INDIA’S WILDLIFE CONSERVATION MILESTONES

Introduction

On the occasion of World Wildlife Day 2025, India highlighted its major achievements in wildlife conservation, biodiversity protection, habitat restoration, species recovery, and international conservation cooperation. The theme of World Wildlife Day (WWD) 2025 is “Wildlife Conservation Finance: Investing in People and Planet.” Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Gir National Park and chaired the 7th meeting of the National Board for Wildlife, where flagship conservation initiatives such as Project Tiger, Project Elephant, Project Snow Leopard, Project Dolphin, and Asiatic Lion Conservation were reviewed.

INDIA AS A MEGABIODIVERSITY COUNTRY

India occupies only 2.4% of the world’s land area but supports nearly:

• 7–8% of known global species
• More than 45,000 plant species
• Around 91,000 animal species

India also hosts 4 global biodiversity hotspots:

• Himalayas
• Western Ghats
• Northeast India
• Nicobar Islands

The country’s forests, wetlands, grasslands, deserts, coastal ecosystems, and marine habitats together form a highly diverse ecological landscape.

BUDGETARY SUPPORT FOR WILDLIFE CONSERVATION

The Union Budget 2025-26 allocated ₹3,412.82 crore to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, marking a 9% increase over the revised estimates of 2024-25. Important allocations include:

The increase reflects India’s growing emphasis on species conservation, habitat management, and ecological sustainability.

NATIONAL WILDLIFE DATABASE AND PROTECTED AREAS NETWORK

The Wildlife Institute of India has developed the National Wildlife Information System (NWIS) through the National Wildlife Database Centre. As of November 2023, India has:

These protected areas together cover nearly 5.32% of India’s geographical area.

IMPORTANT POLICY FRAMEWORKS

National Wildlife Action Plan (2017–2031)

The plan focuses on:

• Landscape-level conservation
• Climate-resilient wildlife management
• Community participation
• Scientific monitoring

National Human-Wildlife Conflict Mitigation Strategy (2021–26)

The strategy seeks to reduce:

• Human-animal conflicts
• Habitat fragmentation
• Ecological stress

through a scientific and community-based approach.

SPECIES-SPECIFIC CONSERVATION INITIATIVES

PROJECT DOLPHIN

Launched on 15 August 2020, Project Dolphin focuses on the conservation of:

• Marine dolphins
• Riverine dolphins
• Associated cetaceans

through habitat protection, research, monitoring, and awareness generation.

Major Developments

• Dolphin hotspots identified in Assam, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, and Lakshadweep.
• A Comprehensive Action Plan (2022–2047) has been prepared.
• The Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 was amended in 2022 to recognize Gangetic and Indus River Dolphins as distinct Schedule-I species.
• India participated in the Global Declaration for River Dolphins discussions in Bogotá, Colombia. 

Historic Milestone

India achieved its first-ever satellite tagging of the Ganges River Dolphin in Assam on 18 December 2024 under Project Dolphin.

PROJECT TIGER

Launched in 1973, Project Tiger completed 50 years in 2023.

Major Achievements

Important Developments

• Tiger reintroduction in Rajaji, Madhav, Mukundra Hills, and Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserves.
• 23 tiger reserves received CA|TS accreditation.
• Pench and Satpura Tiger Reserves received the Tx2 Award. 

INTERNATIONAL BIG CAT ALLIANCE (IBCA)

The International Big Cat Alliance became a treaty-based intergovernmental organization on 23 January 2025.

Key Features

• Launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in April 2023.
• Headquarters located in India.
• Focuses on conservation of:
  • Tiger
  • Lion
  • Leopard
  • Snow Leopard
  • Cheetah
  • Jaguar
  • Puma

Objectives

• Anti-poaching cooperation
• Habitat protection
• Wildlife law enforcement
• Climate-integrated conservation
• Research collaboration

PROJECT CHEETAH

Project Cheetah was launched on 17 September 2022 for the reintroduction of cheetahs into India after their extinction in the mid-20th century.

Key Achievements

• 8 cheetahs brought from Namibia in 2022.
• 12 cheetahs brought from South Africa in 2023.
• Birth of cubs in India after nearly 75 years.
• More than 350 Cheetah Mitras engaged for community participation. 

PROJECT ELEPHANT

India hosts more than 60% of the global Asian elephant population.

Key Highlights

India currently has:

• 33 Elephant Reserves
• Spread across 14 states
• Covering 80,777 sq km

CONSERVATION OF ASIATIC LION

The Asiatic lion population in Gujarat has shown steady growth:

Project Lion

The project focuses on:

• Habitat restoration
• Disease management
• Landscape-based conservation
• Community participation

The IUCN reclassified the Asiatic Lion from Critically Endangered to Endangered in 2008.

ONE-HORNED RHINOCEROS CONSERVATION

India launched the National Conservation Strategy for the Indian One-Horned Rhinoceros in 2019.

Important Achievements

• Kaziranga National Park hosts 2,613 rhinos.
• Assam accounts for nearly 68% of the global one-horned rhino population.

HABITAT AND ECOSYSTEM CONSERVATION

MISHTI Initiative

The Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats & Tangible Incomes (MISHTI) focuses on mangrove restoration. Around 22,561 hectares of degraded mangroves have been restored across 13 States and UTs.

GREEN INDIA MISSION

Launched in 2014 under the National Action Plan on Climate Change, the mission aims to:

• Restore forest cover
• Improve ecosystem services
• Enhance climate resilience

TECHNOLOGY IN CONSERVATION

India is increasingly integrating:

• Artificial Intelligence (AI)
• Machine Learning (ML)
• DNA sequencing
• Satellite tagging
• Geospatial mapping

into wildlife monitoring and conservation management. A Next Generation DNA Sequencing Facility was inaugurated at the Wildlife Institute of India in December 2024.

COMBATING WILDLIFE CRIME

The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau coordinates intelligence gathering and enforcement against illegal wildlife trade. Between 2019 and 2023:

• 166 joint operations conducted
• 375 wildlife offenders arrested in Northeast India

KEY ANNOUNCEMENTS ON WORLD WILDLIFE DAY 2025

Important announcements included:

• India’s first riverine dolphin estimation report
• National Referral Centre for Wildlife at Junagadh
• Centre of Excellence at WII-SACON, Coimbatore
• AI-driven wildlife conflict mitigation
• New cheetah reintroduction sites
• National Great Indian Bustard Conservation Action Plan
• Dedicated Project on Gharials

NECESSARY STATIC PART

Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC)

Wildlife Institute of India (WII)

International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA)

Updated - 4 March 2025 ; 07:17 PM | PIB | News Source