SPR 2020: Species in News

• Established in 1948, the IUCN is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. It has an observer and consultative status at the United Nations.
• It is best known for compiling and publishing the IUCN Red List, which assesses the conservation status of species worldwide.
• There are 9 categories in the Red List of Threatened Species: a) Extinct, b) Extinct in the Wild, c) Critically Endangered, d) Endangered, e) Vulnerable, f) Near Threatened, g) Least Concern, h) Data Deficient and i) Not Evaluated.
• Among the categories, Critically Endangered (CR), Endangered (EN) and Vulnerable (VU) species are considered to be threatened with extinction.

• The last individual has died or systematic and time-appropriate surveys have been unable to find even a single individual.

• Members of the species survive only in captivity or as artificially supported populations; outside their historical geographic range.

• Species are at extremely high risk of extinction as a result of rapid population declines of 80 to more than 90% over the previous 10 years (or three generations, whichever is longer), a current population size of fewer than 50 individuals, or other factors.

• Species are at a very high risk of extinction as a result of rapid population declines of 50 to more than 70% over the previous 10 years (or three generations), a current population size of fewer than 250 individuals, or other factors.

• Species are at very high risk of extinction as a result of rapid population declines of 30 to more than 50% over the previous 10 years (or three generations), a current population size of fewer than 1,000 individuals, or other factors.

• Species are close to becoming threatened or may meet the criteria for threatened status in the near future.

• Species that are pervasive and abundant after careful assessment.

• Complete assessment not completed.

• Species are described in science but not assessed by IUCN.

• CITES was drafted after a resolution was adopted at a meeting of the members of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 1963.
• It entered into force in 1973.
• It aims to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.
• Species are categorised under three Appendixes and are given varying degrees of protection.

• Includes species threatened with extinction. Trade-in specimens of these species are permitted only in exceptional circumstances.

• Includes species not necessarily threatened with extinction, but in which trade must be controlled in order to avoid utilization incompatible with their survival.

• Includes species that are protected in at least one country, which has asked other CITES Parties for assistance in controlling the trade.

• The Act provides for the protection of plants and animal in India. 
• It consists of 6 schedules which provide a varying degree of protection.
• The Act provides for the formation of wildlife advisory boards, wildlife wardens, specifies their powers and duties, etc.
• It helped India become a party to the CITES.

• Animal species are given the highest protection.
• Hunting (except when a threat to human life) is prohibited.
• Wildlife trade strictly prohibited.
• Offences under this schedule prescribed the highest penalties.
• Example: Tiger, Lion (Schedule I), Himalayan Brown Bear, King Cobra (Schedule II).

• Animal protected but the penalty for any violation is less compared to the first two schedules.
• Example Hyena (Schedule III), Swans (Schedule IV).

• Animals listed in the schedule are called vermin which can be hunted.
• Example: Mice, rat.

• Cultivation, collection, extraction, trade of plants and its derivatives are prohibited
• Example: Red Vanda, Blue Vanda.

Species

Important Facts, Conservation Status and Threats

Turtles

Context:

• A first-of-its-kind rehabilitation centre for freshwater turtles was inaugurated in Bihar’s Bhagalpur forest division in January 2020.

Major turtle species found in India-

Freshwater turtles

1. Indian Flap shell Turtle: 
   • Most commonly found in lakes and rivers of India.
   • Also found in the desert ponds of Rajasthan and introduced to the Andaman Islands.
   • Conservation Status: 
     • IUCN: Least Concern
     • CITES: Appendix II
     • WPA, 1972: Schedule I 

2. Assam Roofed Turtle: 
   • found in the Brahmaputra-Meghna drainage in India (Assam) and parts of eastern Bangladesh.
   • One of the most trafficked animals in the world and part of the exotic pet trade.
   • Conservation Status: 
     • IUCN: Endangered
     • CITES: Appendix II
     • WPA, 1972: Schedule I 

3. Black softshell turtle:
   
   • Found in India and Bangladesh.
   • Conservation Status: 
     • IUCN: “extinct in the wild” since 2002.
     • CITES: Appendix I
     • WPA, 1972: Schedule I
       
4. Red-Crowned Roofed Turtle:
   • Endemic to India.
   • The National Chambal Sanctuary is India’s only protected riverine habitat this turtle.
   • Conservation Status: 
     • IUCN: Critically endangered
       
     • CITES: Appendix II
     • WPA, 1972: Schedule I

Sea Turtles

• Five species of sea turtles are known to inhabit Indian coastal waters and islands. These are the Olive Ridley, Green, Hawksbill, Loggerhead and the Leatherback turtles.
• Except for the Loggerhead, the remaining four species nest along the Indian coast and are listed as endangered under the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and CITES. 

