Wildlife conservation efforts in India show steady progress across multiple species

UPDATE - follow-up to From the brink to a comeback, hope for India's wildlife: Government schemes, scientific monitoring, and local community efforts are helping endangered species recover across India.

Species Recovery

India's Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats scheme currently supports recovery actions for 24 identified species and their habitats across the country. In Gujarat, a Great Indian Bustard chick hatched in Kutch after a decade, offering fresh hope for the critically endangered bird. Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu recorded 1,303 Nilgiri tahrs in 2025 and 1,364 tahrs in 2026 under Project Nilgiri Tahr. Gujarat also saw its Asiatic lion population rise from 674 in 2020 to 891 in 2025, with lions expanding into a wider part of Saurashtra. High up in the Himalayas, a 2024 scientific assessment estimated 718 snow leopards, aided by local stewardship and women in Kibber working alongside forest teams and conservation groups.

Vultures and Dugongs

Vulture numbers have risen following India's ban on the veterinary use of diclofenac, which had previously caused catastrophic losses. Madhya Pradesh recorded 12,981 vultures in its 2025 census, up from 8,397 in 2019. In marine conservation, Tamil Nadu established India's first dugong conservation reserve across 448.34 square kilometres of Palk Bay. A 2026 Wildlife Institute of India assessment estimated a total of 270 dugongs, with 158 in Palk Bay and 112 in the Gulf of Mannar. The government provides financial compensation to fishermen who release dugongs caught in nets for damaged gear.

Assessment and Funding

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. India contains parts of four of the world's 36 biodiversity hotspots, with around 28% of its plants and over 30% of its animals found nowhere else. Out of 7,516 Indian animal species assessed for the IUCN Red List so far, 1,012 are threatened. Globally, the Phoenix Species Project, launched in 2026 by Re:wild and the Bezos Earth Fund, has committed $200 million to help recover 100 of the world's most threatened species over several years.

Context

Conservation programmes require long-term funding, political commitment, and cooperation between state governments, scientists, and local communities. Protecting endangered habitats ensures the survival of endemic species that exist nowhere else in the world.