On June 28, King Charles III and Queen Camilla presented the Tara Award to Oscar-winning filmmaker Kartiki Gonsalves of The Elephant Whisperers and a wildlife conservation group from India at the 2023 Animal Ball in London.
A day before the glittering event, which aims to raise funds for conservation programmes in South Asia, India almost lost another cheetah in a territorial clash at Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park (KNP).
In what was supposed to be the most prestigious wildlife reintroduction plan of recent times, the country has already lost three adult cheetahs out of the 20 translocated ones, and three of the four cubs, the first to be born in the country in over 70 years, at KNP in eight months.
Though the optics were magnificent, bringing the fastest land animal on Earth back to a country where they were declared extinct, two months short of its first anniversary, Project Cheetah is marred by deaths, runaways, clashes and controversies.
In a paper published in Conservation Science and Practice in April 2023, researchers observed that because of KNP’s small area (748 sqkm and open from all sides), the cheetahs may stray far beyond the park’s boundaries. In southern Africa, a single cheetah has a range of 100 sqkm.
It has happened. Aasha and Oban have strayed out of KNP, and had to be located and brought back. Aasha, in her third attempt in June, had travelled as far as nearly 200 km to Uttar Pradesh, making it the longest recorded distance travelled by a translocated cheetah in the country.
What’s also raised eyebrows is that while Asian cheetahs went extinct in India because of habitat loss and overhunting, African cheetahs were introduced under the project.
Another paper, published in May 2023 in the South African Journal of Science, says the initiative has a limited scientific basis, placing the translocated animals at risk. “It lacks evidence of benefit to African cheetah conservation, nor is there an exit strategy in case of failure or harm to other wildlife or humans,” says Kelly Freeman, a wildlife biologist, who has been studying the cheetah in Africa for a decade.
The Lost World
Nature is under threat as never before, and nowhere is the decline more evident than on the Living Planet Index. The metric, developed by researchers at the World Wildlife Fund and the Zoological Society of London, measures the abundance of animal life.
Its dataset comprises 32,000 species populations, including mammals, birds, fish, reptiles and amphibians. The 2022 figures show that wildlife populations have plunged by an average of 69 per cent since 1970. “It is impossible to know exactly what its consequences would be for humans, but we do know that for now, the diversity of nature allows us to thrive,” says James Whitten, a biologist who studies primates in Asia.
India’s wildlife crisis looks no different. When the population of a species declines by at least 90 per cent and the cause is known, it is defined as critically endangered. The number of such species in the country has risen from 47 in 2011 to 73 in 2022, as per data presented in the Rajya Sabha. “Many of them are endemic—they are found nowhere else except for that region and could be lost forever,” says Anish Andheria, president, of Wildlife Conservation Trust.
Among them is the shy and elusive Kashmir stag. It roams free on a small patch of protected land in the moist temperate forests of Dachigam National Park in Kashmir. Also on the list is the Island Pit Viper, which is found on Car Nicobar, an island in the Nicobar archipelago.
Only in the Western Ghats, northeast India and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands can you hear the symphony of certain frogs’ croaks. Sunny tropics are also home to more threatened bird species than cooler temperate regions.
According to BirdLife International, the world’s largest nature conservation partnership to preserve birds and their habitats, India is home to 1,210 species, of which 92 are globally threatened. It includes the Himalayan quail, which has distinctive red or yellow bills and legs and inhabits long grass and scrubs in the lower or middle Himalayan range.
Also facing extinction is the Great Indian Bustard, which was once in the running to become India’s national bird. Poaching, habitat loss and breeding site disturbance have reduced their numbers to less than 150 as of 2018.
The factors causing these losses aren’t going away anytime soon. This means that even species that are not yet threatened could decline or become much depleted in the future. KS Gopi Sundar, co-chair of the IUCN Stork, Ibis and Spoonbill Specialist Group, says, “As temperatures rise due to global warming, birds that survive in the middle or upper Himalayas (1500m above sea level) will begin to feel the pressure.
Similarly, habitat specialists, which thrive only in a narrow range of environmental conditions or depend on specific resources, will be impacted when their ecosystems are degraded by human actions.”
It’s happening. Wind turbines in the Western Ghats are powering India. In a surprising twist in the renewable energy story, meant to save the environment, they are also giving lizards a leg up by suppressing predatory raptors, as per the State of the World’s Birds 2022 report. Meanwhile, the white-bellied heron could be the next Dodo. “The species relies on undisturbed streams and freshwater ecosystems of the Himalayas for survival. Habitat degradation and human disturbance are pushing them to the brink of extinction,” says Sundar.
Cause and Effect
India has a long history of wildlife conservation, but much of its priorities are misplaced. In recent years, the government has launched a number of programmes to protect threatened species, including Project Tiger, Project Elephant, and the Indian Crocodile Conservation Project. Similarly, the Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats focuses on 22 endangered species and their ecosystems, such as Asiatic lion, Indian rhino, Gangetic river dolphin and red panda, but most missions focus on big, charismatic animals, or predators.