1. Olive Ridley Sea Turtle
   • Also is known as the Pacific ridley sea turtle.
   • Second smallest of all sea turtles found in the world.
   • Habitat: 
     • Found in warm and tropical waters, primarily in the Pacific and Indian Oceans and also in the warm waters of the Atlantic ocean.
     • Only species exhibiting the phenomena of mass nesting in India.
     • Gahirmatha coast of Odisha is the largest mass nesting site for the olive ridley sea turtles in India.
     • Other nesting sites:
       1. Hope Island of Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary (Andra Pradesh)
       2. Gahirmatha  beach (Odisha)
       3. Astaranga coast(Odisha)
       4. Beach of Rushikulya River
       5. Devi River mouth
   • Conservation Status:  
     • IUCN: Vulnerable
     • WPA, 1972: Schedule I 
     • CITES: Appendix I

       

2. Leatherback Sea Turtle: 
   • Largest of all living turtles in the world.
   • Nesting populations are known from the Nicobar Islands.
   • Conservation status: 
     • IUCN: Vulnerable (many subpopulations such as in the Pacific and Southwest Atlantic are Critically Endangered)
     • CITES: Appendix I
     • WPA, 1972: Schedule I
       
3. Green Sea Turtle: 
   • Found in the Indian Ocean and throughout the entire Pacific region.
   • Conservation status: 
     • IUCN: Endangered
     • CITES: Appendix I
     • WPA, 1972: Schedule I
       
4. Hawksbill Sea Turtle:
   • Found in tropical reefs of the Indian oceans.
   • Conservation status: 
     • IUCN: Critically endangered
     • CITES: Appendix I
     • WPA, 1972: Schedule I
       
5.  Loggerhead sea turtles:
   • Named for their large heads that support powerful jaw muscles, allowing them to crush hard-shelled prey like clams and sea urchins.
   • Less likely to be hunted for their meat or shell.
   • Conservation status: 
     • IUCN: Vulnerable
     • CITES: Appendix I
     • WPA, 1972: Schedule I

Threats:

1. direct harvest for meat and eggs,
2. pet trade (hatchlings),
3. marine garbage (including ghost nets),
4. the destruction of nesting habitats through unplanned beach development (including ports, lighting, tourism and plantations),
5. by-catch mortality (in trawl nets and gill nets),
6. weak enforcement of fisheries and Protected Area regulations.

 Crocodilians

Context:

• Bhitarkanika census finds an increase of 15 saltwater crocodiles from last year.

Major species of crocodilians found in India-

1. Mugger
   • Also called the Indian crocodile or marsh crocodile.
   • Habitat:
     • Found throughout the Indian subcontinent.
     • The mugger is mainly a freshwater species and found in lakes, rivers, and marshes.
   • Conservation status: 
     • IUCN: Vulnerable
     • CITES: Appendix I
     • Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I
   • Threats: Habitat destruction because of the conversion of natural habitats for agricultural and industrial use.
2. Gharial
   • Habitat:
     • The Gharial or fish-eating crocodile is native to the Indian subcontinent.
     • Small released populations are present and increasing in the rivers of the National Chambal Sanctuary, Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary, Son River Sanctuary and the rainforest biome of Mahanadi in Satkosia Gorge Sanctuary, Orissa.
   • Conservation status: 
     • IUCN: Critically endangered.
     • CITES : Appendix I
     • Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I
   • Threats:
     1. killed by fishermen,
     2. hunted for skins, trophies and indigenous medicine, and
     3. their eggs collected for consumption.
3. Saltwater Crocodile
   • Largest of all living reptiles.
   • Habitat:
     • Found throughout the east coast of India.
     • Large population present within the Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary of Odisha while smaller populations occur throughout the Sundarbans.
     • Populations are also present within the mangrove forests and other coastal areas of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in India.
   • Conservation status: 
     • IUCN: Least Concern
     • CITES: Appendix I (except the populations of Australia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, which are included in Appendix II).
     • Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I
   • Threats:
     1. Illegal hunting for its meat and eggs, as well as for its commercially valuable skin.
     2. Habitat loss and habitat alterations.
     3. Negative attitude towards the species makes conservation measures difficult to implement.

Human-Crocodile Conflict:

• Encroachment of humans on the river banks and marshy areas with increased urbanisation is one of the foremost reasons for increasing human-crocodile conflict in these areas.
• Hotspots: Vadodara in Gujarat, Kota in Rajasthan, Bhitarkanika in Odisha and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are considered as the human-crocodile conflict hotspots in India.

