe.

Read More: New Himalayan Singing Bird Discovered

Bear is normally omnivorous, but when food is scarce they are known to sometimes hunt, write the researchers.

“We think that the nutritional benefits of gleaning highly nutritious acorns by bears outweighs the risk and energy expenditure of hunting, especially for females with their cubs, at this critical time of year in Rudranath.”

Acorns picked by the bears were not only allowing them to get good food while saving their energy, it was also allowing the mother bear to safeguard her cubs that were vulnerable to male bear attacks.

The research adds another interesting element to primate-nonprimate interactions and opens doors for further studies into these animal behaviours.

Read The Full Research Here.

Read More: Great Himalayan National park Becomes UNESCO World Heritage Site

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Scientist Finds An Unusual Bond Between Himalayan Bears And Langurs was originally published on India's Endangered

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Infographic: Know About The Red Panda Today

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The red panda is a small, tree-dwelling mammal native to the high-altitude forests of Nepal and adjacent areas of China, India, and Myanmar. This original panda, formally described by biologists decades before the giant panda (no big deal), lives almost entirely on bamboo, supplemented with fruits, mushrooms, eggs, and the occasional bird—and are the only non-primate that can taste the artificial sweetener aspartame. Solitary in the wild but playful in a well-tended captive environment, this brightly colored and beautiful animal is a charismatic ambassador for the varied and fascinating biospheres in the Himalayas.

But, poaching, climate change, human encroachment on their habitat, and inbreeding depression all threaten the red panda, and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature recently downgraded their status from “vulnerable” to “endangered.” Though they are technically protected in each country of their native range, it’s possible that 2500 or fewer red pandas still live in the wild. (Source: Red Panda Network)

Image courtesy Debra Draper via Behance

Featured Image via Flickr

Read More: 9 Amazing Facts About the Red Panda

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Infographic: Know About The Red Panda Today was originally published on India's Endangered

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In A First, Lion Gives Birth To Cubs Through In-Vitro Fertilization

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When one refers to the term “Wildlife Conservation”, the imagery associated with it is usually one where charismatic species of megafauna are being preserved in a Protected Area such as a National Park or Wildlife Sanctuary. Even though the use of  “ex-situ” methods such as the use of captive rearing programmes have been advocated since the past few decades by conservationists as well, methods assisting reproduction such as In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) had generally not been applied to threatened species of wildlife on a large scale. The successful use of the technique in facilitating the birth of a pair of lion cubs at the Ukutula Game Reserve and Conservation Center at Pretoria, South Africa, might soon change that.

Read More: Saluting The Lion Queens of India

Test-tube baby. Image source

The two cubs, named Victor and Isabella, were born to their mother after the previously harvested sperm from a male lion was placed within her. The female became pregnant and the cubs were born about three and a half months later. The entire process involved no direct physical contact between the male and female, and this is IVF’s biggest advantage with respect to the conservation of endangered species.

Hope for other endangered species 

A number of species have had their populations depleted to only a handful of animals left in captivity. The example of the Northern White Rhino (Ceratotherium simum cottoni) is particularly illuminating. By 2010, the species was down to just 3 individuals that were kept at Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya, a very steep decline from an estimated population of 5000 in the mid-70s, largely because of uncontrolled poaching. Attempts to mate the lone surviving male with the 2 females  did not succeed, and after the former died last year, the species appeared to be going the way of the dodo. But with the male’s sperm having been collected and cryogenetically preserved, does hope still linger? Perhaps IVR can allow the females to reproduce like their leonine counterpart in South Africa. The technique is also being touted as a panacea for other nearly extinct species, such as the Yangtze Giant Softshell Turtle (Rafetus swinhoei) and the Spix’s Macaw (Cyanospitta spixii).

Read More: 5 Facts You Need To Know About Asiatic Lions

IVR is not without its critics. Many propose that greater efforts should instead be put into in-situ conservation. However, captive breeding has also proven to be extremely effective for preserving a number of species, especially when going  in hand with the protection of habitats, for numerous species, ranging from the California Condor to the Pygmy Hog. We can therefore be certain that Victor and Isabella will have company soon.

Read More: The Big Cats of Sasan Gir 

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In A First, Lion Gives Birth To Cubs Through In-Vitro Fertilization was originally published on India's Endangered

[indiasendangered-blog]

Lost Species Of Shark Seen Again In India

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Field biologists Mahesh Babu and Ganesh Pallela of EGREE Foundation were out surveying the Godavari River estuaries in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh when they spotted an unusual marine animal. It was a shark, not longer than 3 feet, and had distinct black tip on the dorsal, pectoral and tail fins. Could it be the rare Pondicherry shark? Unsure, the biologists sent the details to Anil Mohapatra, scientist from the Zoological Survey of India for confirmation, and were delighted when he came back with a positive response. They had indeed spotted the Critically Endangered Pondicherry Shark – last seen 39 years ago!

Pondicherry Shark spotted at Kakinada. Image via The Hindu

Sharks are known as Pala sora in local language and when the field researchers asked the local fishermen about these particular varieties, they agreed that the species was hardly ever seen. However, the fishermen had not idea about the conservation status of the sharks or that it was as protected as the tiger.

Read More: Infographic – What We Are Doing To Sharks 

A Lost Species

Pondichery Sharks are considered to be one of the rarest sharks on the planet. They have hardly been seen, and there is little information regarding them. A great deal of what we know about these sharks is based on what was written by two German scientists – Johannes Muller and Jakob Henle in 1839. The museum specimens collected in the 1900s are from the Indo-Pacific region.

