Different animal projects in india as launched by govt. of India

1. ANIMAL CONSERVATION
PROJECTS IN INDIA
PRESENTED BY
MEENTU PRAKASH
MSC. 1ST SEM

3. Introduction
• Elephant (Elephas maximus indicus) is the largest terrestrial
mammal of India .
• Elephant being wide ranging animal requires large areas.
• The requirement of food and water for elephants are very
high and therefore their population can be supported only
by forests that are under optimal conditions.
• Asian elephants were believed to be widely distributed.
About half of the Asian elephant population is in India.
• However current distribution of wild elephant in India is
confined to South India ; North East including North West
Bengal; Central Indian states of Orissa , South WB and
Jharkhand; and North West India in Uttarakahnd and UP.

4. Project Elephant (PE) was launched by
the Government of India in the year
1992 as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme
with following objectives :
1. To protect elephants, their habitat &
corridors
2. To address issues of man-animal conflict
3. Welfare of domesticated elephants

5. • Financial and Technical support are being
provided to major elephant bearing States in
the country.
• The Project is being mainly implemented in 13
States / UTs , viz. Andhra pradesh , Arunachal
Pradesh , Assam , Jharkhand , Karnataka ,
Kerala , Meghalaya , Nagaland , Orissa , Tamil
Nadu , Uttranchal , Uttar Pradesh and West
Bengal.
• Small support is also being given to
Maharashtra and Chattisgarh .

7. Main activities under the Project are
as follows:
1. Ecological restoration of existing natural habitats
and migratory routes of elephants;
2. Development of scientific and planned
management for conservation of elephant
habitats and viable population of Wild Asiatic
elephants in India;
3. 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;

8. 4. Strengthening of measures for
protection of Wild elephants form
poachers and unnatural causes of death.
5. Research on Elephant management
related issues.
6. Public education and awareness
programmes.
7. Eco-development of elephant habitats;
8. Provide improved veterinary care for
elephants.

9. Elephent Reserves:
• There are eleven elephant range areas in the
country with 26 Elephant Reserves notified by
the respective State Governments.
• There are four elephant reserves in Kerala,
viz.,
1.Wayanad ER
2.Nilambur ER
3.Anamudi ER
4. Periyar ER

10. Till now 26 Elephant Reserves (ERs) extending over
about 60,000 sq km have been formally notified by
various State Governments .

11. Monitoring of Illegal Killing of
Elephants ( MIKE ) Programme:
MIKE program started in South Asia in the
year 2003 with following purpose –
• To provide information needed for elephant
range States to make appropriate
management and enforcement decisions.
• And to build institutional capacity within the
range States for the long-term management of
their elephant populations.

12. To measure levels
and trends in the
illegal hunting of
elephants;
To determine
changes in
these trends
over time;
and
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

13. Mike Sites in India
Mike Sites in India
1. Chirang Ripu (Assam )
2. Dhang Patki ( Assam )
3. Eastern Dooars ( WB )
4. Deomali ( Arunanchal Pradesh )
5. Garo Hills ( Meghalaya )
6. Mayurbhanj ( Orissa )
7. Mysore ( Karnataka )
8. Nilgiri ( T N )
9. Shivalik (Uttarakhand )
10.Wayanad ( Kerala)

14. PROJECT LION

15. Asiatic lion
• The Asiatic lion (Panthera leo persica), also known as
the Indian lion, is a lion subspecies that exists as a
single population in India's Gujarat State.
• It is listed as Endangered by IUCN due its small
population size
• The lion population has steadily increased in the Gir
Forest National Park, more than doubling from a low of
180 individuals in 1974 to 411 individuals consisting of
97 adult males, 162 adult females, 75 sub-adults, and
77 cubs as of April 2010.
• The Asiatic lion is one of five big cat species found in
India, apart from Bengal tiger, Indian leopard, snow
leopard and clouded leopard

16. • The Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary
in Western Gujarat is the only habitat for the
Asiatic lion where an area of 1,412.1 km2
(545.2 sq mi) was declared as a sanctuary for
their conservation in 1965.
• Later on 1975 it was declared as national park
covering an area of 258.71 km2 (99.89 sq mi)
was established where no human activity is
allowed.

