Wildlife Management in India

India’s Wildlife Management requires balancing conservation legacy and governance challenges. Read here to learn more.

India, home to nearly 7-8% of the world’s recorded species, is a biodiversity superpower.

Yet, a recent CITES committee report raised concerns over India’s wildlife permit system, particularly after investigating the Vantara project in Jamnagar which highlights deeper structural challenges in its wildlife management architecture.

While India has pioneered conservation initiatives such as Project Tiger and Project Elephant, its wildlife governance today suffers from fragmented institutional authority, weak enforcement, insufficient inter-agency coordination, and gaps in international compliance.

India’s Wildlife Management

1. Flagship Species Conservation Success

• India’s most iconic conservation success, Project Tiger (1973), has reversed the decline of its national animal through a scientifically designed core-buffer strategy and dedicated institutional oversight by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
• Tiger population increased from 1,411 (2006) to 3,682 (2022), over 75% of the world’s wild tigers, across 58 Tiger Reserves.
• India’s model is now emulated globally for large carnivore conservation, integrating habitat restoration, protection, and monitoring.

2. Landscape-Level Habitat Connectivity

A major policy evolution is the landscape-level conservation approach, recognizing that wildlife corridors outside protected areas (PAs) are vital for genetic diversity and climate resilience.

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• Project Elephant manages 33 Elephant Reserves across 14 states.
• The Forest Survey of India (FSI) maps critical corridors to mitigate fragmentation caused by linear infrastructure.
• This model integrates ecology with spatial planning—a step toward sustainable coexistence.

3. Community-Centric Conservation

India has shifted from exclusionary protectionism to inclusive, participatory conservation, legally recognizing Community and Conservation Reserves under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 (WLPA).

• As of 2023, 220 Community Reserves and 115 Conservation Reserves exist.
• The Amur Falcon conservation in Nagaland’s Longleng district, led by the Phom tribe, is a global example of grassroots conservation success.

4. Technological Transformation

The integration of AI, drones, GPS mapping, and platforms like M-STrIPES (Monitoring System for Tigers–Intensive Protection and Ecological Status) has revolutionized wildlife surveillance.

• AI-driven early warning systems and solar-powered electronic fencing have significantly reduced human-wildlife conflicts (HWC) in elephant corridors.
• Technology ensures real-time data-driven decision-making, improving transparency and enforcement.

5. Targeted Species Recovery

Beyond tigers, India has launched single-species recovery missions, combining scientific management, captive breeding, and translocation:

• Project Cheetah (2022) reintroduced cheetahs to Kuno National Park after seven decades.
• The One-Horned Rhino population in Assam surpassed 4,000 (2024) under Indian Rhino Vision 2020.
• These successes reflect India’s adaptive, science-based conservation policy.

6. Proactive Policy and Legal Reforms

• The Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act, 2022, aligns national legislation with CITES standards, tightening controls on wildlife trade.
• India also supports the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the 30×30 target (protecting 30% of land and sea by 2030), signalling its commitment to global biodiversity goals.

7. Mainstreaming Biodiversity into Development

Efforts to integrate biodiversity into development, through Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA), compensatory afforestation, and judicial oversight, seek to balance growth with ecological preservation.

• The Central Empowered Committee (CEC) reported 85% achievement of compensatory afforestation targets (2019–2024).
• However, ensuring the quality and ecological equivalence of plantations remains a concern.

Major Issues in India’s Wildlife Protection Framework

1. Weak Enforcement and Low Conviction Rates

Despite strong laws, enforcement remains inconsistent.

• Conviction rate for wildlife crimes remains around 2-3%.
• Between 2020-24, 2,701 cases were registered, but most lacked conclusive prosecution.
• Poor inter-agency coordination and limited forensic expertise weaken deterrence against organized trafficking networks.

2. Escalating Human-Wildlife Conflict (HWC)

Expanding infrastructure and shrinking habitats push animals into human settlements.