Irrawaddy dolphin

Context:

• Irrawaddy dolphins recently sighted in Odisha’s Chilika lake.
• India’s largest brackish water lake (Chilika) is home to their highest single lagoon population.

About

• Habitat: 
  • Species of oceanic dolphin found in discontinuous subpopulations near sea coasts and in estuaries and rivers in parts of the Bay of Bengal and Southeast Asia- the Irrawaddy (Myanmar), the Mahakam (Indonesian Borneo) and the Mekong (China).
• Conservation status:
  • IUCN: Endangered
  • Wildlife Protection Act: Schedule I
  • CITES: Appendix-I
• Threats:
  1. more susceptible to human conflict than most other dolphins that live farther out in the ocean.
  2. accidental capture and drowning in gillnets and dragnets, bottom-set crabnets.
  3. electrofishing, gold mining, and dam building.

South Asian river dolphin

Context: Recently, the annual Ganges river Dolphin census was undertaken by the WWF-India.

About

• A freshwater or river dolphin found in the region of the Indian subcontinent.
• Split into two subspecies, the Ganges river dolphin and Indus river dolphin. 
• Habitat: 
  • Native to the freshwater river systems located in Nepal, India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan.
  • Most commonly found in water with a high abundance of prey and reduced flow.

1. Ganges river dolphin
   • Can only live in freshwater and is essentially blind.
   • Habitat: 
     • Found in parts of the Ganges-Meghna-Brahmaputra (Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary and Narora Ramsar site). and Karnaphuli-Sangu river systems in India, Nepal, and Bangladesh.
     • India's national aquatic animal and is popularly known as ‘Susu’.
     • Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary (VGDS) in Bihar’s Bhagalpur district is the only sanctuary solely for its conservation. 
   • Conservation status:
     • IUCN: Endangered
     • WPA, 1972: Schedule -I
     • CITES: Appendix-I
2. Indus river dolphin
   • Habitat: 
     • Found only in the main channel of the Indus River in Pakistan and active channels connected to it between the Jinnah and Kotri barrages, and in the River Beas (a tributary of the Indus) in Punjab in India.
   • Conservation status:
     • IUCN: Endangered
     • WPA, 1972: Schedule -I
     • CITES: Appendix-I
     • Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals: Appendix I and Appendix II 

Threats:

1. Pollution
2. Dam construction
3. Poaching
4. Shipping & dredging
5. Their oil and meat are used as a liniment, as an aphrodisiac, and as bait for catfish. 

Elongated Tortoise

Context:

• Over 90% of the potential distribution of the Sal forest tortoise falls outside the current protected area’s network.

About

• Also called the sal forest tortoise.
• They have elongated somewhat narrow carapaces and yellow heads. 
• Habitat:
  • Species of tortoise found in Southeast Asia and parts of the Indian Subcontinent, particularly Northeast India.
• Conservation status: 
  • IUCN: Critically Endangered.
  • WPA, 1972: Schedule IV
• Threats:
  1. Heavily hunted for food.
  2. collected both for local use, such as decorative masks, and international wildlife trade. In China, a mixture, made by grinding up the tortoise's shell, also serves as an aphrodisiac.

Indian Star Tortoise

Context: India’s proposal to upgrade the protection of Indian star tortoise in CITES approved. 

About

• Habitat:
  • Found in dry areas and scrub forest in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. 
  • North-western India (Gujarat, Rajasthan) and adjoining south-eastern Pakistan; eastern and southern areas of India (from Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and eastern Karnataka to Odisha); and throughout Sri Lanka.
  • Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary– the only rehabilitation centre for star tortoises in the country.
• Conservation status:
  • IUCN: Vulnerable
  • CITES: Appendix I 
  • WPA, 1972: Schedule IV
• Threats:
  1. introduction of new species,
  2. habitat loss and uncontrolled hunting, and
  3. collecting from the wild due to the exotic pet trade. 

Asiatic Lion 

Context: Census of the Asiatic lion was recently conducted by the Gujarat government.

About

• Asiatic lion aka the Indian lion or Persian lion is slightly smaller than African lions.
• Lions are the only cats that live in groups, called prides.
• Habitat:
  • Historically, it inhabited much of Western Asia and the Middle East up to northern India.
  • Today the Gir Forests in Gujarat is the only home of the Asiatic lion.
• Conservation Status:
  • IUCN: Endangered
  • CITES: Appendix I
  • WPA, 1972: Schedule I
• Threats: 
  1. Habitat loss.
  2. Endangered because of its small population size and area of occupancy.
  3. Diseases- mass mortality last year in an outbreak of canine distemper virus (CDV) and Babesiosis.