18. Five protected areas currently exist to
protect the Asiatic lion:
1. Gir Sanctuary,
2. Gir National Park,
3. Pania Sanctuary,
4. Mitiyala Sanctuary,
5. Girnar Sanctuary.

19. • The first three protected areas form the Gir
Conservation Area, a 1,452 km2 (561 sq mi)
forest block that represents the core habitat of
the Asiatic lion.
• The other two sanctuaries, Mitiyala and
Girnar, protect satellite areas within dispersal
distance of the Gir Conservation Area.

20. Asiatic Lion Reintroduction Project
• The Asiatic Lion Reintroduction Project is an initiative of the
Indian Government to provide safeguards to the Asiatic lion
(Panthera leo persica) from extinction in the wild by means of
reintroduction.
• The project aims to establish a second independent
population of Asiatic Lions at the Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary
(total area 344.68 sq km and its buffer area streches upto
1269 sq km ) in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.
• The proposed project was of 20 years (1995-2015) with three
phases: pre-translocation phase (1995-2000 ), translocation
and population build up phase (2000- 2005), follow up and
consolidation phase (2006- 2015).

22. Rhinoceros Conservation in India
The Indian rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis),
also called the greater one-horned rhinoceros
and Indian one-horned rhinoceros.
Listed as a vulnerable species, the large
mammal is primarily found in north-eastern
India's Assam and in protected areas in the
Terai of Nepal, where populations are confined
to the riverine grasslands in the foothills of the
Himalayas.

23. The rhino's single horn is present in both males
and females, but not on newborn young.

24. • There are only
approximately 3,333
Greater one-horned rhinos
left in the world (as at 31
December 2012), with
about 75% of those found
in the Indian state of
Assam

25. • Today, more than 3,000 rhinos live in the
wild.
• In 2014, 2,544 of which are found in India's
Assam alone, an increase by 27 percent since
2006, although in early 1900s, Assam had
about 200 rhino only
• It is the fifth largest land animal.

26. One-horned rhinos once
ranged across the entire
northern part of the Indian
Subcontinent, along the
Indus, Ganges and
Brahmaputra River basins,
from Pakistan to the Indian-
Burmese border, including
Bangladesh and the
southern parts of Nepal and
Bhutan. Indian rhinoceros range

27. Populations
• In 2007, the total population was estimated to be 2,575
individuals, of which 2,200 lived in Indian protected areas:
• in Kaziranga National Park: 2329 (2012 estimate)— increased
from 366 in 1966
• in Jaldapara National Park: 108
• in Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary: 81
• in Orang National Park: 68
• in Gorumara: 27
• in Dudhwa National Park: 21
• in Manas National Park: 19
• in Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary: 2

29. Indian Rhino Vision 2020
• Overview
• IRV 2020 is a partnership between the Assam Forest
Department, the Bodoland Territorial Council, WWF, IRF, and
the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
• The programme aims to: Increase the total rhino population
in Assam to about 3000 by the year 2020
• Its goal is to have a wild population of at least 3,000 Greater
one-horned rhinos in the Indian state of Assam – spread over
seven protected areas – by the year 2020.
• IRV 2020 is an ambitious rhino range and population
expansion programme.

30. • Through the concentrated efforts of
the IRV2020 programme, the species
is increasing in number once again.
• IRV 2020 is an exceptionally
significant and inspirational
programme.

31. PROJECT SNOW LEOPARD

32. • Goal: To safeguard and conserve India’s unique natural
heritage of high altitude wildlife populations and their
habitats by promoting conservation through
participatory policies and actions.
• DRAFTED BY: Project Snow Leopard Committee
instituted by the Ministry of Environment and Forests,
Government of India, (vide Notification No. F.No., 15-
5/2006 WL I, Dated 31 July 2006)
• Location: All biologically important landscapes in the
Himalayan high altitudes in the states of Jammu &
Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Sikkim, and
Arunachal Pradesh.

