‘30pc tigers, 50pc lions in India live outside protected forest’

“Animals in the wild are national assets and a state government cannot politicise the translocation of lions from Gujarat Gir forest,” said renowned wildlife conservationist Ravi Chellam, addressing a national e-conference organised by National Biodiversity Authority of India, EVR Periyar Government Arts & Science College and Biodiversity Conservation Foundation.

He added that 50 per cent of lions and leopards are found in the non-protected forests and 30 per cent of tigers are living outside the protected reserves. “Politics has seeped into wildlife affecting the conservation practices,” rued Chellam, and highlighted thew case of lions in Gujarat.

“These carnivores are facing threats from canine distemper and other zoonotic infections. The Gujarat state assembly passed a resolution stating that lions are the pride of Gujarat and cannot be translocated to the Madhya Pradesh. The court issued a judgement stressing the need based on species’ best interest standard, but even after 9 years, they’re yet to be implemented.”

Chellam gave a detailed presentation on the depleting wildlife habitats of leopards in Western Ghats (TN, Karnataka and Kerala), and the habitat destruction of snow leopards in Himalayas. Former Principal chief conservator of forests N Krishnakumar explained the significance of landscape conservation and the need to protect the fragile ecosystem. Dr J Suganthi, principal, EVR college and Dr S Umamaheswari, head, the zoology department, spoke on the depleting natural resources and wildlife.