“Projects Tiger and Elephant get the maximum allocation of Central funds. What is left is diverted to special missions, like the reintroduction of cheetahs. Other species have to depend on non-profits and institutions,” says Andheria.
In the 2023-24 Union Budget, of the `491 crore allocated to wildlife protection schemes, `331 crore was for tigers and elephants. This leaves smaller, prey animals out in the cold. Conservation efforts often also focus on individual species but neglect the importance of their habitat. India’s protected areas are a colourful patchwork of wildlife sanctuaries, national parks, conservation reserves, and community reserves. But they cover just 5.28 per cent of the country.
It means that even flagship species, such as the tiger, have no more room to grow. Rajesh Gopal, who has been associated with Project Tiger and is now the secretary general of the Global Tiger Forum, has said their population is reaching saturation point and many tiger reserves have nearly attained their peak carrying capacity.
Also, lush forests once stood proud within protected areas. What is found now is a shadow of their former selves. “While forest cover may have increased as per the Status of Forest Report 2021, their quality has declined. Dense forests, for example, are now less dense. The loss of large trees is a death knell for birds like the Malabar grey hornbill and great Indian pied hornbill. They rely on old, hollow trees to nest, and as these trees disappear, so do the hornbills (they are incapable of excavating their own hollows),” says Andheria.
Did you know?
As per the IUCN Red List, more than 42,100 species globally are threatened with extinction:
Unintended Consequences
At times, selective conservation comes at a cost. The Indian peafowl is a striking bird with iridescent blue and green plumage. Once on the brink of extinction, it was declared India’s national bird and put under the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972.
Its numbers rebounded, but it had unintended consequences. As a predatory species, the peafowl has had a devastating impact on other organisms, including insects and even crops. In some areas, the peafowl population has become so large that it is considered a pest. At other times, the introduction of a new species wreaks havoc on an ecosystem. In the 1920s, India introduced the Gambusia fish in water bodies to control mosquitoes.
It is a notorious invader, that outcompetes native fish, and preys on fish eggs and frog larvae. It disrupted food webs and caused ecological imbalances. “Gambusia is a pest in aquaculture, eating eggs and competing with commercially valuable fish. Fishermen in the east Kolkata wetlands shared this during my work there,” says Nobin Raja, who does research in genetics, evolutionary biology and ecology at the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment.
Another concern is habitat fragmentation—breaking up forests into smaller patches. This can happen due to human activities like deforestation, or natural processes such as river flooding. The construction of dams and barrages, for example, has fragmented river networks in India.
It has severely reduced the critically endangered gharial’s habitat size, forcing them to live in small, isolated populations. “The long-term survival of gharials depends on larger, more continuous habitats. We must protect these riverine landscapes while they are still free-flowing,” says Gaurav Vashistha, a wildlife biologist, who leads a conservation leadership programme for gharials in India.
Out of the Woods
In India and around the world, there are incredible stories of conservation success. From the tiger to the golden lion tamarin, species that were once on the brink of extinction are now thriving, thanks to the work of governments and conservationists.
Project Tiger roared onto the global stage in 1973, putting India on the map as a leader in species conservation. The programme strengthened protections for the big cat, preserved and expanded their habitats, and educated locals about the importance of tigers.
Poaching and illegal trade were banned. Today, India is home to over 70 per cent of the world’s tigers, with a population of 3,167 in 2022. Similarly, the barasingha (swamp deer) has made a triumphant comeback at Kanha National Park in Madhya Pradesh. Thanks to conservation efforts, including tall grass habitat improvement and captive breeding, their population has rebounded from a low of 66 in 1967 to over 1,000 today.
Rare sightings also offer a glimmer of hope. The orange bat is an elusive species, known for its distinctive colouring and ability to catch insects mid-flight. The Indian wolf, on the other hand, lives in packs and is a fearless fighter. Both were spotted this year in the Kanger Ghati National Park in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar district. Their discovery has sparked excitement for the future of wildlife conservation in the region.
The endangered fruit-eating lion-tailed macaque is only seen in the rainforests of the Western Ghats. Meanwhile, dugongs are gentle giants that live in the Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay, off the coast of Tamil Nadu.
Their habitat is threatened by climate change, fishing and pollution. Both benefited from conservation efforts. “Habitat protection and reduced man-animal conflict led to the rebounding of lion-tailed macaque population in the rainforests from the brink of extinction to just under 4,000.
These furry primates are now regularly spotted in tree canopies,” says Whitten. On the other hand, the area off the coast of Tamil Nadu is now the world’s most important dugong habitat, after being notified as the country’s first dugong conservation reserve in 2022.