 Cheetah

Context: Introduction of African Cheetah from Namibia in India.

About

• World’s fastest land mammal.
• Habitat:
  • Native to Africa and central Iran.
  • Inhabit a variety of ecosystems; areas with greater availability of prey, good visibility and minimal chances of encountering larger predators are preferred- mostly grasslands (savanna).
  • Seldom occur in tropical forests. 
• Conservation status:
  • IUCN: 
    1. African Cheetah: Vulnerable
    2. Asiatic Cheetah: Critically endangered
  • CITES: Appendix I (both)
• Threats:
  1. habitat loss and fragmentation of populations due to industrial and agricultural development,
  2. ecological degradation, like bush encroachment common in southern Africa,
  3. Illegal wildlife trade and trafficking,
  4. road accidents,
  5. diseases.

Snow leopard

Context: Session of Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection (GSLEP) programme held.

WWF has developed and launched Third Pole Geo Lab, an interactive web-based tool and database for snow leopard conservation, climate change, and water security issues in Asia’s high mountains.

About

• Habitat:
  • The snow leopard (also called ounce) is found in high mountains in 12 countries of Central Asia.
  • In India, it inhabits the higher Himalayan and trans-Himalayan landscape in the five states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh.
• Conservation Status:
  • IUCN: Vulnerable
  • CITES: Appendix I
  • WPA, 1972: Schedule I
• Threats: 
  1. Hunting,
  2. habitat loss,
  3. retaliatory killings,
  4. poaching and
  5. climate change 

Clouded Leopard

Context: A research paper on cloud leopards has helped to understand their habitats, migration corridors and laid out the conservation strategies.

About

• Recently been split into two species- Mainland clouded leopard, Sunda clouded leopard.
• State animal of the Indian state of Meghalaya.
• Added to India’s Recovery Programme for Critically Endangered Species.
• Habitat:
  • Prefers grassland, shrubs, subtropical and dense tropical forest, high rainfall, hard terrain, low human presence.
  • It occurs from the Himalayan foothills in Nepal, Bhutan and India to Myanmar, southeastern Bangladesh, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, to the south of the Yangtze River in China. 
  • In India (Mainland clouded leopard):
  • Sikkim (Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve), northern West Bengal, Meghalaya subtropical forests (Nongkhyllem National Park),
    Tripura, Mizoram (Dampa tiger reserve), Manipur, Assam (Manas National Park),
    Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh (Pakke Tiger Reserve).
• Conservation Status:
  • IUCN: Vulnerable (both)
  • CITES: Appendix I
  • WPA, 1972: Schedule I
• Threats:
  1. Deforestation
  2. Changing rainfall patterns
  3. Human-animal conflict
  4. Development projects

Pangolin

Context: Scientists had said that Pangolins could be responsible for the spread of the deadly coronavirus.

About

• Out of the eight species of pangolin, the Indian Pangolin and the Chinese Pangolin are found in India.
• The only scaly mammal on the planet.
• The most illegally traded vertebrate within its class (Mammalia), according to CITES.
• Habitat:
  • Indian Pangolin is widely distributed in India, except the arid region, high Himalayas and the North-East. The species is also found in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
  • Chinese Pangolin is found in the Himalayan foothills in Eastern Nepal, Bhutan, Northern India, North-East Bangladesh and through Southern China.
• Conservation status:
  • IUCN:
    • Indian Pangolin: Endangered
    • Chinese Pangolin: Critically Endangered
  • CITES: Appendix I
  • WPA, 1972: Schedule I
• Threats: 
1. Hunting and poaching for local consumptive use (e.g. as a protein source and traditional medicine), and
2. international trade for its meat and scales in East and South-East Asian countries, particularly China and Vietnam.

Smooth-coated Otter, Small-clawed otter

Context: India’s proposal to upgrade the protection of smooth-coated otter and small-clawed otter in CITES approved.

Major species of otters found in India-

• India is home to 3 of the 13 species of otters found worldwide- Eurasian Otter, Smooth-coated Otter and Small-clawed otter.

1. Smooth-coated Otter
   • Habitat: Distributed throughout the country from the Himalayas southward.
   • Conservation Status:
     • IUCN: Vulnerable;
     • CITES: Appendix I;
     • WPA: Schedule II
   • Threats:
     1. loss of wetland habitats due to the construction of large scale hydroelectric projects,
     2. conversion of wetlands for settlements and agriculture,
     3. reduction in prey biomass,
     4. poaching and contamination of waterways by pesticides.
2. Small-clawed otter (Asian small-clawed otter)
   • Habitat: Restricted to the Himalayas, to the north of the Ganges and to southern India.
   • Conservation Status:
     1. IUCN: Vulnerable,
     2. CITES: Appendix I,
     3. WPA: Schedule I
   • Threats: Same as the smooth-coated otter.
3. Eurasian Otter:
   • Habitat: Found throughout Europe and in Asia. In India, the species is distributed in the Himalayan foothills, southern Western Ghats and the central Indian landscape.
   • Conservation Status:
     • IUCN: Near Threatened
     • CITES: Appendix I
     • WPA, 1972: Schedule II
   • Threats:
     1. pollution from pesticides.
     2. habitat loss
     3. hunting, both legal and illegal.

