CB Bureau The ministry of environment and forests has called for
conservation and protection of endangered species and issued a new list
of birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians who fall in the ‘endangered species’
category.
According to a news report in The Times of India, the ministry observed that conservation efforts
are often focused on large animals like the tiger and the elephant, whereas there
are a host of species that do not rank very high on the conservation totem
pole, although they are under great threat and are classified as critically
endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Some of these endangered birds and amphibians are also found
in Maharashtra. Out of the five listed bird species, three are found in
Maharashtra. The Jerdon’s Courser is a nocturnal bird and belongs to the scrub
jungle, and it is under extreme threat because of clearing of scrub jungle, creation
of new pastures, growing of dryland crops, plantations of exotic trees,
quarrying and the construction of the Telugu-Ganga canal, and illegal trapping.
It is endemic to Andhra Pradesh, though 19th-century records attribute its
presence in the neighbouring areas of Maharashtra.
The Forest Owlet is found in south Madhya Pradesh and in
north-west Maharashtra and north-central Maharashtra. After 113 long years, the
owlet was rediscovered in 1997. Their habitat is the dry deciduous forest and
the major threat in logging operations, burning and cutting of trees.
The White-bellied Heron is an extremely rare bird found in
five or six sites in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, one or two sites in Bhutan,
and a few in Myanmar. Their habitats are rivers with sand or gravel bars or
inland lakes. Unfortunately, loss and degradation of lowland forest and
wetlands are the major threat.
It is also alarming to note that out of the nine species of
vultures found across India, the population of three species have declined by
99 per cent. And this is due to the use of painkiller diclofenac for veterinary
purposes.
The Bengal Florican, a rare Bustard species, is native to
three countries – Cambodia, India and Nepal. In India, it is found in Uttar Pradesh,
Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. The ongoing conversion of the bird’s grassland
habitat is mainly responsible for its population decline.
In the mammal category, the Pygmy hog, the world’s smallest
wild pig with the adult weighing only eight kg, needs relatively undisturbed
tall Terai grasslands. It is now restricted to only a single remnant population in
Manas Wildlife Sanctuary and its buffer reserves. The main threats are loss and
degradation of grasslands, dry-season burning, livestock grazing, afforestation
of grasslands and hunting.
The Gharial, the most uniquely evolved crocodilian in the
world, is also in the critically endangered list. Sadly, their dire condition
reflects the tragedy of rivers. They live in clean rivers with sand banks. They
are found in Uttar Pardesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. And a small
non-breeding population exists in Son, Gandak, Hoogly and Ghagra rivers. The
combined effect of dams, barrages, change in river course, pollution,
sand-mining and riparian agriculture has led to their loss.
The leatherback turtles and four-toed river terrapin
(turtle) are both critically endangered. Leatherback turtles weigh as much as
900 kg and are found in the tropical and temperate waters of the Atlantic,
Pacific and Indian oceans. Unfortunately, their decline can be attributed to
high-sea fishing operations, harvesting of eggs and destruction of nests.
The omnivorous diet of the four-toed river terrapin makes
them an essential part of the efficient clean-up systems of aquatic habitats.
They are found in Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia and Malaysia. The major
threats are use of flesh for medicinal purposes, and demand for eggs.
The gliding frog, endemic to the Western Ghats, are found in
Indira Gandhi National Park and the surrounding areas of Anamalai hills, Tamil
Nadu. The threats include conversion of forested areas for timber and
non-timber plantations and timber extraction activities.