Wildlife and Nature Conservation - Centre for Ecological Sciences

Saurashtra within an overall lion conservation programme, and approach theentire lion populations on a zonal or landscape basis.[175] India has five species of sea turtles and the world’s largest known turtle breedingbeaches for the Olive Ridley sea turtle (Gahrimatha, Devi and Rushikulya rivermouths in Orissa). Mechanized fishing trawlers have created new problems forthese sea creatures, as they have to come to the beach to lay eggs, sometimestwice a year. As the turtles found near the coasts of West Bengal, Orissa, AndhraPradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat andAndaman and Nicobar Islands face various problems, some general and somesite-specific, a centrally-sponsored scheme is necessary to save them. Moreover,the State Forest Departments are not geared to protect turtle habitats. Only along-term central scheme would be effective.[176] The terrestrial tortoises are today one of the most threatened group of animals inthe country. The commonest species, the star tortoise, is affected by illegal trade.The Travancore tortoise and the Assam tortoise are gravely endangered due tohabitat destruction and other factors. Recovery Plans are needed for thesespecies.[177] The Wildlife Institute of India, in collaboration with countries/organizationswhich have the requisite expertise, must evolve techniques suitable for groupcapture of species like the nilgai, blackbuck and wild pig. After due testing, thetechniques should be transferred to the states, who should set up special ‘cells’for such capture and translocation.[178] Thereafter, locally excess animals and those that are proving to be intractablyharmful to crops and other property, need to be captured, relocated andrehabilitated where they could be accommodated without causing the sameproblems to the local people. In this endeavor, the Government of India shouldrender financial support, at least in the initial phase.[179] In this operation, every effort must be made to reduce the trauma and injury andthe chances of contraction of pathogens during captivity. The period of captivitymust be very short.[180] After careful analysis and overcoming or mitigating the factors leading to localextinction or reduction, certain species need to be re-introduced in someprotected areas. For this again, special techniques for capture and translocationneed to be evolved. Some examples of this category are the reintroduction ofrhinoceros and the eastern swamp deer in Manas; the gharial in the Brahmaputraand Beki in Assam; the gaur in Bandhavgarh; the blackbuck in Kanha; the tigerin Sariska; the wild buffalo from Indravati to Barnawapara in Chhattisgarh orKanha in Madhya Pradesh; the hog deer in Corbett National Park; the pygmyhog in Nameri National Park and elsewhere in Assam and, of course, the lion inKunu-Palpur in Madhya Pradesh. Besides, the possibility of introducing thebrow-antlered deer from the captive populations, in Pobitara in Assam, needs tobe explored. This would be a special case of introduction into a new habitat, as itsprevious habitats in Manipur are now not viable any more and the total worldpopulation of this taxon is now confined to the Keibul Lamjao National Park inManipur. All endeavours must be made to bring back the Siberian crane toBharatpur, if necessary, from the more numerous eastern population nowmigrating between China and Russia. The need to undertake a re-introduction ofthe cheetah in India, after careful study and prior preparation, has beenmentioned elsewhere.145