However, there have been reports in the past few years of people spotting these sharks in the coastal and river waters of India and Sri Lanka. In 2017 a team from the Wildlife Conservation Society of Galle (WCSG) in Sri Lanka were conducting a freshwater fish survey at the Mekin Ganga when they spotted a shark. They took its measurements and released it back into the water. They later realised that it was the Pondicherry Shark.

These sharks seldom grow more than 3.3 feet and sometimes enter freshwater areas from estuaries like the one on river Godavari. Sri Lanka’s foremost expert on sharks, Rex I. de Silva says,

“In times of drought, when river levels fall seawater may intrude some distance up rivers at high and especially spring tides. Sharks and other marine species may follow the seawater intrusion for a considerable distance up river, so although they are in a river they will still be in salty or semi-saline water.

When the salt water recedes the marine species follow it back to the sea. A shark in freshwater, on the other hand, is usually present farther up a river beyond the reach of salt water.”

Because of lack of data and information, it is not certain whether the Pondicherry sharks are freshwater sharks or the ones that are travelling to the river waters with the sea waters.

Read More: Interesting Facts About Sharks 

What is surprising is that in Kakinada, the two biologists were able to find two sharks consecutively on two days in the same area.

Divisional Forest Officer (Wildlife) Anant Shankar, also the additional CEO of the EGREE Foundation, told The Hindu that the department in association with the foundation is working with the fishing communities and various line departments in bringing down the trade in such species.

“Conservation of such species is only possible through community mobilisation and stewardship,” he says.

Want to help find this lost species?

Here is an illustration of the Pondicherry Shark (CARCHARHINUS HEMIODON)

Size: Adult: 2.5-3.3 Feet

Habitat range: The Indo-Pacific region from the Gulf of Oman to New Guinea, Malabar, Pondicherry coasts, possibly in Hooghly river

Distinction Mark:

1. Small, stocky, grey-coloured

2. Long, narrow pointed snout

3. Black markings on the pectorals, second dorsal, dorsal, and ventral fins.

If you spot such a shark in your local fish market or while on a trip around these coasts, do contact EGREE Foundation at 0884 236 6017.

Read More: Is India’s Eastern Coast Safe For Whale Sharks 

Image courtesy, 

Reference

Reference

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Lost Species Of Shark Seen Again In India was originally published on India's Endangered

[indiasendangered-blog]

Elephant And Unborn Calf Electrocuted In Assam

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A highly tragic incident has been reported from Assam, where a female elephant was electrocuted after coming in contact with live wires. The baby that the young female was carrying was also lost in the mishap. The live wires were set up at a riverine island near Borgang river of Assam’s Biswanath district, about a kilometre from the sixth addition of Kaziranga National park.

Forest officials believe that it was not an accident and was done deliberately to harm the elephants.

“It’s a deliberate case of electrocution where the solar fence was powered from the AC main line instead of going through a battery powered energizer,” said P Sivakumar, conservator of forests, northern Assam circle, Tezpur.

This is one of many such incidents in recent times where a number of young adult elephants have been killed. The effect of this incident might have far-reaching consequences as this means that an entire generation of elephants capable of breeding and propagating their numbers would be lost.

Read More: Elephant Rescued from Marsh By Villagers in Tamil Nadu

Wildlife conservationist Kaushik Barua said, “It seems from the last few incidents that a large number of young adult elephants are being killed. These were elephants which would have bred – an entire generation of elephants are being lost due to such ghastly acts by humans.”

A complaint has been lodged against the villager of Kathonibari area who allegedly laid the 220-volt live wires. A post-mortem report will throw more light on the details of the tragedy.

According to local residents in the area, a herd of 50-60 elephants had wandered into the area in search of food. The forest department had already taken measures to secure crop fields from marauding elephants.

Read More: Direct Count Survey Reveals 682 Elephants in Bengal

According to Mr. Barua, power fences are not a good solution to solve the problem of elephants rampaging crops. A mechanism should be put in place that does not pose a threat to elephants and yet save crops.

“Proper equipment and permissible source of power needs to be ensured,” said Barua.

In a separate incident last week, an abandoned elephant calf was rescued by forest officials in the same area.

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Elephant And Unborn Calf Electrocuted In Assam was originally published on India's Endangered

[indiasendangered-blog]

Resurrecting Paper Tigers

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A crescent moon lights up a rickety jeep as it swirls around a dark forest, the wind whistling tunes of a cursed queen and her kingdom. It is past midnight. Ghostly shambles of rock fortresses loom by, an icy presence veiling the only humans visible to a jackal’s eye.

Janeshwar Singh, a strappy young officer in uniform, looks up in the rearview mirror to address his entourage.

“The Bhangarh Fort lies in the boundary of Sariska Tiger Reserve,” he snickers. “You must know that it is said to be haunted.”

Singh, 34, is the ‘Ranger Saab’ in charge of the Ajabgarh range in Sariska (STR). Well nestled in the Aravalli hills, covering an area of about 1200 square kilometers that transforms from scrubland to deep valleys and dry deciduous forests, Sariska in Alwar, Rajasthan, is a haven for the big cat. But that has not always been the case…

Read the story of the tiger reserve where there were once more tigers on paper than in the real jungle…and how it is slowly on the path to regaining its old glory, in the words of Sonali Prasad – Resurrecting Paper Tigers 

Story & Words by Sonali Prasad| Photography by Nirvair Singh | Designed by Yashas Mitta

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‘Ranger Ranger’, a long-term multimedia reporting project led by Sonali Prasad, in creative collaboration with platform mukha.co.

