Targeted Conservation Efforts Show Hope for India's Endangered Wildlife Species

A Great Indian Bustard chick has hatched in Kutch, Gujarat, after a decade, offering fresh hope for the critically endangered bird amid ongoing national wildlife conservation efforts. Across India, targeted programmes are working to protect vulnerable fauna, supported by the central government's Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats scheme which backs recovery action for 24 identified species.

Species Recovery

State-level initiatives have yielded notable population increases for several animals. In Gujarat, the Asiatic lion population rose from 674 in 2020 to 891 in 2025. Project Nilgiri Tahr recorded 1,303 tahrs in 2025 and 1,364 in 2026 across Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Vulture numbers have also rebounded, aided by a ban on the veterinary drug diclofenac; Madhya Pradesh recorded 12,981 vultures in its 2025 census, up from 8,397 in 2019. In the Himalayas, a 2024 scientific assessment estimated 718 snow leopards, aided by local community stewardship and camera-trap monitoring in regions like Kibber.

Marine and Habitat Protection

Marine conservation includes Tamil Nadu establishing India's first dugong conservation reserve across 448.34 square kilometres of Palk Bay. A 2026 assessment by the Wildlife Institute of India estimated 270 dugongs in total, with 158 in Palk Bay and 112 in the Gulf of Mannar. To protect marine mammals from accidental netting, the government provides financial compensation to fishermen who release caught dugongs. Meanwhile, India launched its National Red List Roadmap at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi in 2025, aiming to produce National Red Data Books for plants and animals by 2030.

Context

India is one of 17 megadiverse countries globally, supporting nearly 8% of the world's flora and 7.5% of its fauna despite covering only 2.4% of global land area. Comprehensive wildlife protection requires continuous financial resources, scientific monitoring, and active cooperation between state forest departments and local communities.