Observing the world wildlife conservation day
By: Vinod Chandrashekhar Dixit
4th December is celebrated as World Wildlife Conservation Day. It is an occasion to be aware, reflect, and take action when it comes to issues that are threatening the planet’s wildlife biodiversity balance.
Forests, forests species and the livelihoods that depend on them currently find themselves at the crossroads of the multiple planetary crises we currently face, from climate change, to biodiversity loss and the health, social and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hunting and killing of animals has become a form of recreation. Murdering humans is considered a crime. But killing and wiping out an entire genre is hardly given consideration. Hunting has tradition and the support of very powerful people on its side and with their influence hunting has been left untouched by legislation – the Protection of Animals Act only covers captive and domestic animals.
High officials, who are supposed to be the guardians of law, often abuse their powers to shield the rich and powerful. Our country is unique in having a significant number of tigers in the wild, in spite of growing population and resource extraction pressures on their habitat.
Reducing number of tigers has triggered the government authorities to awaken and take observe. The elimination of tigers from the environment can have a very serious effect on the food chains. It would disrupt the balance of an ecosystem because tigers keep a control over the plant eating animals.
Tigers are the heritage of our country, evoked in the vedas, puranas and much other literature for their unparalleled strength and aesthetic beauty. The destruction of forest coverage by Maoists may be one of the reasons for this decrease. Wild animal deaths were also reported from Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Kerala, Karnataka and Uttarakhand.
We should know that we are not just animals, but that we belong to the same family tree as other mammals, that our physiology and bodily processes are just like theirs, and that our mental processes too are from the same general pattern. The protection of the national animal has been a significant achievement till now. Hope this continues and leads to a significant rise in the coming years.
Among animals, some are fewer in number than the others, If proper care and security are extended to them, the rare animals would survive. Only the future can tell whether national animal will survive to maintain the much-needed ecological balance. If we delay now, it might be too late. If you want to preserve the tigers, we must stop the poaching first. Even when the government has prohibited the selling of tiger’s skin and bodies, poaching however carries on.
Tigers play a large role in sustaining the biodiversity of forests, in maintaining healthy ecology, habitat conservation and the livelihoods of rural communities. The tiger population has decreased in the states of Telengana and Andhra Pradesh.
The destruction of forest coverage by Maoists may be one of the reasons for this decrease. Wild tiger deaths were also reported from Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Kerala, Karnataka and Uttarakhand.
During the first six months of the year, 30 deaths were reported. The protection of the national animal has been a significant achievement till now. Hope this continues and leads to a significant rise in the coming years.
Credit must also be given to Aircel for initiating “Save Tiger” campaign, along with New Delhi Television (NDTV), which played an active role in creating awareness among the people on dwindling tiger population in India.
The number of wild tigers has gone up to 3,890, from the earlier 2010 estimate of 3200, according to the World Wildlife Fund and the Global Tiger Forum. A new Tiger commando force should be created to protect tigers from the poachers. Government must try to put in more efforts to improve the arrangements to conserve the national pride – the Tiger.
(The author hails from Jodhpur Tekra, Ahmedabad)
KV News