33. Project Snow Leopard Launched 20-January, 2009
Project Operational in Five Himalayan States viz.
1. Jammu & Kashmir,
2. Himachal Pradesh,
3. Uttarakhand,
4. Sikkim,
5. Arunachal Pradesh.

34. SNOW LEOPARD
Panthera uncia
• The snow leopard (Panthera uncia syn. Uncia
uncia) is a large cat native to the mountain
ranges of Central and South Asia. It is listed as
endangered on the IUCN Red List of
Threatened Species because as of 2003, the
size of the global population was estimated at
4,080-6,590 adults, of which fewer than 2,500
individuals may reproduce in the wild.

35. SNOW LEOPARD
Panthera uncia
• The Snow Leopard is the flagship species for
some of the most spectacular mountains in
Central Asia including the Himalaya, Tian Shan
and Karakorum.
• Snow Leopards are famed for their long tail, thick
spotted fur, and ability to hunt down sheer cliffs;
but unfortunately even here, on the ‘roof of the
world’ Snow Leopards are endangered due to
threats that include poaching and persecution by
local herding communities.

36. PROJECT OBJECTIVES
• The goal of Project Snow Leopard is to safeguard
and conserve India’s unique natural heritage of
high altitude wildlife populations and their
habitats by promoting conservation through
participatory policies and actions.
• Promote local capacity, conservation education
and awareness.
• Reduce existing anthropogenic pressures on
natural resources.
• Promote better understanding and management
of human-wildlife conflicts

37. PROJECT OBJECTIVES
• Facilitate a landscape-level approach to
wildlife conservation.
• Rationalize the existing protected area
network and improve protected area
management

38. Broad Geographical Setting within
Himachal Pradesh
• In Himachal Pradesh, the areas included under
the scope of the Project Snow Leopard (above
3000 m) are Lahaul, Spiti, Pangi, Kinnaur,
Upper Chamba (especially Bharmour), Upper
Kangra (Bara Bhangal), Upper Kullu (Mantalai,
Pin Parvati, upper Great Himalayan NP, upper
Manali), and Upper Shimla (Rupi Bhabha,
Dodra Kwar).
• The snow leopard is the state animal of
Himachal Pradesh.

39. Snow leopard

40. Conservation status
• Numerous agencies are working to conserve
the snow leopard and its threatened
mountain ecosystems.
• These include the Snow Leopard Trust, the
Snow Leopard Conservancy, the Snow Leopard
Network, the Cat Specialist Group and the
Panthera Corporation.

41. • These groups and numerous national governments
from the snow leopard’s range, nonprofits and donors
from around the world recently worked together at the
10th International Snow Leopard Conference in
Beijing.
• Their focus on research, community programs in snow
leopard regions, and education programs are aimed at
understanding the cat's needs, as well as the needs of
the villagers and herder communities affecting snow
leopards' lives and habitat.

42. Population and protected areas
• The total wild population of the snow leopard
was estimated at 4,510 to 7,350 individuals.
• In 1972, the International Union for
Conservation of Nature (IUCN) placed the
snow leopard on its Red List of Threatened
Species as globally "Endangered"; the same
threat category was applied in the assessment
conducted in 2008.
• There are also approximately 600 snow
leopards in zoos around the world.

43. Protected areas in India
• Hemis National Park, in Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir,
India
• Nanda Devi National Park, in state of Uttarakhand,
India, a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site
• Valley of Flowers National Park, Uttarakhand, India, a
UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site
• Sacred Himalayan Landscape, Nepal, India, Bhutan
• Dibang Wildlife Sanctuary, near Anini, India
• Pin Valley National Park, Lahaul Spiti, Himachal
Pradesh, India
• Great Himalayan National Park, Kullu, Himachal
Pradesh, India

44. Project Crocodile

45. • Biological information on crocodiles
• The crocodiles are large aquatic tetrapod
reptiles. They live throughout the tropics in
Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia. They
are cold-blooded creatures.
• The crocodiles occur mostly in freshwater
habitats such as rivers, lakes, wetlands and
sometimes in brackish water. They feed mostly
on vertebrates – fish, reptiles, and mammals.