 Dugong or Sea Cow

Context: World Dugong Day is celebrated on 28th May, every year.

About

• One of the four surviving species in the Order Sirenia and it is the only existing species of herbivorous mammal that lives exclusively in the sea including in India.
• Only strictly herbivorous marine mammal.
• Habitat:
  • Found in warm coastal waters from the western Pacific Ocean to the eastern coast of Africa.
  • In India: Gulf of Mannar in Tamil Nadu, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the Gulf of Kutch in Gujarat.
• Conservation Status:
  • IUCN: Vulnerable
  • CITES: Appendix I
  • WPA: Schedule I
• Threats:
  1. loss of seagrass beds due to ocean floor trawling. 
  2. destruction and modification of habitat,
  3. pollution,
  4. rampant illegal fishing activities,
  5. vessel strikes,
  6. unsustainable hunting or poaching and
  7. unplanned tourism 

Tokay gecko

Context: Recently, India proposed it’s listing should be moved from CITES Appendix II to Appendix I.

About

• One of the largest geckos (Lizard) in the country and the world.
• Primarily a tree-dweller.
• Habitat:
  • This is a nocturnal arboreal gecko, found widely in South and Southeast Asia, the US, and Madagascar.
  • Habitat ranges from northeast India to the Indo-Australian Archipelago and tropical rain forests.
• Conservation Status:
  • IUCN: Least concern
  • CITES: Appendix II 
  • WPA, 1972: Schedule III
• Threats:
  • Used as a traditional Asian medicine- everything from energy drinks to treatments for diabetes, cancer, and HIV/AIDS make it prone to illegal trade across borders.

Great Indian Bustard

Context: Great Indian Bustard is likely to be included in the global list of top 10 migratory species facing extinction under the UNEP’s Convention for Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS) of Wild Animals.

• COP13, 2020 Theme: ‘Migratory species connect the planet and we welcome them home’
• Mascot: Great Indian Bustard. 

About

• One of the heaviest flying birds in the world.
• Considered as flagship grassland species, representing the health of the grassland ecology.
• State bird of Rajasthan.
• Habitat:
  • Inhabits dry grasslands and scrublands on the Indian subcontinent.
  • Largest populations are found in Rajasthan. 
  • Found in Rajasthan (Desert National park), Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh (Karera Wildlife Sanctuary), Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh (Rollapadu Wildlife Sanctuary) and parts of Pakistan.

    

• Conservation Status:
  • IUCN: Critically Endangered
  • CITES: Appendix I
  • WPA, 1972: Schedule I
• Threats:
  1. change of land use pattern,
  2. desertification,
  3. irrigation and farming technology
  4. mining
  5. ill-thought plantation of exotic & invasive species in grassland ecosystems
  6. mortality by collision with infrastructure, particularly power lines and wind turbines
  7. noise pollution affects their mating and courtship practices.

Lion-tailed macaque

Context: According to a study, they have shown rich tool-use behaviour to simplify their efforts.

About

• Habitat:
  • Endemic to the Western Ghats of India (Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu). 
  • It can also be found in monsoon forests in hilly country and in disturbed forest.
  • Found in:
    1. Someshwara Wildlife Sanctuary in the Western Ghats of Karnataka (Udupi & Shimoga districts).
    2. Kudremukh National Park (Karnataka)
    3. Periyar National Park (Kerala)
    4. Silent Valley National Park (Kerala).
• Conservation status: 
  • IUCN: Endangered
  • CITES: Appendix I 
  • WPA, 1972: Schedule I
• Threats:
1. Habitat loss and degradation-Only 1% of the original habitat remains due to widespread deforestation for timber, cultivation of tea, coffee, teak and cinchona, construction of water reservoirs for irrigation and power generation, and human settlements.
2. The slow reproduction cycle of Lion-tailed Macaques. A female macaque gives birth only once in three years.
3. Hunting.
4. Pet trade.

Red Panda

Context:  Reduction in wildlife trade (TRAFFIC Report).

