Wildlife Conservation: A Not so Easy Task

Wildlife Conservation: A Not So Easy Task

Khilendra Basnyat

Animals play a significant role in the ecosystem. In fact, plants and animals, including human beings, are interrelated. Apart from contributing to the maintenance of producing habitats and ecosystems, many species of wildlife yield hides and skins and are also economically significant contributors.

In addition, wild animals have become one of the sources of entertainment for many people interested in seeing, watching and taking photographs of them. Despite many advantages from wild animals, the population of wildlife is dwindling in many countries.

Since human population is increasing every year at an alarming rate, it has become a herculean task to preserve wildlife. Moreover, trade in wild animals for various purposes has constituted a menace too many species. The increasing demand for monkeys from medical and pharmaceutical research centers has constituted a threat to the supply of these animals. The marketing of fashion furs such as spotted cats, leopard, cheetah and many others has led to serious decrease in the number of these animals.

Since the last two hundred years, over one hundred species of birds and animals have disappeared from the earth, and over three hundred bird species and three hundred mammal species are threatened with extinction.

The white form of tigers has virtually vanished from the wild. These animals are beautiful to look at and many zoos want to exhibit them, despite the fact that they are known to be genetically caused abnormalities. Today, only a few white tigers survive in zoological parks and wildlife preserves.

Afghan tortoise is disappearing at an alarming rate. In fact, it is facing extinction not only in Pakistan, but throughout the existing range. It is because of the import and export of the species in adequate numbers. Despite its immediate economic value, now the animal is not exported from Pakistan.

The forests of Bihar in India were once reputed for their white tigers, one of the rare tiger species in the world. During the 1930s, it was estimated that there were about forty white tigers in Bihar's forest. But now these tigers are rarely found in these forests because of poaching and wanton deforestation.

Climatic differences and altitudinal variations along with south-west monsoon have penetrating effect on the fauna and flora of Nepal. For this reason, different species of wildlife are found in different parts of our country. However, their numbers dwindled in recent decades.

In Nepal, the effective wildlife conservation movement began in 1971 when it was approved in principle to establish Royal Chitwan National park in the plain and Langtang National Park in the Himalayas. Now the number of national parks and wildlife reserves in the country is impressive.

The establishment of national parks in different parts of the country and the ban imposed on killing some species of birds and animals have helped to preserve wildlife. Moreover, the provision of taking severe action against those who kill endangered species of wildlife and translocation of some animals have also created a positive trend towards securing the continued existence of wildlife in the country.

Although this program has not been found successful for all species of wildlife, the American bison and the European bison have been successfully bred in captivity to restock empty natural habitat.

Since the survival of living creatures is not possible without abodes, the preservation and development of forest resources is of utmost importance for the conservation of wildlife. If there are more forests, wildlife will not only be preserved, but there will also be some positive impact on the economy of the country.

In recent times, much stress is being given to the establishment of more national parks and reserves for wildlife conservation; but for wildlife conservation to be really successful, the healthy feeling must be developed in the masses that wildlife is inseparable from human beings and that they also have the right to live in this world.