46. •Crocodiles, Alligators and Gharials are the world’s largest and most
riveting reptiles. These cold-blooded creatures are also great
survivors and lingered unchanged since prehistoric period —
enduring break-up of continents and the ice ages. They have
witnessed the rise and fall of the dinosaurs and have even seen the
evolution of mammals and birds. However, 17 out of the 23 species of
crocodilians around the world are endangered today due to
man’s folly.
• We in India do not have alligators, instead have three species of
crocodiles and one of which is unique to Indian subcontinent is the
gharial.
•The adult male has a bump at the end of the snout resembling an
earthen pitcher or ghara , hence the name Gharial(Gavialis
gangeticus).
• The other two are the mugger or swamp crocodiles (Crocodylus
palustris) found in freshwater and the salt water or estuarine
crocodiles ( Crocodylus porosus)

47. •In 1970, it was estimated that a mere 100 gharials
survived in the wild. While larger numbers of
saltwater crocodiles and muggers were known to
exist, they were not enough to avoid the extinction
of the species. By the time crocodile hunting was
banned in India in 1972, all three species were on
the verge of extinction.
• The Indian government subsequently accorded
protection under the Wildlife Protection Act of
1972.

48. Conservation
•By 1976, the estimated total population of wild gharials had
declined from what is thought to have been 5,000 to 10,000 in
the 1940s to less than 200, a decline of about 96%. The Indian
government subsequently accorded protection under
the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.
•In 1997, the total population was estimated at 436 adult
gharials that had declined to 182 in 2006. This drastic decline
has happened within a period of nine years, well within the
span of one generation, and qualifies the gharial for Critically
Endangered listing by the IUCN. Estimates from population
surveys carried out in 2007 indicated 200–300 breeding adults
left in the world.

49. •The project arose from a proposal for development of
vrocodile farming industry in india. Dr. H.R. Bustard , an
Fao expert on crocodile breeding and management was
invited as a consultant to the country in 1974. Based
upon his advice the project was initiated on 1.4.1974.
•Work on project was begun on 1.4.1974 in Odisha.
Gharial eggs were hatched for the first time in capativity
anywhere in the world at Tikerpada, Distt. Dhenkanal,
Odisha in june 1975.

50. In situ initiatives
•Project Crocodile began in 1975 under the auspices of
the Government of India with the aid of the United Nations
Development Fund and Food and Agriculture Organization.
•Sixteen crocodile rehabilitation centers and five crocodile
sanctuaries including the National Chambal Sanctuaryand
Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary were established in India
between 1975 and 1982. By 2004, 12,000 gharial eggs had
been collected from wild and captive-breeding nests, and
over 5,000 gharials reared to about a meter or more in
length and released into the wild. But in 1991, funds were
withdrawn for the captive-breeding and egg-collection
programs. In 1997–1998, over 1,200 gharials and over 75
nests were located in the National Chambal Sanctuary, but
no surveys were carried out between 1999 and 2003

51. •In December 2010, the then Indian Minister for Environment
and Forests, Jairam Ramesh, visited the Madras Crocodile
Bank with Romulus Whitaker, and announced the formation of
a National Tri-State Chambal Sanctuary Management and
Coordination Committee for gharial conservation on
1,600 km2(620 sq mi) of the National Chambal Sanctuary along
the Chambal River in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar
Pradesh
• The committee will comprise representatives of three states'
Water Resources Ministries, states' Departments of Irrigation
and Power, Wildlife Institute of India, Madras Crocodile Bank
Trust, the Gharial Conservation Alliance, Development
Alternatives, Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the
Environment, Worldwide Fund for Nature.

52. •Funding for this new initiative will be mobilized as a
subscheme of the ‘Integrated Development of Wildlife
Habitats’ in the yearly amount of 50–80 million Indian
rupees (US$ 1 million to 1.7 million) for five years
•Some captivities are-the Madras Crocodile Bank
Trust, Indira Gandhi Zoological Park, Jawaharlal
NehruBiological Park in Bokaro Steel City,Bannerghatta
Zoo in Bangalore, Junagadh Zoo and Biological
Park Itanagar

53. gharial crocodile