NARULA INSTITUTE OF

TECHNOLOGY
TOPIC:- Top 5 Wildlife Conservation Projects in India
SUBJECT: MC 301
SEMESTER:-3RD YEAR:-2ND

Name Roll No
DEBMALYA MAJUMDAR 430121010089

ROHAN SAHA 430121010091

SOUMYADEEP DAS 430121010092

SUMIT KUMAR TAH 430121010093

Introduction
Wildlife is defined under Section 2(37) of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 to include any animal,
either aquatic or terrestrial and vegetation that forms a part of any habitat.
Wildlife plays a significant role in the ecosystem. It has a crucial role in balancing the
environment. The importance also extends to the spheres of economic importance, investigatory
importance, gene bank, conservation of biological diversities, cultural importance, etc.

In India, there are various laws for the protection and conservation of wildlife, as well as overall

biodiversity. The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 is legislation that has been implemented for the

protection of wild animals, birds, and plants with a view of ensuring the ecological and

environmental security of India. In addition, a Wildlife Crime Control Bureau has also been

established to curb the illegal trade of wildlife, including endangered species.

Project Tiger

The population of Indian Tigers was drastically declining towards the end of the 20th century.
Resultantly, a nation-wide Tiger Census was conducted in 1972 to estimate the population of
tigers.

Large scale development activities including dams, mines, railway projects and establishment of
industries led to deforestation and further loss of habitat. Since the body parts of the tigers are
used for traditional Chinese medicine, they were killed in high numbers. All these factors
collectively led to a decline in the population of tigers.

In the case of Sansar Chand vs. State of Rajasthan (2010), the appellant was arrested in 1974
for poaching tigers and smuggling their body parts to various countries, particularly China. He
was allegedly involved in 57 wildlife cases between 1974 and 2005. He was convicted in all the
offences registered against him. The Supreme Court also requested the Central and the State
Government to take stringent actions against such offenders.
The acts of poaching, killing, maiming, etc. of any animal are offences under Section
428 and Section 429 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860. The punishment under S.428 is
imprisonment for two years and under S.429, imprisonment for five years.

In 1973, Project Tiger was launched in the Palamau Tiger Reserve, Jim Corbett National Park,
Uttarakhand. This is a centrally sponsored scheme of the Ministry of Environment and Forests. It
is primarily governed under the Wildlife Act, 1972 itself.The project is administered by the
National Tiger Conservation Authority, which was established in December 2005.

The aim of the project is the protection of tigers from extinction, by ensuring that there is a
viable population of the species in their natural habitats. The Project began from nine reserves in
1973-74 and has substantially grown to fifty reserves. The Project has seen significant success in
the recovery of the habitat and the population of the tigers in the reserved areas.

In 2019, the Tiger Census has shown that there are 2967 Bengal Tigers in India.

Crocodile Conservation Project

The species of crocodilians was threatened in India due to the increasing number of
indiscriminate killings. They were poached for commercial purposes, which led to a drastic
decline in their population. Apart from this, there was a loss of habitat due to the increasing
development projects and industrialization.

In light of this situation, Project Crocodile was introduced in 1975. The primary focus was on
breeding and rearing in captivity. The initiative was taken by the Government of India in
association with the Food and Agriculture Organization and United Nations Development Fund.
Due to the implementation of this project, there is an increase in the population of crocodiles,
which has saved them from extinction. The protected areas include National Chambal Sanctuary
and Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary.

There are mainly three species of crocodilians:

1. Gharial or Gavialis Gangeticus

 2. Mugger or Crocodylus Palustris
3. Saltwater Crocodile or Crocodylus Porosus
The strategy adopted for rehabilitation of these species was to offer them protection in their own
habitats. The practice of captive rearing was followed and subsequently, they were released. The
methods of ‘grow and release’ and ‘rear and release’ were used.

The objective of this project is to protect the remaining population of the species, to promote
research which would help in improving management, to promote the rebuilding of their habitat
and to encourage local public participation.

The project has saved the species from the verge of extinction, as they were enlisted as critically
endangered in the IUCN Red List. It has also been helpful in the creation of wetland sanctuaries
which has led to active management of other species as well. These species include turtles,
Gangetic dolphins, lizards and others.

Project Hangul

In the 1970s, the Jammu and Kashmir Government in association with the International Union
for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) designed a project for the
protection and conservation of the Kashmir Red Stag and its habitat. This project came to be
known as Project Hangul.

Hangul or Kashmir Red Stag is a subspecies of the Central Asian Red Deer, which is native to
northern India. It is mostly found in the dense riverine forests of Kashmir Valley, some parts of
Himachal Pradesh, Sindh Valley, Dachigam National Park and in the forests of Kishtwar. It is also
the state animal of Jammu and Kashmir. The project was started since Hanguls were enlisted in
the critically endangered species list prepared by IUCN. The species is scattered through an area
of 141 square kilometres in the Dachigam National Park.

