Question

Short note on wildlife of India

Answer 1

India is home to a large number and variety of animals. It is a hot-spot for biodiversity with its various ecosystems ranging from the Himalayas in the north to the evergreen rain-forest of the south, the desert sands of the west to the marshy mangroves of the east. India, lying within the Indomalaya ecozone, is home to about 7.6% of all mammalian, 14.7 Tuberculosis6% of avian (bird), 6.2% of reptilian, and 6.0% of flowering plant species.[1] This richness in Indian wildlife has been celebrated since yesteryears: four of India’s national symbols display India’s mammals. As of 2018-19, there are 870 Protected Areas including 104 National Parks, 551 Wildlife Sanctuaries, 88 Conservation Reserves and 127 Community Reserves covering a total of 1,65,088.57 km2 of geographical area which is approximately 5.02% of the country.[citation needed] In addition there are 50 Tiger Reserves, 18 Biosphere Reserves, 32 Elephant Reserves, 7 Natural World Heritage sites and 25 Ramsar Wetland sites in India. It is no wonder that despite incessant encroachment by mankind on the green reserves, India boasts of a vast diversity of both flora and fauna. India Forest lands nurture about 400 species of mammals and 2000+ species of birds. India is located at the junction of three realms namely Afro-tropical, Indo-Malayan and Paleo-Arctic, and therefore, has characteristic elements from each of them, spurring migration of avifauna from these regions. As far as mammals are concerned, India is the only country with both the lion and the tiger and it has the largest deer as well as tiger population. Indigenous to the subcontinent are the unique species such as the Indian Sloth Bear, the Chausinga antelope and the majestic Barasinga. It is home to Bengal and Indochinese tiger, Asiatic lions, Indian and Indochinese leopards, snow leopards, clouded leopards, various species of Deer, including Chital, Hangul, Barasingha; the Indian Elephant, the Great Indian Rhinoceros, and many others.[2][3] The region's diverse wildlife is preserved in more than 120 national parks, 18 Bio-reserves and more than 500 wildlife sanctuaries across the country. India has some of the most biodiverse regions of the world and contains four[4] of the world’s 36 biodiversity hotspots[5] – the Western Ghats, the Eastern Himalayas, Indo-Burma and Sunda Land.[6] Wildlife management is essential to preserve the rare and endangered endemic species.[7] India is one of the seventeen megadiverse countries. According to one study, India along with the other 16 megadiverse countries is home to about 60-70% of the world's biodiversity.[8]

Many Indian species are descendants of species originating in Gondwana, of which India originally was a part. Peninsular India's subsequent movement towards, and collision with, the Laurasian landmass set off a mass exchange of species. However, volcanism and climatic change 20 million years ago caused the extinction of many endemic Indian forms.[9] Soon thereafter, mammals entered India from Asia through two zoogeographical passes on either side of the emerging Himalaya.[10] As a result, among Indian species, only 12.6% of mammals and 4.5% of birds are endemic, contrasting with 45.8% of reptiles and 55.8% of amphibians[1] Notable endemics are the Nilgiri leaf monkey and the brown and carmine Beddome's toad of the Western Ghats. India contains 172, or 2.9%, of IUCN-designated threatened species.[11] These include the Asian elephant, the Asiatic lion, Bengal tiger, Indian rhinoceros, mugger crocodile, and Indian white-rumped vulture, which suffered a near-extinction from ingesting the carrion of diclofenac-treated cattle.[citation needed]

In recent decades, human encroachment has posed a threat to India's wildlife. In response, the system of national parks and protected areas, first established in 1935, was substantially expanded. In 1972, India enacted the Wildlife Protection Act and Project Tiger to safeguard crucial habitat; further federal protections were promulgated in the 1980s. Along with over 515 wildlife sanctuaries, India now hosts 18 biosphere reserves, 10 of which are part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves; 26 wetlands are registered under the Ramsar Convention.

The peepul tree, shown on the seals of Mohenjo-daro, shaded Gautama Buddha as he sought enlightenment. The varied and rich wildlife of India has had a profound impact on the region's popular culture. The wildlife has also been made famous in The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling. India's wildlife has been the subject of numerous other tales and fables such as the "Panchatantra".