Lok Sabha Question No. 1872 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-03-14
Subject: Conservation of Endangered Species
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: CHANDRA PRAKASH JOSHI

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1872

TO BE ANSWERED ON  14.03.2017

## Conservation of Endangered Species

## 1872.  SHRI CHANDRA PRAKASH JOSHI:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the number of birds and animals under endangered category is decreasing rapidly and if so, the details thereof during the last three years;
- (b) whether  the  Government  has  taken  any  initiative  to  conduct a  census  of endangered species of birds and animals, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (c) whether  the  Government  has  taken  any  initiative  to  monitor  and  protect  the endangered species of birds and animals, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI ANIL MADHAV DAVE)

- (a) As per the information available including by way of census, there are no reports indicating decrease in number of birds and animals under endangered category in the country.  On the other hand, the population of several species like lion, tiger, elephant and rhinoceros is on the rise.
- (b) Census of major flagship species is undertaken at the State-level by the respective State/Union  Territory  Governments  periodically.  However  census  of  tiger  and elephant  is  undertaken  at  the  national  level  once  every  four  and  five  years respectively. State-wise estimated population of tigers, elephants, rhino and lions, as per the latest census available with the Ministry,  is given in the Annexure IA, IB and IC.
- (c) Initiatives  taken  to  monitor  and  protect  the  endangered  species  of  birds  and animals include:
- i. Legal protection has been provided to wild animals against hunting and commercial exploitation under the provisions of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
- ii. Protected Areas, viz., National Parks, Sanctuaries, Conservation Reserves and Community Reserves covering important wildlife habitats have been created  all  over  the  country  under  the  provisions  of  the  Wild  Life

(Protection) Act, 1972 to conserve wild animals and their habitats.

- iii. Special programmes like 'Project Tiger' and 'Project Elephant' have been launched for conservation of these endangered species  and their habitats.
- iv. A  specific    component  of  'Recovery  programmes  for  saving  critically endangered species and habitats' is provided in the Centrally Sponsored Scheme  of  'Integrated  Development  of  Wildlife  Habitats'  for  focused conservation action on selected critically endangered species.
- v. In  addition  to  provision  of  stringent  punishment  for  the  offenders,  the Wild  Life  (Protection)  Act,  1972  also  provides  for  forfeiture  of  any equipment,  vehicle  or  weapon  that  is  used  for  committing  wildlife offence(s).
- vi. Financial and  technical assistance is provided  to the State/  Union Territory  Governments  under  the  Centrally  Sponsored  Schemes  for providing better protection to wildlife including endangered species  and improvement of its habitat.
- vii. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has been empowered under the Wild  Life  (Protection)  Act,  1972  to  apprehend  and  prosecute  wildlife offenders.
- viii. The  Wildlife  Crime  Control  Bureau  has  been  set  up  to  ensure  coordination among various officers and State Governments in connection with the enforcement of law for control of poaching and illegal trade in wildlife and its products.

****

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (b) OF THE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.  1872  REGARDING  'CONSERVATION  OF ENDANGERED SPECIES' BY SHRI CHANDRA PRAKASH JOSHI DUE FOR REPLY ON 14.3.2017.

Details of tiger estimation pertaining to tiger landscapes in the country, for the year 2014

| State                                                                | 2014             |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------|
| Shivalik-Gangetic Plain Landscape Complex                            |                  |
| Uttarakhand                                                          | 340              |
| Uttar Pradesh                                                        | 117              |
| Bihar                                                                | 28               |
| Shivalik Gangetic                                                    | 485 (427-543)    |
| Central Indian Landscape Complex and Eastern Ghats Landscape Complex |                  |
| Andhra Pradesh (including Telangana)                                 | 68               |
| Chhattisgarh                                                         | 46               |
| Madhya Pradesh                                                       | 308              |
| Maharashtra                                                          | 190              |
| Odisha                                                               | 28               |
| Rajasthan                                                            | 45               |
| Jharkhand                                                            | 3+               |
| Central India                                                        | 688 (596-780)    |
| Western Ghats Landscape Complex                                      |                  |
| Karnataka                                                            | 406              |
| Kerala                                                               | 136              |
| Tamil Nadu                                                           | 229              |
| Goa                                                                  | 5                |
| Western Ghats                                                        | 776 (685-861)    |
| North Eastern Hills and Brahmaputra Flood Plains                     |                  |
| Assam                                                                | 167              |
| Arunachal Pradesh                                                    | 28 ♣             |
| Mizoram                                                              | 3+               |
| North West Bengal                                                    | 3                |
| North East Hills, and Brahmaputra                                    | 201 (174-212)    |
| Sunderbans                                                           | 76 (92-96)       |
| TOTAL                                                                | 2226 (1945-2491) |

## Population of wild elephants

| REGION                | STATE               | 2012        |
|-----------------------|---------------------|-------------|
| North-East            | Arunachal Pradesh   | 890         |
| North-East            | Assam               | 5620        |
| North-East            | Meghalaya           | 1811*       |
| North-East            | Nagaland            | 212         |
| North-East            | Mizoram             | -           |
| North-East            | Tripura             | 59          |
| North-East            | West Bengal (North) | 647         |
| Total for North- East |                     | 9239        |
| East                  | West Bengal (South) | #           |
| East                  | Jharkhand           | 688         |
| East                  | Orissa              | 1930        |
| East                  | Chhattisgarh        | 247         |
| Total for East        |                     | 2865        |
| North                 | Uttarakhand         | 1346*       |
| North                 | Uttar Pradesh       | 291         |
| Total for North       |                     | 1637        |
| South                 | Tamil Nadu          | 4015        |
| South                 | Karnataka           | 5648-6488   |
| South                 | Kerala              | 5942-6422   |
| South                 | Andhra Pradesh      | 41          |
| South                 | Maharashtra         | 4           |
| Total for South       |                     | 15650-16970 |
| GRAND TOTAL           |                     | 29391-30711 |

## ANNEXURE-I B

## ANNEXURE-I C

## Population of Rhinoceros as reported by States

| Name of state   | No. of rhinoceros (Year of Census)   |
|-----------------|--------------------------------------|
| Assam           | 2624 (2015)                          |
| Uttar Pradesh   | 34                                   |
| West Bengal     | 255 (2015)                           |

## Population of lion as reported by State Government of Gujarat

| Name of state   | No. of lion (Year of Census)   |
|-----------------|--------------------------------|
| Gujarat         | 523 (2015)                     |