Images may be subject to copyright. Used here with permission.

More from Ranger Ranger,

Desired by the Dunes 

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Resurrecting Paper Tigers was originally published on India's Endangered

[indiasendangered-blog]

8 Animals Found Only In One Place In India

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Here are some of the most amazing species of animals that are not only endemic to India but found only in one place in the country! Take a look…

Narcondam Hornbill. Image courtesy National Geographic

1. Narcondam Hornbill

Found only in Narcondam Island, east of Andaman Islands 

 In the tiny 6.82 square km island of Narcondam in the Indian Ocean, lives this exceptionally beautiful species of hornbill easily recognisable with its velvet-black plumage and an oversized yellow beak. Experts say that the population of these birds are stable in the island undoubtedly because of minimum human interaction and presence.

In Defence of the Narcondam Hornbill 

2. Namdapha Flying Squirrel

Found only in Namdapha National Park, Arunachal Pradesh 

 Dr. Shyamrup Biswas of the Zoological Survey India collected a unique

flying squirrel from Namdapha, Tirap District, Arunachal Pradesh in 1981. It was subsequently described as a new species called the Namdapha Flying Squirrel (Biswamoyopterus biswasi). Till date, there have been many photos taken presumably of this flying squirrel but they have not been scientifically authenticated.

The image above is the sample species collected by Dr. Biswas in 1981.

Untouched Horizons: Namdapha National Park

Kashmir Stag or Hangul. Image via wikipedia

3. Kashmir Hangul (Kashmir Stag) 

Found only in greater Dachigam landscape, Kashmir 

 Although Red Deer are commonly found around the world, this particular subspecies is only found in the Kashmir valleys of India and is not very easy to sight. They were once widely distributed in the Kashmir Himalayas, Chenab Valley of Jammu and Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh, but are now only found in Dachigam, centering around the Dachigam National Park.

Indian Army Starts the Save Hangul Campaign

  Andaman Cobra

4. Andaman Cobra 

Found only in Andaman and little Andaman Islands 

The snake is seen mostly in the mangrove areas of the island and is highly venomous. It is very fast in its movement. Loves to feed on rodents, ducks and chicken egg.

New Aquatic Species of Snake Discovered in Western Ghats 

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5. Pygmy Hog 

Found only in and around Manas National Park, Assam 

 This smallest wild pig in the world is not more than 25 cm tall! The pygmy hogs are said to be sensitive indicator species as their presence in an ecosystem shows that the grasslands and forest are healthy. Captive breeding program are being run in Assam to save these unique animals.

Meet the Pygmy Hog 

Sangai Deer and its habitat the floating phumdis of Loktak Lake

6. Sangai Deer 

Found only in Loktak Lake, Manipur 

  The world’s only floating lake Loktak lake is also home to the world’s only deer that lives on this unusual habitat. The lake is made up of a floating biomass called ‘Phumdi’ and is the most important and unique part of Sangai’s habitat. It is the floating mass of entangled vegetation formed by the accumulation of organic debris and biomass with soil. Its thickness varies from few centimeters to two meters. It floats with 4/5 part under water. The deer walks on the hind surface of its pasterns with mincing hops over floating foliage, and is hence also called the Dancing Deer.

Rare Sangai Deer Numbers Increase in Manipur 

Parachute peacock spider or gooty tarantula (CR) Endemic to India

7. Gooty Tarantula

Found only in reserve forest between Nandyal and Giddalur, Andhra Pradesh

 The beautiful tarantula is known by many names including the peacock spider because of its eclectic blue metallic colour resembling a peacock. It lives inside tree hollows and is hardly sighted. Because of growing need for timber, the forest where it lives is threatened and so is this beautiful spider.

Conversation with the Gooty Tarantula 

Indian wild ass. Image courtesy Fine Art America

8. Asiatic Wild Ass

Found only in Little Rann of Kutch, Gujarat

 These are most horse-like species of the Ass. Found in the wide salt plans of the Rann of Kutch, they are arguably the fastest Indian animal, and can attain a top speed of 70-80 kmph.

Know the Indian Wild Ass 

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8 Animals Found Only In One Place In India was originally published on India's Endangered

[indiasendangered-blog]

Asiatic Elephant

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function arkiveEmbedCallback(data){ var iframeCreation='<iframe id="frame" name="widget" src="#" width="100%" height="1" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" frameborder="no">'; var iframe=window.location.protocol+"//"+(data.results[0].url); if(data.error!='null'){ document.getElementById("arkiveIframe").innerHTML=iframeCreation; var iframeAttr=parent.document.getElementById("frame"); iframeAttr.height=570; iframeAttr.width=672; iframeAttr.src=iframe; } } (function(){ function async_load(){ var s=document.createElement('script');s.type='text/javascript';s.async=true; s.src='https://api.arkive.org/v2/embedScript/species/speciesName/Elephas%20maximus?key=bGE9eR0XG40joQNj5N_5N1oFdBnjFpydtJMaF9mtPQk1&id=900f6406-d588-427e-a230-9cb701264767&w=650&h=570&mtype=all&tn=0&text=1&callback=arkiveEmbedCallback'; var x=document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; x.parentNode.insertBefore(s,x); } if(window.attachEvent){ window.attachEvent('onload',async_load); }else{ window.addEventListener('load',async_load,false); } })();

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Asiatic Elephant was originally published on India's Endangered

[indiasendangered-blog]

The Perils Of Being A Great Indian Bustard

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In the 1970s, Arab royalties would often come to India for falconry, a sport that involved shooting of birds like the Great Indian Bustard, commonly found then in Western Rajasthan.  It is believed that the Indian government extended this invitation to the Arabs, as a diplomatic gesture but it came to an abrupt end when in the late 70s there was a huge public outcry over the hunting of the birds. The Rajasthan Government discontinued this tradition, thus saving hundreds of Great Indian Bustards (GIBs). 40 years later, these birds are again in need of a public outcry and help, this time not just to save a few but the entire species from extinction.