About

• Despite its name, it is not closely related to the giant panda.
• Added to India’s Recovery Programme for Critically Endangered Species.
• Habitat:
  • The red panda (Ailurus fulgens) is a mammal native to the eastern Himalayas (temperate forests) and southwestern China.
  • Estimated 14,500 red pandas are left in the wild across Nepal, Bhutan, India, China and Myanmar.
  • In India:
    • Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya, West Bengal and northern Arunachal Pradesh.
• Conservation status: 
  • IUCN: Endangered
  • CITES: Appendix I
  • WPA, 1972:  Schedule I 
• Threats:
  1. hunted for meat and fur, besides illegal capture for the pet trade.
  2. competition with domestic livestock resulting in habitat degradation,
  3. deforestation resulting in habitat loss or fragmentation.
  4. poaching,
  5. inbreeding depression.

Nilgiri Tahr

Context: Rise in population in Mukurthi National Park.

About

• Also known as Nilgiri Ibex.
• The Adult males develop a light grey area or “saddle” on their backs and are hence called “Saddlebacks”.
• State animal of Tamil Nadu.
• Habitat:
  • Found in open montane grassland habitat of rain forests ecoregion.
  • It is endemic to the Nilgiri Hills and the southern portion of the Western Ghats in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
  • Eravikulam National Park of Kerala is home to the largest population.
• Conservation status: 
  • IUCN: Endangered
  • WPA, 1972: Schedule I
• Threats:
  1. Habitat loss (mainly from domestic livestock and spread of invasive plants)
  2. Poaching,
  3. Populations of these animals are small and isolated, making them vulnerable to local extinction,
  4. Climate Change.

    Indian Gaur

Context: first population estimation exercise of the Indian Gaur (Bison) was carried out in the Nilgiris Forest Division, Tamil Nadu.

About

• Largest and the tallest in the family of wild cattle and is a grazing animal.
• State animal of Goa.
• Habitat:
  • Largely confined to evergreen forests or semi-evergreen and moist deciduous forests, but also occur in deciduous forest areas at the periphery of their range.
  • Found in Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (Nagarhole, Wayanad, Bandipur, Kabini and Masinagudi (Mudumalai) national parks).
• Conservation status: 
  • IUCN: Vulnerable
  •  CITES Appendix I
  • WPA, 1972: Schedule I
• Threats:
  1. habitat loss and fragmentation,
  2. food scarcity due to destruction of grasslands,
  3. Hunting for food, medicinal products and handicrafts products- demand of gaur meat in the illegal market through India-Nepal border,
  4. diseases, particularly rinderpest and foot-and-mouth disease.

Dhole (Asiatic Wild Dog)

Context: Karnataka, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh rank high in the conservation of dhole in India, according to a new study.

About

• A candid (a mammal of the dog family) from Asia.
• Habitat:
  • Native to Central, South and Southeast Asia.
  • India supports the largest number of dholes, with key populations found in three landscapes- Western Ghats, Central India and Northeast India.
  • Found in Bandipur, Nagarhole, Kanha, Periyar National parks. 
• Conservation status: 
  • IUCN: Endangered
  • CITES: Appendix II
  • WPA, 1972: Schedule II
• Threats:
  1. habitat loss,
  2. loss of prey,
  3. competition with other species,
  4. persecution due to livestock predation and
  5. disease transfer from domestic dogs.

Hangul (Kashmiri Stag)

Context: The Tral Wildlife Sanctuary will function as a protected wildlife corridor for the endangered Kashmir Stag.

About

• Subspecies of elk (Central Asian red deer) native to India (endemic to Jammu and Kashmir).
• Only sub-species of red deer in India.
• State animal of Jammu & Kashmir.
• Habitat:
  • Dense riverine forests in the high valleys and mountains of the Kashmir Valley and northern Chamba district in Himachal Pradesh.
  • Protected in Dachigam National Park.
• Conservation status: 
  • IUCN: Critically endangered 
  • CITES: Appendix II
  • WPA, 1972: Schedule I
• Threats:
  1. habitat destruction,
  2. over-grazing by domestic livestock,
  3. poaching,
  4. turmoil in Kashmir.

Sangai (Brow antlered deer or dancing deer- or Eld’sdeer)

Context: Unchecked growth of two perennial aquatic weeds- water hyacinth and para grass in the freshwater lake of Loktak in Manipur is posing a major threat to Sangai. 

About

• Native to Manipur and its state animal.
• popularly called as ‘dancing deer’.
• Every year, Manipur celebrates the “Manipur Sangai Festival” from 21st -30th November.
• Habitat:
  • Floating marshy grasslands, Phumids, of the Keibul Lamjao National Park, located in the southern parts of the Loktak Lake (Ramsar site).
• Conservation status: 
  • IUCN: Endangered 
  • CITES: Appendix I
  • WPA, 1972: Schedule I
• Threats: 
  1. Shrinking habitat (phumdis) due to continuous inundation and flooding due to dam construction.
  2. Invasion of non-native plants.
  3. Poaching.

