Wild Life Conservation in India

Traditionally wild life has enjoyed an important status in the country and its protection has generally been held sacrosanct. The status of wild life when the British Ru1e came in the 18th Century was one of prosperity and plenty. With the increase in population, large forest tracts were gradually cleared and brought under cultivation, leading to the diminution of the wild life habitat. In the beginning of the century "The main agent of destruction was the European sportsman". The keenness for hunting soon spread to the ruling princes and the leisured gentry in India. The Second World War further accelerated the process of destruction of wild life, because of large armies encamped all over India. Subsequently food production assumed special significance, resulting in the issue of gun licences for crop protection, causing a drain on the wild life population. The initial attempts towards game preservation were directed to the regulation of shooting in Government-owned forests by legislation. The Wild Birds and Animals Protection Act, 1912 introduced the first signs of scientific control by the observance of 'closed season' for certain species. By 1935, legislative action and consequent protection of wild life in Government owned forests achieved a certain amouut of success. The All India Conference for the Preservation of Wild Life held in 1935 commended the comprehensive Punjab Wild Birds and Animals Protection Act, 1934 and recommended it for adoption in other provinces. About this period, management of wild life was becoming more intensive by the introduction of the 'Shooting Block System' which later developed into "Rotational cropping". After the attainment of the Independence, conservation of wild life gained fresh momentum and the "Indian Board for Wild Life" was constituted. The Board took effective measures to rehabilitate the Indian lion, to protect rare species and to develop sanctuaries and National Parks. Simultaneously with the improvement of conservation practices, game protection laws, in general are being hardened and perfected throughout the country. Though the stage of highest, efficiency in game preservation is yet to be reached, the future does not certainly seem bleak.