Lok Sabha Question No. 1190 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-11
Subject: Killing of Wild Animals
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Jual Oram

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1190

TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.12.2023

## Killing of Wild animals

## 1190.   SHRI JUAL ORAM:

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

- (a) whether the Government is aware of the decline in population of wild animals like tigers, lions, etc., in several States;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor, State-wise;
- (c) whether one of the main reasons is the killing of elephants, leopards and tigers by humans in Odisha and some other States; and
- (d) if so, the steps taken to protect these animals?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

- (a) and (b) As per population assessment, the population of Asiatic lion, tiger and elephants are  not  showing  decline.  The  details  of  the  population  assessment  of  these animals are as follows:
- (c) and (d) Management of wildlife and its habitats  including  population  assessment  and respective Government  for protection  of  wildlife  and  management  of  human-wildlife  conflict  are  as

| S No.   | Asiatic Lion   | Asiatic Lion   | Tiger   | Tiger      | Elephant   | Elephant    |
|---------|----------------|----------------|---------|------------|------------|-------------|
|         | Year           | Population     | Year    | Population | Year       | Population  |
| 1       | 2010           | 411            | 2014    | 2226       | 2007       | 27669-27719 |
| 2       | 2015           | 523            | 2018    | 2967       | 2012       | 29391-30711 |
| 3       | 2020           | 674            | 2022    | 3682       | 2017       | 29964       |

control of poaching is primarily the responsibility of the States/Union Territories. The important steps taken by follows:

- i. The Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 provides for stringent punishment for violation of its provisions. The Act also provides for forfeiture of
2. any equipment, vehicle or weapon that is used for committing wildlife offence(s).
- ii. Alerts  and  advisories  were  issued  by  WCCB  on  poaching  and  illegal trade  of  wildlife  to  the  concerned  State  and  Central  agencies  for preventive action.
- iii. The  Ministry  has  issued  advisory  on  06.02.2021  to  all  States/UTs  to deal with human wildlife conflict situations.
- iv. The Ministry has issued Guidelines to States/UTs on 3 rd June, 2022 on managing Human Wildlife conflict including damage to crops.
- v. The Ministry has released species specific guidelines on 21.03.2023   for  mitigation  of  Human  -Elephant,  -Gaur,  -Leopard,  Snake, -Crocodile, -Rhesus Macaque, -Wild Pig, -Bear, -Blue Bull and -Blackbuck Conflict as well as Guidelines for cross cutting issues such as cooperation between the forest and media sector in India; occupational health and safety in the context of human-wildlife conflict mitigation;   crowd  management  in  human-wildlife  conflict  related situations and  addressing health emergencies and potential health risks arising out of human-wildlife conflict situations.
- vi. Government of India has issued Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)/guidelines  to  manage  Human-Tiger/Human-Leopard  /HumanElephant conflict.
- vii. A network of Protected Areas namely 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.
- viii. The  Central  Government  provides  financial  assistance  to  State/Union Territory Governments under the Centrally Sponsored Schemes 'Development of Wildlife Habitats, 'Project Tiger' and 'Project Elephant' for management of wildlife and its habitat in the country.
- ix. The activities supported under the scheme include construction/erection of  physical barriers such as barbed wire  fence, solar powered electric fence, bio-fencing using cactus, boundary walls etc. to prevent the entry of wild animals into crop fields.
- x. The local communities are involved in conservation measures through eco-development activities which help the forest departments in protection of wildlife

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