From over 1200 in 1969, there are hardly 200 (or lesser) GIBs in India today. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has marked them as Critically Endangered and as one of the rarest birds in the world. Surprisingly, despite being the only nation in the world where these particular bustards are found, India has made little to no progress – even after the IUCN warning, to save them from the fast approaching dooms day.

Read More: From Dogs to Humans, Problems Galore for Great Indian Bustard

Since 2012, India launched Project Bustard in the lines of Project Tiger but 6 years and a million promises later, the bird numbers are still declining. Some experts have predicted that this giant bird could be extinct in this very century. What makes this prediction scarier is the worrisome revelation by a team of scientists who found only a single male bustard in Kutch last month.

Below is a timeline of the conservation plans India has been making for some time now that are still on papers waiting to cut through red tapism and inter-state tiffs.

Meanwhile, the problems for the Great Indian Bustard are only escalating. Without habitats, without safe place to nest, and now threatened by windmills too! Take a look,

1. Lost Habitat

According to WWF India, historically, the Great Indian bustard was distributed throughout Western India, spanning 11 states, as well as parts of Pakistan. Its stronghold was once the Thar Desert in the north-west and the Deccan plateau of the peninsula. Today, its population is confined mostly to Rajasthan and Gujarat. Small population occur in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

Bustards generally favour flat open landscapes with minimal visual obstruction and disturbance, therefore adapt well in grasslands. However, since independence, India has lost grasslands to farmlands, urbanisation and road widening, especially so when grasslands were marked as ‘wastelands’ by policymakers. Presently, the population of the Great Indian Bustard is highest in Rajasthan’s Desert National Park, which is protected grassland area.

Image courtesy Wildfoot Travel

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2. Windmills

India plans to source 40% of its energy needs through renewable energy resources by 2030 and while the move is commendable, the proliferating wind and solar farms in the western states of the country are posing a threat to the Bustard. There have been 7 bustard collisions and deaths in the last few years due to the bird flying directly towards the windmills. For a species that is critically endangered, this is nothing less than an ecological catastrophe.

Read More: Mining a Death Knell for the Great Indian Bustard

 3. Agriculture

Widespread agricultural expansion and mechanization of farming have converted prime bustard habitats – the grasslands into farmlands. As per IUCN, with increased availability of water due to Government irrigation policies, agriculture has spread over vast arid–semiarid grasslands. For example, the Indira Gandhi Nahar Project has caused drastic hydraulic changes and massive agricultural conversion in and around the Desert National Park Sanctuary. Moreover, irrigation facilities and changing lifestyles have led to a shift in the crop pattern from bustard–friendly traditional monsoonal crops (sorghum, millet, etc.) to cash crops (sugarcane, grapes, cotton, horticulture, etc.) which are not suitable for the species.

4. Afforestation

Although this seems like a surprising addition to the list, the Great Indian Bustard is actually loosing not gaining habitats because of afforestation. As IUCN remarks, traditionally, grasslands and scrub have been considered as wasteland and the Forest Department policy, until recently, has been to convert them to forests with plantation of fuel/fodder shrub/tree species, even exotics like Prosopis juliflora, Acacia tortilis, Gliricidia and Eucalyptus spp., under social forestry and compensatory afforestation schemes (Forest (Conservation) Act 1988; Indian Forest Act 1927) resulting in further loss of habitat. Afforestation has been highlighted as a problem at five sites used by the species: Thar desert (Rajasthan), Naliya (Gujarat), Nannaj (Maharashtra), Ranibennur (Kamataka) and Rollapadu (Andhra Pradesh)

On 12th September 2014, an adult female Great Indian Bustard collided with high-tension electric powerlines near Kutch Bustard Sanctuary (KBS) in the Abdasa taluka of Kutch. Image courtesy conservationindia.org

5. Urbanisation

Growth of industries, roadways, railways, mining, quarrying, conversion of grasslands to power projects have all had a negative impact on the bustard population. And what is left of the home is either fragmented pockets between huge industrial hubs, solar farms, wind farms and farms, or too small a land to ensure species revival.

Read More: Don’t Be Extinct Yet, The Bustard Breeding Centre is Coming Soon

6. Feral Dogs

The Great Indian Bustard breeds once in every two years an lays just one egg. Each egg is therefore of immense value but under threat of being eaten or destroyed by feral dogs present in the areas where the bustards are nesting. What makes it an even bigger challenge to avoid the dogs is the fact that the bustards make nests on the ground.

The countdown for the Great Indian Bustard extinction has already begun. If strong actions are not taken today, tomorrow could be too late.

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The Perils Of Being A Great Indian Bustard was originally published on India's Endangered

[indiasendangered-blog]

Sariska Tigress Caught on Camera with 3 New Cubs

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Camera trap pictures of Sariska Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan showed tigress ST12 with 3 cubs. This is the first time the tiger cubs were seen and it raises the number of tigers in the National Park to 17.

