Small wins, high hopes
- POSTED ON: 13 Oct, 2021
- TOTAL VIEWS: 351 Views
- POSTED BY: Bhavya Venkatesh
- ARTICLE POINTS: 150 Points
Some success stories from India’s conservation efforts remind us that all is not lost when it comes to protecting the animal kingdom. Discover four such examples and guess the species.
1. Safe passage
These birds are known for their incredibly long migratory route. Every year, they travel from Russia and China to southern Africa, where they spend their winters. En-route, they make a stop in Nagaland’s Pangti village and nearby areas every October. They must rest well, for a non-stop flight over the Arabian sea awaits them. In 2012, horrifying reports of the birds being slaughtered by local hunters emerged. Dedicated conservation efforts were undertaken and, eventually, the place that was once a massacre ground turned into a safe haven with Nagaland earning the moniker ‘falcon capital of the world’.
2. One-horned wonders
An example of a species that has been brought back from the brink is the ___________. These beautiful creatures were dwindling in numbers a few decades ago, owing to poaching and habitat loss. There were only 600 left in the wild in India and Nepal, in 1975. Efforts were undertaken to protect them and, today, the number stands at around 3,500. Many of them live in Assam’s Kaziranga National Park and Nepal’s Chitwan National Park.
3. Striped glory
Perhaps the most promising story to emerge from all of India’s conservation efforts is that of the ______. While thousands of them roamed the wild in India and other countries, their population was depleted by habitat loss and poaching. In 2010, 13 countries, including India, decided that they would double the number of this animal in the wild by 2022. After years of work, the efforts seem to have paid off — India reported a population of 2,967, which means it had met its target four years ahead of schedule. Home to roughly two-thirds of the world’s population of this creature, India shines as a beacon of hope in the efforts to protect these magnificent beauties.
4. Quiet companions
A grazing antelope foraging for food amid the crops may seem like a farmer’s nightmare but not in Odisha’s Ganjam district. For the residents of 70 villages here, this animal shares their fields. In fact, sustained community participation has resulted in an increase in the population of these shy antelopes. People don’t harm them, and these creatures have learnt to live around them. This is a shining example of how community-led efforts can make a difference in conservation.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons