World Wildlife Day 2016: The Future of Wildlife Is in Our Hands

On World Wildlife Day, countries are asked to highlight species of wild animals and plants from their own countries.

On 20 December 2013, the United Nations General Assembly decided to proclaim 3 March as UN World Wildlife Day to highlight the condition of world’s wild animals and plants. The theme of 2016 World Wildlife Day is “The future of wildlife is in our hands,” with focus on African and Asian elephants.

We’ve all heard about the charismatic endangered animals of our country – the lions and tigers capture all the headlines. But what about the other less well-known animals of India?

India is one of the world’s mega bio-diverse countries – while we have less than 2.5 percent of the world’s area, we’re home to about 8 percent of the world’s species.

What’s worrying is that India is also home to 4 of the world’s 25 biodiversity hotspots. Essentially, this means that while we’re rich in biodiversity, we’re also losing it at a rapid rate.

The Threatened Species

The latest edition of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Red List notes that India has over 988 threatened species (that is, species that are at risk of extinction) and is 7th on the list of countries with the most threatened species globally. In this article, we look at 5 lesser known threatened species that are found only in Indian subcontinent:

1. Namdapha Flying Squirrel:
Thought to be restricted to a single valley in Arunachal Pradesh, this mammal is critically endangered. Poaching and habitat destruction are likely to be responsible for its threatened status and the animal itself is not protected by any legislation.

2. Gharial:
Native to the Indian subcontinent, the gharial is a fish eating crocodile which is found only in India and Nepal today. Habitat destruction and hunting are thought to be responsible for its decreasing population.

3. Great Indian Bustard:
Once found across the subcontinent, the Great Indian Bustard has been wiped out in 90 percent of its former range and is concentrated in Rajasthan today. Sport hunting, poaching and killing the animal for food are three major reasons for its decline.

4. Wayanad Mahseer:
Restricted to the Wayanad region and surrounding areas in South India, the fish has seen its population rapidly decline by 80 percent over the last decade. River pollution and habitat destruction are two major reasons for the fall in numbers.

5. Dattatreya Night Frog:
Found only near the Manikyadhara Falls within the Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary in Karnataka, this rare frog has a habitat less than 30 sq km. The frog lives in a habitat without direct sunlight and is threatened by agricultural activities and commercial development of the area.

Combating Wildlife Trafficking

This year’s theme for World Wildlife Day emphasises that the future of the world’s wildlife is up to us. Whether it’s raising awareness or actively campaigning or simply being informed about the impact of our actions on the natural world, we need to take responsibility for the condition of our planet. After all, we’re just one part of this ecosystem where even the tiniest of creatures has a role to play and this wonderful quote by the great Jane Goodall eloquently puts that sentiment into words:

There are an awful lot of scientists today who believe that before very long we shall have unraveled all the secrets of the universe. There will be no puzzles anymore. To me, it’d be really, really tragic because I think one of the most exciting things is this feeling of mystery, feeling of awe, the feeling of looking at a little live thing and being amazed by it and how it has emerged through these hundreds of years of evolution and there it is and it is perfect and why.

Jane Goodall, British Primatologist and UN Messenger of Peace

(Shalini Iyengar is a lawyer and Research Associate at the International University College of Turin)