• 2,853 human deaths due to elephant conflict (2019-2024), with 628 deaths in 2023 alone.
• Inadequate early warning systems and delayed compensation mechanisms fuel local resentment.

3. Gaps in CITES Compliance and Import Due Diligence

• The CITES committee’s recent findings revealed inconsistencies in wildlife import permits, including numerical mismatches in reported animal transfers (e.g., cheetahs from Mexico).
• This undermines India’s international credibility and exposes the risk of illegal trade disguised as legal imports.

4. Buffer Zone Mismanagement

• Buffer zones around PAs face unsustainable human pressure from grazing, extraction, and linear projects.
• While forest cover is increasing in states like Madhya Pradesh, much of it is monoculture plantation, not natural forest, reducing ecological resilience.

5. Definitional Ambiguities in WLPA (2022)

• The amendment’s broad Schedule I accords equal protection to both endangered and common species, straining enforcement capacity.
• Additionally, the clause allowing elephants for “any other purpose” may inadvertently legitimize commercial use, diluting protection.

6. Invasive Alien Species (IAS) Neglect

• IAS like Lantana camara (in 40% of Tiger Reserves) and Red-eared Slider turtles, threaten native ecosystems.
• Weak import controls and poor management enable their spread, undermining native biodiversity.

7. Incomplete Implementation of Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006

• Slow recognition of Community Forest Resource (CFR) rights alienates indigenous communities.
• The Jenu Kuruba community’s prolonged struggle in Nagarhole National Park underscores the conflict between conservation and livelihood rights.

Measures to Strengthen India’s Wildlife Protection Framework

1. Institutionalize Landscape-Level Ecological Planning

• Move beyond fragmented PA management to enforce landscape-level connectivity through a mandatory Ecological Connectivity Impact Assessment (ECIA) supplement to EIAs.
• Infrastructure in wildlife zones should include overpasses, underpasses, and eco-bridges for safe animal movement.

2. Establish a Dedicated Wildlife Crime Prosecution Wing

• Create a specialized Wildlife Crime Prosecution Cadre within the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), including trained prosecutors, forensic experts, and cybercrime specialists.
• This would address low conviction rates and strengthen cross-border intelligence coordination.

3. Deploy AI-Based Predictive Conflict Mitigation

• Develop a National AI-driven Conflict Mitigation Program, using thermal drones, bio-acoustic sensors, and machine learning to predict wildlife movement and alert nearby communities via mobile-based early warning systems.

4. Empower Community-Led Conservation Governance

• Fully implement FRA, 2006, empowering Gram Sabhas to manage Community Forest Resources and buffer zones.
• Recruit local people as ‘Wildlife Custodians’, integrating livelihoods with biodiversity protection.

5. Introduce Performance-Linked Conservation Financing

Replace input-based fund allocation with outcome-based financing for state forest departments, tied to:

• Species population recovery,
• Habitat restoration,
• Invasive species management, and
• Community participation.

Grant administrative autonomy to Protected Areas for agile management.

6. Digitize Wildlife Governance and Traceability

Create a National Wildlife Governance Portal integrating:

• Real-time wildlife crime databases,
• e-CITES permits,
• Genetic species identification library, and
• Geotagged enforcement records.

This ensures transparency, data integrity, and inter-agency coordination.

Conclusion

India’s wildlife governance stands at a defining juncture. The country’s rich conservation legacy, anchored by community stewardship and scientific management, must evolve to address emerging challenges of globalization, climate change, and compliance.

A modern wildlife management architecture, rooted in landscape-level planning, community empowerment, technological integration, and global accountability, is essential to uphold SDG 15 (Life on Land) and SDG 13 (Climate Action).

Restoring both ecological balance and international trust will reaffirm India’s position as a global leader in biodiversity stewardship.

Based on The Hindu article ‘ Greater openness: On India and wildlife management’