HYDERABAD: The AP Bio-diversity Board has recently sent its report to the forest department on the number of endangered species, including mammals, birds, reptiles, and medicinal plants, in the state, and has asked it to take appropriate steps for their conservation.
According to the report, hundreds of species, both flora and fauna, have reached near extinction, which include medicinal plants, king cobra, golden gecko, slender loris and leopards.
Member secretary of AP Bio-diversity Board, SN Jadhav, said that it had found, many of the species were under constant threat for their life other than tigers and elephants which had already been kept under protection owing to several existing conservation programmes across the country.
The APBB has also sent the list of species facing extinction to minister of state S Vijayaramaraju, and has suggested to conduct special awareness programmes, which should take all the stakeholders on board including tribals and local people, for an effective implementation of the conservation policies in the state.
The state houses a network of three zoological parks, 21 sanctuaries, and six national parks spread over an area of 4.57 per cent of the total geographical land. It has integrated scientific methods in the conservation of such species, although it has not proved effective enough to bring down the numbers of disappearing animals. It is not the dearth of policies causing the loss of the species, rather the human interferences, which has emerged a big threat to their shrinking habitat. Locals are not aware of the rules and the existing policies, however, their life also depend on forest, they inadvertently become a security threat for the animals.
Jadhav said that the government should regularly organise workshops informing people about the legal protection available to animals, and should discuss the issues regarding their livelihood depended on forest produce.
“The workshop should be site-specific, and the aim should be to share information, learn from each other’s experiences, and provide assistance to locals that will enable them to prevent wildlife crimes like poaching,” he added.