Similarly, international conservationists have been concerned about the declining populations of many waterbird species in Asia and Africa for some time now. One reason for this is the assumption that farmlands are detrimental to the well-being of the species. Woolly-necked storks, however, are thriving in Haryana. “They use agricultural fields as their habitats. Conducive crops, relatively traditional farming techniques, retention of trees amid crops, and low hunting activity are key to their proliferation. It reiterates the need for more local research,” says Sundar.
Vocal for Local
In a bid to save the world’s rapidly disappearing wildlife, 188 countries, including India, signed the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework at the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15). The landmark agreement, which sets out a plan to halt and reverse nature loss by 2030, includes measures such as protecting 30 per cent of the planet and 30 per cent of degraded ecosystems.
To meet its commitments, India will need to involve local communities and indigenous groups. Protected areas are often created at the expense of indigenous people, but their traditional knowledge and practices are essential for biodiversity conservation.
When these groups are excluded, biodiversity suffers. In the small village of Chirgaon, Maharashtra, the local community has worked together to revive the vulture population. Villagers learnt how to monitor the health of the birds, and schoolchildren were roped in to help during the summer months.
Special attention was given to breeding pairs and their chicks. Over 50,000 trees were planted in the area to provide habitat for the vultures. Their efforts have paid off. In 1999-2000, there were only 22 vultures in the area. By 2021, that number had risen to 249.
Chirgaon is now a thriving vulture habitat, and it attracts researchers and tourists from all over the country. “Getting the community involved was critical,” says Premsagar Mestri, founder of the Society of Eco-Endangered Species Conservation And Protection, an NGO that protects vultures. “It was the only way to ensure that these areas, over time, emerged as habitable zones for these critically endangered birds,” he adds.
On the other hand, the Sarus crane is a majestic bird that once roamed the wetlands of India in large numbers. But in recent decades, their numbers have declined due to factors like electrocution by power lines, attacks by free-ranging dogs, and food poisoning from pesticides.
In Uttar Pradesh, local communities, the forest department, and the Krishi Vigyan Kendra banded together to save the state bird. They worked to improve its habitat, protect wetlands, and shift to sustainable farming practices.
In recent years, the number of Sarus cranes in Uttar Pradesh has rebounded. “In the past, conservation efforts have often been top-down, with little or no input from local communities. This has led to resentment and mistrust and made it difficult to implement conservation measures. We need to change this narrative,” says Whitten.
Call of the Wild
The State of India’s Birds report in 2020 recommended that conservation efforts should focus on a wider range of species, beyond the select few that have traditionally been the focus of attention. This necessitates understanding the pattern of biodiversity decline—which species are most at risk, why and what can be done to reverse the trend. “A lot of the time, there’s sparse information and a let’s-go-with-what-we-have attitude. What we need instead is more information, especially properly vetted,” says Sundar.
Reintroducing animals to the wild is a risky business. Sometimes, they die. Other times, they wander off and kill livestock. And sometimes, these high-cost projects simply don’t work. A 2019 study, generated by the IUCN’s Conservation Translocation Specialist Group, found that failed animal translocation projects can still yield results, but only if biologists are willing to share their experiences.
The study reviewed 293 case studies and identified 1,200 challenges, with the most common being animal behaviour, monitoring, funding, habitat, knowledge and public support. Experts also say conservation projects should not compete for funding with exotic animals.
A May 2023 paper, published in the South African Journal of Science, found that creating three small populations in India would cost $50-60 million. Researchers say this money would be better spent on in-situ projects for tigers and lions.
Additionally, scarce conservation habitats should be allocated to indigenous species instead of being occupied by exotics. “Find the perfect match for the habitat, and relocate animals from within the country whenever possible. Increase the prey population in the area, if it is a predator.
Develop support services such as rescue centres and hospitals. Invest in well-trained research teams to handle and monitor the species. Open communication lines with the local community and raise awareness to reduce human-animal conflict,” says Andheria. Wildlife experts in Africa, too, have criticised the plan to import cheetahs to India, saying it sends the wrong message about conservation efforts in Africa, where the species is in decline.
Instead, they say, restoration projects should focus on countries in Africa with large, prey-rich areas. “Cheetah populations here could be restored within 10 years if effective conservation action is taken,” says Freeman. Lastly, more focus is needed on the booming exotic pet trade in India.
A study by TRAFFIC found 141 wildlife seizures at 18 airports in the country between 2011 and 2020. The most popular species: ball pythons, corn snakes, iguanas, turtles, macaws and budgerigars. At times, exotics are released into the wild, where they become invasive and cause a shift in the ecosystem. For example, Burmese pythons mostly eat small mammals and birds.
They can have a devastating impact on populations of native animals such as rabbits and squirrels. The Zoological Survey of India lists 157 animal species as invasive, including 99 marine species and 19 freshwater fish. “What is fascinating is that we don’t have invasive birds and mammals yet, despite the thriving exotic pet trade. More research is needed to understand why,” says Sundar. While this may be good news for now, the clock is ticking and the future of India’s most majestic creatures hangs in balance.