Shankar IAS Test: Conservation Efforts - UPSC MCQ

• Tiger reserves are areas that are notified for the protection of the tiger and its prey and are governed by Project Tiger which was launched in the country in 1973.

• Initially, 9 tiger reserves were covered under the project and have currently increased to 42, falling in 17 States (tiger reserve States). • The State Government shall, on the recommendation of the National Tiger Conservation Authority, notify an area as a tiger reserve.

• Project Elephant was launched in February 1992 as a centrally sponsored scheme to assist states having free-ranging populations of wild elephants and to ensure long term survival of identified viable populations of elephants in their natural habitats.

• States are being given financial as well as technical assistance in achieving the objectives of the Project. Help is also provided to other states with small populations of elephants for the purpose of the census, training of field staff and mitigation of human-elephant conflict.

• Objectives: To protect elephants, their habitat & corridors; To address issues of the man-animal conflict; Welfare of domesticated elephants.

Monitoring of Illegal Killing of Elephants (MIKE) Programme:

Mandated by COP resolution of CITES, MIKE program started in South Asia in the year 2003 with the following purpose –

To provide the information needed for elephant range States to make appropriate management and enforcement decisions, and to build institutional capacity within the range States for the long-term management of their elephant populations Main objectives

1. to measure levels and trends in the illegal hunting of elephants;

2. to determine changes in these trends over time; and

3. to determine the factors causing or associated with such changes, and to try and assess in particular to what extent observed trends are a result of any decisions taken by the Conference of the Parties to CITES

• Haathi Mere Saathi is a campaign launched by the Ministry of environment and forest (MoEF) in partnership with the wildlife trust of India (WTI).

• To improve conservation and welfare prospects of the elephant - India’s National Heritage Animal The campaign was launched at the “Elephant- 8” Ministerial meeting held in Delhi on 24th May 2011.

• Diclofenac is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) administered to reduce inflammation and to reduce pain in certain conditions.

• NSAIDs are associated with adverse kidney (renal) failure which is caused due to the reduction in synthesis of renal prostaglandins.

• Vultures which were unable to break down the chemical diclofenac, suffer from kidney failure when they eat the carcass of animals which have been administered with the drug - Diclofenac.

Vulture Safety Zones: The concept of a VSZ is unique for the Asian continent but similar VSZ are in operation in both Europe and Africa.

Aim of developing VSZs is to establish targeted awareness activities surrounding 150 km radius of vultures’ colonies so that no diclofenac or the veterinary toxic drugs are found in cattle carcasses, the main food of vultures(to provide safe food).

The VSZ has spread around in several hundred kilometres covering the Jim Corbett in Uttarakhand, Dudhwa and Katarniaghat forest reserves in UP which is adjoining the Indo-Nepal border. Nepal has already set up VSZ on the Indian borders.

• The programme will be supported by WWF – India, WWF areas (Asian rhino and elephant action strategy) programme, the international rhino Foundation (IRF), save the rhino’s campaign of zoological institutions worldwide and a number of local NGOs.

• The vision of this program is to increase the total rhino foundation in Assam from about 2000 to 3000 by the year 2020 and to ensure that these rhinos are distributed over at least 7 protected areas (PA) to provide long term viability of the one-horned rhino population.

• The Kashmir stag (Cervus affinis hangul) also called Hangul is a subspecies of Central Asian Red Deer native to northern India.

• It is the state animal of Jammu & Kashmir.

• In Kashmir, it’s found in Dachigam National Park at elevations of 3,035 meters.

• However, the state of Jammu & Kashmir, along with the IUCN and the WWF prepared a project for the protection of these animals. It became known as Project Hangul. This brought great results and the population increased to over 340 by 1980.

• Dolphins are animals of aquatic ecosystems.

• They are found in the sea, brackish water and freshwater.

• A total of 15 species of marine and harbour dolphins have been reported from Indian waters and coasts.

• Besides, the Irrawaddy Dolphins are found in brackish waters of Odisha.

• All freshwater, brackish water and marine Dolphins (Cetaceans) are listed in Schedule-I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, thereby according to them the highest degree of protection against hunting.

• Gangetic Dolphin is one of the 17 species identified for taking up ‘Recovery programme of Critically Endangered Species, under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of ‘Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitat.

• National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has initiated a dolphin conservation programme in 2016 to ensure long term survival of dolphin and other river fauna. Ganges Dolphin