12 years ago, Sariska lost all its tigers to poaching. In 2008, the conservation plan of shifting a few tigers each year from Ranthambore to Sariska began in order to repopulate the reserve. This move has now helped in the establishment of the new population of tigers in this habitat.

Read More: Tiger Cub Seen At Sariska Tiger Reserve

Tigress ST12 is around 4 years old and is the daughter of ST 10 who was shifted to Sariska from Ranthambore in January 2013. In 2014 she gave birth to a male (ST11) and a female (ST12) cub. Unfortunately, in March this year the male tiger ST11 died due to injuries after his leg got caught in a snare in a nearby farm. The farmer had placed the snares to protect his crop from the blackbucks and other herbivores.

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Good news is, that the tigress ST12 is now helping increase the number of tigers in Sariska and in the wild. Hopefully, with continued protection and efforts of the forest department, the numbers will continue to rise.

Must Read: World’s Smallest Cat Spotted in Sariska 

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Sariska Tigress Caught on Camera with 3 New Cubs was originally published on India's Endangered

[indiasendangered-blog]

September: Save The Dates

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DOWNLOAD PDF HERE TO PRINT AND USE THE POSTER

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September: Save The Dates was originally published on India's Endangered

[indiasendangered-blog]

7 Pairs of Lesser Florican Seen in MP Sanctuary after 8 Years

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The Madhya Pradesh Forest Department has some delightful news for bird lovers. 7 pairs of the Critically Endangered Lesser Florican birds were seen in the protected Sardarpur Kharmor Sanctuary after a gap of 8 years. The sanctuary is a known breeding ground of this rare bird but after failed sighting of the floricans for the last few years, this year the forest officers had planted pulse crops in the sanctuary hoping that the birds would be attracted to the worms and insects that feed on the crops and thus visit the area. It seems the experiment has been successful.

The Sardarpur ‘kharmor’ sanctuary (Lesser Florican is called Kharmor in Hindi) was first declared as a reserve in 1983 after noted birding expert Dr. Salim Ali identified this area as an ideal habitat of the grassland birds. The birds spend the months from July to October here, which is their breeding season. However, there have been hardly any sightings of the birds for the last decade in the area. Experts believed it was due to lack of rains as well as food for the birds. In 2017 only one lesser Florican had been sighted but none between 2010 and 2016. Last year there also had been reports of the bird being seen outside the reserve area but because this could not be authenticated, it increased the worry of the forest department.

Read More: Satellite Tags to Help Reveal More About Lesser Floricans

This year, therefore the department thought of the experiment of planting crops that would attract insects and in turn the lesser floricans who feed on these bugs.

According to Forest Department’s Sardarpur Range SDO Rakesh Damor, the deparment planted ‘moong’ and ‘urad’ pulse crops in an area of 30 hectares in the sanctuary. These crops were chosen because they are easily infested with crop pests. Unlike farms where pesticides are sprayed to control the infestation, these crops were allowed to be bug infested. The experiment worked with starting July, the first Lesser Floricans appeared in the sanctuary. By last week the forest department confirmed the sighting of not one but 14 Lesser Floricans showing that they indeed found the environment as well as the access food supply suitable at the Sultanpur Sanctuary this time to visit and breed here.

A Big Relief

Lesser Floricans are birds of the bustard family that are found in India. There are less than 250 of the birds in the world today making them very very rare. The other two birds of the same family found in India are the Great Indian Bustard and the Bengal Florican both critically endangered.

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Read More: Saving Sailana Sanctuary to Save the Lesser Florican

Lesser Floricans or Kharmors are beautiful birds with a black body and shimmering white wings. Their best known feature is the mating ritual where the males jump high up in the air about hundreds of times in a day to attract the females and probably tell them where they are amidst the tall green grass.

20 years ago there were an estimated 3500 Lesser Floricans in India, but with the decline of suitable environment and the grassland ecosystems that the birds require, their numbers declined, so much so that now they are in the verge of extinction.

It is therefore a huge win if they are returning to Sardarpur Sanctuary and the crop experiment of the forest department is working.

Source

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7 Pairs of Lesser Florican Seen in MP Sanctuary after 8 Years was originally published on India's Endangered

[indiasendangered-blog]

Rajasthan gets Drones and Cameras for Wildlife Monitoring

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The state of Rajasthan is installing an advanced surveillance mechanism which includes drones and thermal cameras to curb the menace of poaching and other anti-wildlife activities in an attempt to protect its wildlife and forests. This includes over 9% of the state’s geographical area and include biodiversity-rich national parks like Ranthambore and Sariska.

This surveillance system, an initiative of the Planning and Information Technology & communication departments of the government, (DoIT&C) in association with the state’s forest department, will also extend to Kota, Pali, and other areas of the state that are rich in natural forests.

READ MORE: Desired by the Dunes

A total of 100 cameras and five drones will be deployed as part of the plan covering  Sariska, Ranthambore, Jawai Bandh, Mukandara, and Jalana

Speaking of the steps taken to protect wildlife in Rajasthan, — Akhil Arora, Principal Secretary, IT&C, Rajasthan said,

“Taking care of Man-Animal conflict in Wildlife, which has always been a challenge, has not just been successfully resolved in Rajasthan, but also has become an example for others to follow. Advanced Niche Technologies are used to its best – ensuring the best surveillance system for all Wildlife Sanctuaries and Parks of Rajasthan.”

