CHENNAI: In a first-of-its-kind initiative in the country, Tamil Nadu is set to exclusively focus on endangered and critically endangered species as the state has decided to formally transfer the Tamil Nadu Endangered Species Conservation Fund to the Advanced Institute for Wildlife Conservation (AIWC), marking a fresh start for species recovery work that had stalled due to official apathy.
Sanctioned early last year with an initial outlay of Rs 5 crore, the fund was created to support targeted conservation of endangered flora and fauna that have long remained outside the spotlight. However, it remained underutilised after being routed first to a defunct Tamil Nadu Development Society and later to the Mudumalai Tiger Foundation without a clear action plan, sources told TNIE.
Now, the forest department has decided to entrust the state-run AIWC with designing and implementing species-specific recovery programmes. The proposal is in its final stages of approval by the finance department, sources said. AIWC has recently been registered as a society, enabling it to receive Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds and collaborate with national and international institutions, which could boost autonomy, and efficiency.
Officials said while much of India’s conservation effort has focused on high-profile species like tigers and elephants, Tamil Nadu’s new initiative aims to bring long-overlooked species into the fold. The fund is part of a Rs 50 crore rolling pool.
“There are critically endangered frog species endemic to the Anamalai landscape, such as the Nilgiris wart frog and Purple frog and the Anamalai flying frog. We know very little about their population or breeding patterns. Under the new fund, we will design time-bound, species-specific recovery plans,” a senior forest official said. Pangolins-listed under Schedule I and considered the most trafficked mammal globally-are also on the priority list.