Abstract
The astonishingly diverse wildlife of Rajasthan and the varied ecological habitats of the desert, wetlands, and rivers have supported its proud people for centuries. Focusing on in situ conservation efforts in the state, an elaborate account of the large number of sanctuaries and national parks, most of which existed as the hunting reserves and private zoos of former kings has been aptly described in the chapter. At present, there are three national parks and 25 wildlife sanctuaries in Rajasthan covering 2.80% of the total geographical area of the state. Ranthambhore National Park and Sariska Tiger Reserve are known the world over for their tigers while Keoladeo National Park (KNP) and Sambhar Salt Lake are the two Ramsar Sites of Rajasthan. Keoladeo is a World Heritage site too. The state treasures three conservation reserves and one eco-sensitive zone. Besides, ten deer parks and seven medicinal plant conservation areas also exist in the state. KNP and Sajjangarh Wildlife Sanctuaries are the walled protected areas (PAs) to ensure better safety of the wildlife while the National Chambal Water Sanctuary is the only ravine system of Rajasthan. Extinction of tigers in Sariska Tiger Reserve during 2005 has been the biggest wakeup call in the country’s conservation history. The rapidly declining faunal diversity and other individual problems prevailing in most of the PAs reflect unsustainable development. Authors also highlight ex situ conservation and the ongoing breeding programs in the zoos of Rajasthan. The existing zoos of the state are not in a good condition except the Jaipur Zoo and shifting of them in their respective neighboring biological parks is currently being undertaken. This chapter also reveals the present status of zoos in Rajasthan and their role in conserving threatened fauna. Current status of the fauna, threats, issues, and future planning for the ecological recovery of the PAs are also discussed in this chapter.
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Acknowledgments
The authors gratefully acknowledge the information received from Mr. Bittu Sehgal, Editor, Sanctuary Asia, wherein he mentioned the inputs received over the years from (Late) Kailash Sankhala, the first Director of Project Tiger and (Late) Mr. Fateh Singh Rathore, former Field Director, Ranthambhore Tiger Reserves. Thanks are due to the Sanctuary Asia team, particularly Ms. Lakshmy Raman, Ms. Swati Hingorani, and Mr. Shardul Bajikar for the maps and photographs.
Epilogue by the editors At the time when the tiger population is fast dwindling, India has reported an alarming increase in tiger deaths. The country has 41 tiger reserves in 17 states, of which 25 have a notified buffer zone. Nearly 40% of the total deaths have been caused due to poaching. The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has stated that the rising demand for tiger parts in various south-east Asian countries and the increasing man–animal conflict are the key reasons for the rise in tiger deaths. The country had witnessed 56 tiger deaths in 2011, when the number of poaching cases was relatively small and only nine out of these deaths were reported to have been caused due to poaching. However, the NTCA has now declared that all deaths will be treated as poaching unless proved otherwise. According to the May 2011 census, India hosts a majority of the world’s tiger population at about 1,700. Despite their protected status and creation of special reserves, tigers continue to remain vulnerable due mainly to the huge market for the body parts of this animal. Despite the creation of Special Tiger Protection Force (STPC) in 13 reserves of the country, many STPCs are still to get off the ground except in the state of Karnataka. Interestingly, out of the Rupees 2,000 million annual budget allocated for tiger protection, the bulk goes for antipoaching operations which now include sophisticated electronic or e-eye surveillance and towers equipped with thermal imaging cameras. With 30% tigers still living outside the protected areas, India is yet to implement some of the important recommendations of the Tiger Task Force (TTF) set up in 2005 (soon after the Sariska debacle) to examine issues involved in tiger conservation.
After the shocking news of January 2005 that no tigers are left in Sariska, the Government of Rajasthan in cooperation with the Government of India and the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) planned re-introduction of tiger which was accomplished in June 2008, February 2009 and July 2010. At present, five tigers—two males and three females—are dwelling in the reserve. The state of affairs at Ranthambhore National Park is also worrying the wildlife lovers and conservationists. Tigers leaving their protected territory to reach faraway places has given a hard time to forest guards with six of them leaving the park during recent years to inhabit other forests far and near whereas, death of tigers following territorial fight owing to shrinking forest cover and human encroachment has now become a serious concern with nine tigers killed during the past four years. It is worthwhile to mention here that, this book is covering in an altogether separate chapter, the firsthand account of the historic tiger re-introduction in Sariska written by the scientists and forest officials who were actually involved in the entire operation. It is a sigh of great relief that, besides 26 adult tigers, 25 cubs born during January 2011 to June 2012, currently inhabit the Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve.
On July 9, 2012, the Government of Rajasthan has cleared the forest department’s plans to create buffer zones in the peripheries of Ranthambhore National Park (RNP) where in future the growing population of tigers can move from the park’s core area. This will now be looked into and finally approved by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). These buffer zones would be developed in the 647 sq km Kailadevi Sanctuary and the 127 sq km Sawai Mansingh Sanctuary adjoining the 392 sq km core area of the RNP. In addition, plans to develop natural corridors or “eco-corridors” connecting the Ranthambhore forest with Kailadevi Sanctuary have also been finalized. For this, 23 villages from the sanctuary will be relocated outside the forest area and the forest land thus vacated will be used to develop prey base for the tiger. Conservationists, however, are in favor of developing corridors connecting all the tiger reserves in Central India in order to have a natural mix of genes among the entire tiger population thriving at Ranthambhore and Sariska in Rajasthan and that of Palampur Kuno in the adjoining state of Madhya Pradesh.
It is clearly felt that establishment of the Desert National Park (DNP) in Rajasthan as an ace project of the Indian government has positively affected the wildlife, in addition to promoting international tourism. Apart from its strategic importance for Indian defense, the park attracts a large number of investigators from the realms of zoology, botany, agriculture, sociology, geology, geography, non-conventional sources of energy and pedology. Though deficient in water resources, the DNP has rich mineral deposits, in addition to oil and natural gas. Expansion of settlements on account of increase in human population, uncontrolled tourism and over-exploitation of natural resources may prove detrimental to the park. Another major threat is the proposal to build a canal that will bisect the park and bring many ecological changes. The unparalleled floral and faunal diversity of the DNP not only provides a rich feast to the ecologists and historians but also unfolds intricacies of a natural ecosystem. The DNP is perhaps among the most unique parks in the desert region of the world. Proper management plans for the DNP and surrounding PAs are imperative for the conservation management of Rajasthan’s wildlife.
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Sharma, B.K., Kulshreshtha, S., Sharma, S., Singh, S., Jain, A., Kulshreshtha, M. (2013). In Situ and Ex Situ Conservation: Protected Area Network and Zoos of Rajasthan. In: Sharma, B., Kulshreshtha, S., Rahmani, A. (eds) Faunal Heritage of Rajasthan, India. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-01345-9_1
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