Hard ground swamp deer (Barasingha)

Context: Revival in the Kanha National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR) after having been perilously close to extinction for a long time.

About 

• A deer species distributed in the Indian subcontinent.
• State animal of Madhya Pradesh.
• Habitat:
  • Prefer tall grasslands and open habitats. 
  • Found only in southwestern Nepal and central and northeastern India,  extinct in Pakistan and Bangladesh.
  • In India: Assam, Jumna River, Ganges River, Brahmaputra River, Madhya Pradesh, Utter Pradesh, and Arunachal Pradesh. 
  • Protected areas:
    1. Kanha National Park –Madya Pradesh
    2. Dudhwa National Park– Uttar Pradesh
    3. Manas National Park- Assam
    4. Kaziranga National Park- Assam
• Conservation status: 
  • IUCN: Vulnerable
  • CITES: Appendix I
  • WPA, 1972: Schedule I
• Threats:
  1. Poaching for antlers and meat. 
  2. Habitat loss due to the destruction of wetlands for development activities. 
  3. Change in river dynamics, reduced water flow during summer, increasing siltation.

Northern River Terrapin

Context: Scientific breeding of the endangered Northern river terrapin (Batagur Baska) in Sunderban Tiger Reserve. 

About 

• Species of riverine turtle native to Southeast Asia.
• Second-most threatened turtle in the world.
• Added to India’s Recovery Programme for Critically Endangered Species.
  
• Habitat:
  • Found in tidal areas of large rivers, sandbars and riverbanks.
  • Found in Bangladesh (in the Sunderbans), Cambodia, India (parts- West Bengal and Odisha), Indonesia and Malaysia.
  • Extinct in Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
• Conservation status: 
  • IUCN: Critically endangered
  • CITES: Appendix I
  • WPA, 1972: Schedule I
• Threats:
  1. Exploited for illegal trade across borders for its meat and carapace.
  2. Loss of nesting beaches and pollution.

Arabian Sea Humpback Whale

Context: Maharashtra government to conduct a study on endangered humpback whales.

About: 

• Added to India’s Recovery Programme for Critically Endangered Species
• A small subpopulation of humpback whales in the Arabian sea.
• The most genetically distinct humpback whales.
• Considered to be the most isolated whale population on Earth.
• Conservation status: 
  • IUCN: Endangered
• Threats:
  1. Entanglement in fishing gear, gillnets. 
  2. Plastic marine pollution.

Indian Rosewood

Context: India demands removal of rosewood from CITES.

About

• Dalbergia sissoo is commonly known as Rosewood or Shisham.
• A medium to large deciduous tree, native to India, with a slight crown.
• Distribution:
  • It is native to the foothills of the Himalayas. 
  • Primarily found growing along river banks below 900 metres (3,000 ft) elevation
  • Soils range from pure sand and gravel to rich alluvium of river banks; shisham can grow in slightly saline soils.
• Conservation status: 
  • IUCN: Vulnerable
  • CITES: Appendix II
• Threats:
  • Threatened by overexploitation for its timber and by illegal logging.

Malabar civet

Context: Recently spotted in Kerala.

About

• One of the world’s rarest mammal.
• It is endemic to India.
• It is nocturnal and elusive in nature.
• Habitat:
  • Wooded plains and hill slopes of evergreen rainforests.
  • Inhabited lowland forests, lowland swamp and riparian forests in the coastal plain districts of the Western Ghats (Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Wildlife Sanctuary, Karnataka).
• Conservation status: 
  • IUCN: Critically endangered
  • CITES: Appendix III 
  • WPA, 1972: Schedule I
• Threats:
  1. Hunting
  2. Habitat loss due to deforestation and commercial plantations

 Fishing cat

Context: Fishing cat collaring project to begin in A.P.’s Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary in the Godavari estuary.

About

• Twice the size of a house cat.
• Nocturnal.
• State animal of West Bengal.
• Habitat:
  • Native to wetlands, swamps and marshy areas.
  • In India, fishing cats are mainly found in the mangrove forests of the Sundarbans, on the foothills of the Himalayas along the Ganga and Brahmaputra river valleys and in the Western Ghats.
• Conservation status: 
  • IUCN: Vulnerable
  • CITES: Appendix II
  • WPA, 1972: Schedule I
• Threats:
  1. Destruction of wetlands, their preferred habitat.
  2. Shrimp farming is another growing threat to mangrove habitats of the Fishing Cat.
  3. Hunted for meat and skin.
  4. Tribal hunters indulge in ritual hunting practices of fishing cat throughout the year.
  5. Over-exploitation of local fish stocks and retaliatory killing.

