From the brink to a comeback, hope for India’s wildlife, Pg6

Key Highlights:

• A Great Indian Bustard chick hatched in Kutch, Gujarat, after a decade, offering renewed hope for the critically endangered bird.
• India launched its National Red List Roadmap and Vision 2025–2030 at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi in 2025, aiming to produce National Red Data Books for plants and animals by 2030.
• The Government of India's Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats scheme supports recovery actions for 24 identified species and their habitats.
• Project Nilgiri Tahr in Tamil Nadu and Kerala aims to conserve the State animal through scientific surveys, radio-collaring, and habitat assessment.
• India's first Dugong Conservation Reserve was established in 2022 in Tamil Nadu's Palk Bay, covering 448.34 square kilometers.
• India's first scientific population assessment in 2024 estimated 718 Snow Leopards nationwide, with Ladakh hosting the highest population of 477.
• The Asiatic Lion population in Gujarat increased by 32% from 674 in 2020 to 891 in 2025.

Detailed Insights:

• Global conservation efforts have successfully brought species like the Iberian lynx and scimitar-horned oryx back from the brink of extinction.
• India is one of 17 megadiverse countries, harboring nearly 8% of global flora and 7.5% of fauna on just 2.4% of the world's land area.
• Approximately 28% of India's plants and over 30% of its animals are endemic, meaning they are found nowhere else in the world.
• Of the 7,516 Indian animal species assessed for the IUCN Red List, 1,012 are currently classified as threatened.
• The National Red List Assessment aims to bridge the gap in species assessment, as only 7.2% of India's documented animal species have been evaluated so far.
• Vulture conservation includes a ban on the veterinary use of diclofenac and breeding centers like the Jatayu Conservation Breeding Centre in Pinjore, Haryana.
• The Greater One-horned Rhinoceros populations have expanded due to sustained efforts in monitoring, grassland management, and anti-poaching measures.
• The Clouded Leopard action plan in Meghalaya focuses on habitat protection, scientific monitoring, and community involvement across 14 priority landscapes.
• Fishermen who release dugongs caught accidentally are compensated for damaged gear, encouraging their participation in conservation.
• Local communities, such as women from Kibber in Himachal Pradesh, actively contribute to Snow Leopard conservation through camera trapping and monitoring.
• Political leadership and sustained budgetary support from State governments are crucial for the long-term success of species recovery programs.
• The Tamil Nadu Endangered Species Conservation Fund, with an initial corpus of ₹50 crore, supports local conservation priorities for species like the mahseer and striped hyena.
• International initiatives like the Phoenix Species Project, launched by Re:wild and the Bezos Earth Fund with a $200 million commitment, aim to recover 100 of the world's most threatened species.
• Effective conservation requires scientific support, staff training, and meaningful community involvement to ensure sustainable outcomes.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Megadiverse Countries: Nations that harbor a significant percentage of Earth's biodiversity and a high degree of endemism.
• Biodiversity Hotspots: Biogeographic regions with high levels of endemic species that are experiencing significant habitat loss.
• IUCN Red List: A global inventory assessing the conservation status of biological species, classifying them into categories of extinction risk.
• Endemic Species: Species that are native to and restricted to a particular geographic region.