U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

India, the world’s 7th largest country in

area, ranks 6th among the earth’s

major centers of biological diversity,

encompassing 21,000 plant, 500

mammal, 1,500 bird, and 20,000 insect

species. Home to animals, such as

tigers, elephants, rhinoceros, Siberian

crane, and many more, it is identified

by both U.S. and Indian biologists as

extremely important to our diverse

cultural heritages.

India is among a limited number of

countries where a little known, yet

highly valuable pool of funds, can be

leveraged for conservation purposes.

These funds or special foreign

currencies are comprised of U.S.-owned

funds that cannot be converted in U.S.

dollars and must be spent in that

country. Special foreign currencies

were originally accumulated through

sale of surplus agricultural commodities

under the Agricultural Trade

Spirit of Cooperation

Wildlife Without Borders - India

Development and Assistance Act of

1954 and through the repayment of

loans by the local government.

Congress built a provision into the

Endangered Species Act of 1973 that

authorized the Service to use these

currencies, where available, for wildlife

conservation.

Leveraging $11 million from special

foreign currencies between 1977 and

2000, Wildlife Without Borders - India

provided $600,000 in funding for more

than 30 major wildlife conservation

projects to assist India with the

conservation and management of its

diverse biological resources. Wildlife

Without Borders - India’s long-term

commitment to conservation in India

has spawned significant improvements

for wildlife despite challenges of

balancing the needs of wildlife with

those of India’s large human

population.

U.S. Advisor providing guidance to Indian partners in field techniques under the

U.S. India Fund project entitled “Ecology of Hillstreams of Himachal Pradesh

and Garhwal regions, with special reference to the fish community”

Kimberly McClurg, FWS
Wildlife Research and Management

Seventeen multi-year conservationoriented wildlife research studies have

resulted from a long-term partnership

between Wildlife Without Borders -

India and the highly regarded Bombay

Natural History Society. Conducted by

Indian biologists, these projects have

focused on conservation of Indian

endangered species including the Asian

elephant, Great Indian Bustard, and

Siberian Crane. Compilation and

organization of ecological data on these

species has provided an important

foundation for decision making.

Habitat Protection

Wildlife Without Borders - India’s

approach to habitat management is

illustrated by research conducted at

Keoladeo National Park, located near

Bharatpur. Keoladeo occupies 11 square

miles, one-third of which is wetlands

and provides habitat to 375 species of

birds, including the endangered central

flock of Siberian cranes, 77 species of

mammals, and a diversity of fresh

water fish and flowering plant species.

Keoladeo is an integral component of a

highly populated area that includes 7

local villages. Analysis of multiple

factors governing the ecology of

Keoladeo is the basis for recommendations developed for the long term.

These have in turn been incorporated

into management of the park as well as

into development patterns of the

surrounding communities.

Training

Wildlife Without Borders - India

coordinated a comprehensive training

program for nearly 20 faculty

instructors from the Wildlife Institute

of India (WII), located at Dehra Dun,

India. These faculty have provided

instruction for the over 1,000 Indians

who have received graduate-level

diplomas and other certificates in

wildlife and natural resource management from WII. Wildlife Without

Borders - India is currently engaged in

the second phase of a 5-year

commitment with WII to assist the

Institute develop field applications of

its academic courses. Wildlife Without

Borders - India has also assisted

hundreds of other Indians to attend

training in India, the United States,

and other countries.

Conservation Education

Wildlife Without Borders - India

fostered a multifaceted environmental

communication program including

production of television segments and

accompanying educational materials in

partnership with the Centre for

Environmental Education in

Ahmedabad and the State University of

New York College of Environmental

Science and Forestry at Syracuse.

Through the television medium,

environmental programs have reached

millions of Indians, who would not

otherwise receive this information on

environmental issues. Wildlife Without

Borders - India has also sponsored

teacher training, development of

publications and field guides, brochures

and posters, and two major films

primarily for Indians but for use with

other audiences as well.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Division of International Conservation

4401 N. Fairfax Dr. Suite 730

Arlington, VA 22203-1622

Phone 703-358-1825

Fax 703-358-2849

http://international.fws.gov/

FW9IA_DIC@fws.gov

Summer 2001