The high-tech surveillance system has been deployed by at a cost of INR 50 Crores and enables 24-hour live monitoring of forests and protected areas.

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Other technology that will be used would be thermal-sensing cameras, image capturing, and video cameras used through a wireless connection to conduct effective surveillance of forest areas. The thermal cameras will especially be helpful in monitoring night-time activities as poaching and other anti-wildlife activities which usually happen after dark. The surveillance system will especially concentrate on vulnerable species such as the big cats in areas that are prone to poaching.

READ MORE: Two Endangered Species Make a Rare Appearance In Rajasthan

Drones will serve a dual purpose of capturing all illegal movements and in monitoring natural calamities occurring in the forest areas. Every key area will have a localised data centre, which will be centrally connected to the state headquarters.

Rajasthan forests are home to a wide variety of wildlife, including Tigers, Leopards, Sloth Bear, and have attracted tourists from far and wide for a long time. But, the threat of poaching and other illegal activities loom large on its rich forests, wildlife, and biodiversity. Apart from putting in place a high-tech surveillance mechanism to curb poaching, Rajasthan has also been making efforts at afforestation. It is one of the few states in India where there has been a consistent increase in the area of green cover — a result of the efforts of the forest department — despite the extreme climate and the fact that the natural forest area in Rajasthan is one of the lowest in the country.

The state is planning a dual objective: preserving its flora and fauna through digitally sophisticated systems and increasing the existing forest area through consistent efforts. READ MORE: Great Indian Bustard Numbers Rising in Rajasthan

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Rajasthan gets Drones and Cameras for Wildlife Monitoring was originally published on India's Endangered

[indiasendangered-blog]

This Renault Ad is Not How You Save Wildlife

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Uniting a calf with the mother cow is simple and joyous. However, while the joy is comparable the scenario is entirely different when attempting the same with an elephant calf. For one, chances of finding an elephant calf stranded in the forest are slim, unless for a good reason. Even in such a case, uniting it with its herd is just not as easy as dangling a key chain and luring it to a herd nearby. The dangers are manifold.

But the way this is portrayed by Renault India in its new commercial for the Kwid hatchback, makes it seem like a jolly smooth drive. The woman who is moved by the plight of the stranded calf is happy with the reunion and the trio sail away in their new vehicle.

See the Ad

Here, the intention is good – showing kindness to animals, but it ends up encouraging inappropriate behaviour in the wilderness. The mistake many of us commit is in seeing wildlife in the same vein as we view humans. While many of us are moved by the plight of animals and would like to help them, dealing with wildlife is not the same as handling pets. If a Jane Goodall or Diane Fossey could communicate closely with primates, it was only after years of behavioural study in the wilderness. The same goes for ‘rescues’ be it of an elephant calf or leopard cubs.

Read More: Elephant Rescued in Marsh by Villagers in Tamil Nadu 

An understanding of elephant ecology prompts many questions. For instance, how did the trio know that the calf belongs to the same herd? Did they consider how the herd may react to an unknown calf? Even trained forest department staff think many times before attempting rescues, and that too after much planning. Arguing that this is ‘just an ad’ and should not be construed as a lesson in wildlife rescues, does not take away from the fact that visual media today has high impact in influencing minds with imagery that linger in memory for years to come. Responsible firms must realise the potential harm their ‘feel-good’ commercial may cause to wildlife.

Thanks to WhatsApp posts, most of us believe that all one needs is a strong mind to quell a raging bull elephant or a brave heart to go chasing a cheetah. The ad in question suggests one can drive through an elephant herd with no worry in the world.

Any wildlifer will tell you that life in the jungle is not an easy drive, especially in the presence of wildlife.

Elephants are highly individualistic in their behaviour and hence can be unpredictable in their responses.

Wildlife experts advise volunteers during research work to keep a healthy distance from elephant herds. Treading softly while in the jungle, not wearing flashy colours, not using cameras with flash and so on; extreme care is taken not to call attention or provoke animals. And still, these experts face challenging situations with elephants, bears or carnivores. Driving into the midst of an elephant herd can be very dangerous and promoting such human behaviour can put people’s lives at risk. Elephants can be particularly protective with calves around and can chase vehicles when they perceive a threat. Strong maternal instincts are seen in most animals, including carnivores such as tigers and leopards that otherwise shy away from human presence.

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It is with people’s safety in mind that the forest department puts up signboards on highways cutting through forests, asking commuters not to stop or alight. Yet, many violate these rules (that come with a fine) with impunity, and go as far as to take ‘daring’ selfies with elephants that sadly can then become their epitaph. Venturing off the road into the forest is also strictly prohibited and yet this is what the protagonists in the ad do.

Read More: Crowd Makes Way for Elephant to Rescue her Calf

Our country today has hardly 5 percent of its geographical extent as protected areas. Forests are being lost to farmlands, industrial parks, roads, mines, tourist zones, etc. This has not only split existing habitats but led to their degradation, and hence resulted in a spillover of wildlife outside forests. Studies have also shown heightened stress levels in elephants in areas with frequent human-animal encounters. The elephant drives that see the use of crackers, fire and even stones thrown by mobs can affect elephant fertility, thanks to such stress. The least we can do is to ensure that wildlife is not disturbed in their habitat.

Television commercials reach millions. In selling a brand, the product features are conveyed through a fictional story. However, where the story has the potential to send out a wrong message, it is incumbent upon the firm to make sure they have their facts right. In this case, the car maker could still have used the jungle backdrop with the elephants, but with a different story. It only had to consult a wildlife expert.