The population of these deers was once approximately 5,000 in number. Problems such as
overgrazing of domestic livestock in the habitat of Hanguls and criminal activities like poaching,
illicit trading lead to the decline in the population of Hangul. Then, their population dwindled to
as low as 150 by the end of 1970. The aim of the project was to create enclosures for artificial
breeding of the species.

After the implementation of the project, the numbers rose to 340 by 1980. But over a course of
time, the project however failed due to several factors. As per the census of 2008, their
population was approximately 160.

Elephant Corridors

Elephant Corridors are narrow strips of forested lands which act as a bridge to larger elephant
habitats. This conduit is essential for the movement of the elephants and to enhance the survival
rate of the species in the wild. The National Green Tribunal in the case of Rohit Chaudhary vs.
Union of India & Ors. (2016) has ruled that elephants have the first right on the forests. It
ordered the demolition of a boundary wall in the middle of an elephant corridor in Assam’s
Deopahar Reserve Forest. The elephants also have a right to passage.

In this case, some elephants died after the wall was built. It was determined that there was a
destruction of the environment through the establishment of the wall. Hence, Numaligarh
Refinery Limited was held liable to pay the environmental compensation based on the ‘polluters
pay principle’ and the ‘precautionary principle’.

It was held in the case of Vellore Citizens Forum vs. Union of India (1996), that these
aforementioned principles are essential features of sustainable development. Further, it was
ruled that no power fencing could be erected on the elephant corridors. This judgment was
upheld by the Supreme Court.
 Project Elephant

Project Elephant was launched in 1992 and is a centrally sponsored scheme. Elephants face the
threat of attrition, as opposed to extinction faced by Tigers. The project aims at assisting the
management and protection of elephants in the States which have free-ranging populations of
wild elephants.

The Elephants’ Preservation Act, 1879 has also been formulated for the protection of elephants
across the country. India has over 27,000 elephants spread over 26 elephant reserves but only
65% of the elephant corridors are in protected areas.

The protection of elephants is also important because it has been declared as a national heritage
of the country. This was done by the Government of India in 2010 after the Standing Committee
on the National Board of Wildlife gave its recommendations. This step was taken to create
awareness about the dwindling population of the elephants so that people would actively
participate in its conservation.

The objectives of the project are:

1. Protection of Elephants, Elephant Corridors and their Habitats;

2. Prevention of Man-Animal Conflicts; and
3. Ensuring the welfare of domesticated elephants.
This project is crucial because it protects the elephants from hunters and poachers and thereby
curb illegal trading of ivory.

In Balram Kumawat vs. Union of India & Ors. (2003), the appellants had imported mammoth
fossils, which is said to be an extinct species. They indulged in trading mammoth ivory, citing
that it was not banned under the Wildlife Act or CITES.

The Court cited the case of State of West Bengal vs. Union of India (1962) wherein it was said
that the legislative intent should be derived by taking the entire statute into consideration, not
just some provisions. The Court held that the ban on ivory trading extended to ivory of every
description, so that elephant poaching could be curbed.

In M/s Ivory Traders and Ors. vs Union of India and Ors. (1997), the petitioners were ivory
traders. They imported mammoth ivory from Russia and Hong Kong. They pleaded that they
were affected by the Wildlife Amendment Act, 1991.
The Court held that the use of ivory for commercial purposes is explicitly banned. The Court
interpreted that the words ‘ivory imported into India’ as defined under Section 49B(1)(a)(i)
includes all descriptions of ivory, whether elephant or mammoth. It dismissed the writ petition.

In Indian Handicrafts Emporium and Ors. vs. Union of India & Ors. (2003) , the Supreme Court
upheld the constitutional validity of the clause ‘ivory imported into India’ as defined
under Section 49B(1)(a)(i). It said that the restrictions imposed were reasonable as the
legislative intent was to plug the loopholes in the Act.

In this case, the appellants imported ivory from African countries and manufactured several
articles out of them. They filed a writ petition questioning the constitutional validity of the 1991
Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act as the Act prohibited trade of imported ivory, which affected
their rights under Article 19(1)(g) of the Indian Constitution.

The famous case of Veerappan also highlights the extent of wildlife crime. He killed 138 people
and 1000 elephants for the purposes of poaching and smuggling. He was later killed in October
2004 in Operation Cocoon.

Ecological restoration of the natural habitats and migratory routes is another important feature
of this project. An elephant task force was also established by the Ministry of Environment and
Forests to spread the idea of friendship between elephants and people (Take Gajah to the
Prajah).

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We would like to thank our teacher (name of teacher) who gave us this opportunity
to work on this project. We got to learn a lot from this project about (what you
learned from the project). We would also like to thank our school principal (name of
principal)..