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Wildlife
- India has approximately 90,000 animal species,2,000 species of birds, and 2,546 species of fish.
- It also shares between 5 and 8 percent of the world’s amphibians, reptiles, and mammals . Elephants are the most majestic animals among mammals.
- They are found in the hot wet forests of Assam, Karnataka, and Kerala.
- One-horned rhinoceroses are the other animals, which live in swampy and marshy lands of Assam and West Bengal.
- Arid areas of the Rann of Kachchh and the Thar Desert are the habitat for wild ass and camels respectively.
- Indian bison, nilgai (blue bull), chousingha (four-horned antelope), gazel and different species of deer are some other animals found in India.
- India is the only country in the world that has both tigers and lions.
- The natural habitat of the Indian lion is the Gir forest in Gujarat.
- Tigers are found in the forests of Madhya Pradesh, the Sundarbans of West Bengal, and the Himalayan region.
- Ladakh’s freezing high altitudes are home to yak , the shaggy horned wild ox weighing around one tonne, the Tibetan antelope , the bharal (blue sheep), wild sheep, and the kiang (Tibetan wild ass).
- In the rivers, lakes, and coastal areas, turtles, crocodiles, and gharials are found.
- Peacocks, pheasants, ducks, parakeets, cranes, and pigeons are some of the birds inhabiting the forests and wetlands of the country.
- We have selected our crops from a bio-diverse environment, i.e., from the reserve of edible plants.
- The animals were selected from large stock provided by nature as a milch animal. They also provided us with draught power, transportation, meat, and eggs. The fish provide nutritive food.
- Every s pecies has a role to play in the ecosystem . Hence, conservation is essential.
- About 1,300 plant species are endangered and 20 species are extinct.
- The main cause for this major threat to nature is hunting by greedy hunters for commercial purposes.
- Pollution due to chemical and industrial waste, acid deposits, the introduction of alien species, and reckless cutting of the forests to bring land under cultivation and habitation, are also r esponsible for the imbalance.
To protect the flora and fauna of the country, the government has taken many steps.
- (i) Eighteen biosphere reserves have been set up in the country to protect flora and fauna.
Eighteen Bio-reserves
- Sundarbans
- Simlipal
- Gulf of Mannar
- Dihang-Dibang
- Nilgiri
- Dibru Saikhowa
- Nanda Devi
- Agasthyamalai
- Nokrek
- Kangchendzonga
- Great Nicobar
- Pachmarhi
- Manas
- Achanakmar-Amarkantak
- Kachchh
- Cold Desert
- Seshachalam
- Panna
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Note: Migratory Birds During winter, birds, such as Siberian Crane, come in large numbers. One such place favorable to birds is the Rann of Kachchh . At a place where the desert merges with the sea, flamingos with their brilliant pink plumage come in thousands to build nest mounds from the salty mud and raise their young ones. |
- (ii ) Financial and technical assistance is provided to many botanical gardens by the government since 1992.
- (iii) Project Tiger, Project Rhino, Project Great Indian Bustard, and many other eco-developmental projects have been introduced.
- (iv) 101 National Parks, 563 Wildlife sanctuaries, and Zoological gardens are set up to take care of natural heritage.