It can be argued that this is ‘just an ad’ which actually preaches love for wildlife. But many impressionable youngsters will want to test their mettle with an elephant herd, with undesirable results. The need of the hour is both to conserve dwindling wildlife and to protect human lives. The media has a very responsible and powerful role to play in this.

“While we welcome the inclusion of wildlife and their issues in commercials, we strongly suggest that experts are consulted, a detailed research is carried by the concerned firms and only facts are represented. At the end of the day, the commercial should be portrayed in a way which is beneficial to both wildlife and humans,” says WCS – India Country Director, Prakriti Srivastava

Read More: Spies in the Sky Saving Wildlife

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This Renault Ad is Not How You Save Wildlife was originally published on India's Endangered

[indiasendangered-blog]

Biodiversity in India

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This is a guest post by Geography and You team. 

The United Nations’ (UN) Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) defines biodiversity or ‘biological diversity’ as “the variability among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are a part; this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems” (UN, 2018).

Dr. C. R. Babu, a senior Environmental Scientist at Delhi University, defines biodiversity as, “All kinds of living organisms and their environments and together with their interactions constitute biodiversity. In other words, all kinds of plants, animals and microbes found in the biosphere and their environment, together with their interactions are collectively referred to as biodiversity”.

  Babu extrapolates that there are four categories of biodiversity. The first category of biodiversity is what is known as genetic biodiversity. It refers to the differences among the living organisms in terms of genes, genetic material or DNA or genomes. The second kind of biodiversity is what is known as species biodiversity. It refers to the kinds of species found in the biosphere. The third category is what is known as ecosystem biodiversity. It refers to the different kinds of ecosystems that are found in the biosphere. The fourth category of biodiversity is what is known as human cultural biodiversity. This refers to diversity in languages, religions, food habits and other lifestyles among human populations.

Read More: Drones to Monitor 10 Biodiversity Hotspots in India

Legal Mechanisms for Biodiversity in India

After the UN’s Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) came into force on December 29th, 1993 the Biological Diversity Act was enacted by India in 2002 pursuant to the CBD. This was followed by India’s notifying of the Biological Diversity Rules in 2004 to provide effect to the provisions of the CBD and the Biological Diversity Act, 2002. The Act pervades three institutional levels in government, namely the national, state and local levels. In 2003 the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) was set up in Chennai. The NBA consists of a chairperson and representatives from various ministries making up 5 non-official and 10 ex-officio (by virtue of one’s position or status) members as appointed by the Central Government (MoEF, 2018).

The NBA aims broadly at conservation and sustainable use of India’s biodiversity along with better management and applications in how India’s biological resources are used including also encouragement of people’s participation in the processes to these ends. The organization’s mission is to pursue the efficient practice of the provisions of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 and the implementation of the Biological Diversity Rules, 2004 in order to efficiently manage biodiversity in India and ensure equitable sharing of benefits that can arise from the utilization of biological resources.

The Biological Diversity Act, 2002 covers aspects of biodiversity that deal with its conservation, and also utilization for research, commercial, or bio-survey and bio-utilization purposes. A framework is provided by the Act for access to biological resources and distribution of benefits that can come about due to access to and use of biological resources. The Act also covers Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) regarding biological resources in India including the transfer of results from research and other applications of IPR. The Act orients action to be initiated by individuals or entities when dealing with biological resources in India to be carried out with the approval of the NBA as under the provisions of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 when they use or access biological resources or knowledge associated with biodiversity.

Read More: Indian Biodiversity Under Serious Threat

In requiring the approval of the NBA, in terms of individuals and entities, the Act includes non-resident Indians, foreigners, corporations and organizations that are not incorporated in India or those that are incorporated in India with non-Indian participation in its management and in its share capital. The approval of the NBA is not required by Indian citizens and Indian institutions in undertaking the aforementioned activities. However, if they intend to organize any commercial research, they need to inform the respective State Biodiversity Boards. They also require approval from the NBA for any IPR based applications of biological resources.

The Act however excludes from its purview biological resources in India that are traded as commodities and as commodities only and for no other purpose. Also excluded from the provisions of the Act are traditional uses of biological resources and the knowledge associated with these and also when Indian and foreign institutions engage in collaborative research projects that have the approval of the Central Government (NBA, undated).

Apart from the NBA in association with the State Biodiversity Boards and Biodiversity Management Committees, many other institutions in India contribute to the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity in India. The NBA is also aided in its work by the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) and various government departments such as the Animal Welfare Division and the Central Pollution Control Board of the MoEF for example. The conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity in India is also supported by various other organizations and educational institutions such as the Indian Institute of Bio-Social Research and Development which is associated with the MoEF.

For example, in accordance with Article 6 of the CBD, which requires all parties to develop strategies and programmes for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, the MoEF implemented the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) as an externally aided project from 2000-2004. It involved thematic action plans at the state, eco-region and local levels. In 2006 after the cabinet approved the National Environment Policy the preparation of the National Biodiversity Action Plan (NBAP) was initiated. The cabinet approved the NBAP in 2008 and formally released in 2009. The NBAP mainly focuses on conservation of biological diversity taking into account the existing legal frameworks, strategies and plans and programmes on the basis of which the action plan is designed (MoEF, 2018).