Steppe eagle

Context: Maharashtra state department proposes Mayani Lake cluster as Conservation Reserve, home to a wide variety of migratory and resident birds including the greater flamingo and lesser flamingo, endangered Steppe eagle.

About

• Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae.
• Habitat:
  • It breeds from Romania east through the south Russian and Central Asian steppes to Mongolia.
  • The European and Central Asian birds winter in Africa and the eastern birds in India.
  • Throughout its range, it favours open dry habitats, such as desert, semi-desert, steppes, or savannah.
  • National Bird (animal) of Egypt and appears on its flag.
• Conservation status: 
  • IUCN: Endangered
  • CITES: Appendix II
  • European Red List of Birds: Critically Endangered.
• Threats:
  1. habitat loss to agriculture, especially in steppe regions,
  2. human persecution, and
  3. electrocution on power lines.

Greater One-horned Rhino/Indian Rhino

Context: Proposal to introduce in Jim Corbett National Park.

About

• Also known as the “Square-lipped rhino” (‘mowing-machines).
• There are three species of rhino in Asia-Greater one-horned, Javan and Sumatran. Javan and Sumatran Rhino are critically endangered.
• Only the Great one-horned rhino is found in India.
• Largest of the Asian Rhinos.
• Habitat:
  • Preferred habitat is alluvial flood plains and areas containing tall grasslands along the foothills of the Himalayas (alluvial grasslands of the Terai and the Brahmaputra basin.)
  • 90% of the population concentrated in Assam’s Kaziranga National Park.
  • Outside Kaziranga, rhinos are found Pobitara WLS, Orang NP, Manas NP in Assam, Jaldapara NP and Garumara NP in West Bengal and Dudhwa TR in Uttar Pradesh.
• Conservation Status:
  • IUCN: Vulnerable
  • CITES: Appendix I
  • WPA: Schedule I
• Threats:
  1. Habitat destruction.
  2. Human harassment and encroachment.
  3. Hunted for sport and for their horn or killed as agricultural pests.

Peacock Parachute Spider or Gooty Tarantula

Context: Recently spotted in the Pakkamalai Reserve Forests in Villupuram District, Tamil Nadu.

About

• Habitat:
  • Endemic to India.
  • The known habitat is in the Eastern Ghats especially degraded forests near Nandyal in Andhra Pradesh.
• Conservation status: IUCN: Critically Endangered
• Threats: Collected for the pet trade.

Bengal/Salem Fox

Context: Forest Department officials in Salem, Tamil Nadu geared up to prevent unusual jallikattu, using foxes (Bengal Fox) instead of bulls at the Kaanum Pongal.

About:

• Also known as the Indian fox.
• A species of Asian foxes endemic to the Indian subcontinent.
• Habitat:
  • Preferred habitat is short open grassland, scrub or thorn forest.
  • Distributed throughout much of the Indian subcontinent with the exception of the wet forests and the extreme arid zone.
• Conservation status: 
  • IUCN: Least Concerned
  • CITES: Appendix III
  • WPA: Schedule II
• Threats:
  1. Lack of habitat protection.
  2. Hunting for its skin and flesh, used in traditional medicine.
  3. Conversion of its grassland habitat to agriculture, industry, and bio-fuel plantations.
  4. Hunted by the narikuruva tribes of southern India.
  5. Diseases such as canine distemper virus and rabies.

Drosophila

Context: The fifth edition of the Asia Pacific Drosophila Research Conference (APDRC5) is being held at Pune.

About:

• A genus of flies, belonging to the family Drosophilidae, whose members are often called “small fruit flies”.
• Most widely-used and preferred model organisms in biological research across the world for the last 100 years.
• Several discoveries in biology have been made using this.
• Its genome is entirely sequenced and there is enormous information available about its biochemistry, physiology, and behaviour.

Senna Spectabilis (invasive species)

Context:

• The Kerala Government is planning to arrest the rampant growth of Senna spectabilis, in the forest areas of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (NBR), including the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary.

About:

• A deciduous tree native to tropical areas of America.
• Also known as Golden wonder tree
• Categorized as ‘Least Concern’ under IUCN Red List.

Concerns:

• The thick foliage of the tree arrests the growth of other indigenous tree and grass species.
• Thus, it causes a food shortage for the wildlife population, especially herbivores.
• It also adversely affect the germination and growth of the native species.