Biodiversity Hotspots in India and Conservation

The term biodiversity hotspot was framed by the biologist Norman Myers in 1988 who defined it as a biogeographical region whose levels of plant endemism is exceptional and which is marked by serious levels of habitat loss. Conservation International (CI) undertook a reassessment of this definition in 1996 which was followed by an extensive global review three years later which introduced quantitative demarcations in how biodiversity hotspots were designated. For Conservation International, to qualify as a biodiversity hotspot, a region would require two criteria. These include having a minimum of 1,500 species of endemic vascular plants, and the region needs to have a minimum of 70 per cent of its original habitat lost.

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Read More: Facts you Did Not Know About Biodiversity of India

The Botanical Survey of India lists 4 principal biodiversity hotspots in India whose span can in some cases extend to regions outside the boundary of India. This includes first, the Indian portion of the Himalayas and also includes the Himalayan region in other countries such as in China, Nepal, Pakistan, Bhutan and Myanmar. Second, the Indo-Burmese region which includes all of northeastern India except the state of Assam and also internationally includes the Indo-Burmese region as a whole including Myanmar, southern China, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos. Third, another biodiversity hotspot is the Sundaland region consisting of the Nicobar group of islands in India and Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, Singapore and the Phillipines abroad. Fourth, is the biodiversity hotspot comprising of the Western Ghats along India’s south-western coast and the biodiversity hotspot also includes the nation of Sri Lanka (NIC, 2011).

Science has identified about 1.4 million organisms globally and new species are still being discovered.

In this India is one of the world’s 12 mega-biodiversity centres, including being among the 6 centres of origin of agronomic crop species identified by the botanist N.I. Vavilov. In India more than 89,000 animal species and about 45,000 plant species have been identified which makes up about 6.5 per cent of all known species.

Among India’s biological diversity hotspots, two of them are particularly threatened. These are the eastern portion of the Himalayan region and the Western Ghats (Balaji, 2010). The WWF estimates that about 75 per cent of Himalayan habitats have been destroyed or degraded (WWF, 2017). At least 325 globally threatened species are in the Western Ghats which is home to a large number of endemic plants and animals.

Legal documents for conservation of biological diversity usually act as umbrella policies for many micro-level activities to take place. The most prominent of these activities can include demarcating certain areas as protected areas, which can be a method to conserve habitats, although not all habitats. Also other methods like mapping of sites, identifying gap species (being certain species not covered by habitats within protected areas), listing of certain species by the IUCN in the Red List such that renewed efforts are made for the conservation of these species, alternately making Red List Indices that look at the projected extinction risk of certain sets of species in terms of temporal variability, etc (Mandal & Nandi, 2009) can facilitate conservation of biological diversity apart from demarcating certain areas as protected areas. Alternately resource allocation policies can also assist in conservation of biological diversity along with policies for the restoration of natural habitats.

Image courtesy HT

A growing number of species are increasingly being threatened in India mainly because of conversion of forest lands to agriculture, changing land use patterns in development and industrial activities such as the construction of dams and blasting of mines for example which together are degrading habitats for species in India. Some of these species threatened are endemic to India such as the one-horned rhinoceros and the Gangetic dolphin. Their extinction in India could mean their global extinction. A loss in biological diversity can impact not only flora and fauna but also humans and their economy, severely affecting livelihoods when the source for products based on biological products disappear or become threatened (Vyawahare, 2017).

Access & Benefit Sharing Issues

The NBA claims that India’s experience with access and benefit sharing (ABS) issues has been progressive. One of the most notable early examples they cite is the impact of recognizing the traditional knowledge of India’s Kani tribe about a plant called Arogyapacha. The local communities were rewarded with providing their knowledge and the genetic resources that paved the way for the development and commercialization of a drug called Jeevani, which is an anti-fatigue drug. This ABS issue occurred before the CBD came into force.

The CBD, the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 and the Biological Diversity Rules, 2004 were a huge encouragement in operationalizing the ABS provisions as within these documents. The noteworthy aspect in the history of ABS in India has been in not only engaging experts and policy makers but also engaging communities and India has dealt with over 600 ABS applications. These ABS applications can come under 4 categories vis. those that deal with access to biological resources or traditional knowledge, transfer of research results for commercial purposes, with IPR, and with third party transfer of the biological resources or traditional knowledge.

In the ABS application process, there is a different form that has to be completed for each of these 4 categories. Securing applications is based on securing prior informed consent, satisfying mutually agreed terms and guaranteeing fair and equitable benefit sharing. The NBA is assisted in processing these forms by an expert committee over the benefit sharing component, and consultation with local bodies under whose jurisdiction the access to the traditional knowledge and/or biological resources is secured. The final approval is marked by an ABS agreement signed between the applicant and the NBA (NBA, undated). An ABS agreement is a huge step in bringing about greater equity in access and distribution of benefits over biological resources and traditional knowledge and a practical tool to apply legal policy on the ground.

Read More: Researchers Describe Two New Lizard Species from India

Endnote

Although India has a robust legal mechanism in place to conserve and sustainably utilize biological diversity, action on the ground is necessary given how many species are threatened not just in biodiversity hotspots but also in wild zones across India. The provisions of the Act and the Rules must be applied with a principal focus on protecting habitats and indigenous knowledge. The legal documents aim to regulate the sphere of human activity over biological resources, which is in urgent need of better implementation. A robust legal document in theory must be accompanied with equally strong legal and scientific research, legal practices, legal reviews and policy applications.

This article was originally published in Geography and You and has been re-published here with permission. Read the original here. 

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Biodiversity in India was originally published on India's Endangered