World Wildlife Day 2021: Few Points from Academic Interests 

  I still remember in my school days read Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam which means 'the world is one family', albeit these two words are in Sanskrit. The original verse is found in the Chapter 6 of Maha Upanishad also in the Rig Veda. It is considered as the most important moral value in the Indian society and culture. It is pertinent to mention that this verse of Maha Upanishad is inscribed in the entrance hall of the Parliament of India. Thus, it is evident that in ancient periods our saints, scholars and erudite persons believed that ‘the world is one family'. The stalwarts in the world also might feel the same and that is why on 20 December 2013, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) declared 3 March as UN World Wildlife Day to celebrate and raise awareness of the world’s wild animals and plants. The UNGA resolution also designated the CITES Secretariat as the facilitator for the global observance of this special day for wildlife on the UN calendar. CITES means Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

  World Wildlife Day has now become the most important global annual event dedicated to wildlife. As per www.wildlifeday.org, “World Wildlife Day will be celebrated in 2021 under the theme "Forests and Livelihoods: Sustaining People and Planet", as a way to highlight the central role of forests, forest species and ecosystems services in sustaining the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people globally, and particularly of Indigenous and local communities with historic ties to forested and forest-adjacent areas”. This aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goals 1, 12, 13 and 15, and their wide-ranging commitments to alleviating poverty, ensuring sustainable use of resources, and on conserving life land. Also it is evident from the website that “Between 200 and 350 million people live within or adjacent to forested areas around the world, relying on the various ecosystem services provided by forest and forest species for their livelihoods and to cover their most basic needs, including food, shelter, energy and medicines.

Indigenous peoples and local communities are at the forefront of the symbiotic relationship between humans and forest, forest-dwelling wildlife species and the ecosystem services they provide. Roughly 28% of the world’s land surface is currently managed by indigenous peoples, including some of the most ecologically intact forests on the planet. These spaces are not only central to their economic and personal well-being, but also to their cultural identities”.

  “Forests, forests species and the livelihoods that depend on them currently find themselves at the crossroads of the multiple planetary crises we currently face, from climate change, to biodiversity loss and the health, social and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic”.   

       To protect wildlife, the Government of India has taken many measures. One of them is declaration of wildlife sanctuary in different regions of the country. India has a network of 903 Protected Areas including 101 National Parks, 553 Wildlife Sanctuaries, 86 Conservation Reserves and 163 Community Reserves covering a total of 1,65,012.59 square kilometres  of geographical area of the country which is approximately 5.02 percent of the area 

  Before conclusion, top 25 Wildlife Sanctuaries in India are presented below (source: www.thrillophilia.com/blog/top-10-wildlife-sanctuaries-in-india)

1. Corbett National Park, Uttarakhand

2. Ranthambore National Park, Rajasthan

3. Bandipur National Park, Karnataka

4. Keoladeo Ghana National Park – Bharatpur, Rajasthan

5. Nagarhole National Park, Karnataka

6. Sariska National Park, Rajasthan

7. Kaziranga National Park, Assam

8. Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary, Karnataka

9. Kanha National Park, Madhya Pradesh

10. Sundarbans National Park, West Bengal

11. Bandhavgarh National Park, Madhya Pradesh

12. Gir National Park and Sasan Gir Sanctuary, Gujarat

13. Periyar National Park, Kerala

14. Pench National Park, Madhya Pradesh

15. Manas National Park, Assam

16. Dudhwa National Park, Uttar Pradesh

17. Panna National Park, Madhya Pradesh

18. Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve, Maharashtra

19. Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala

20. The Great Himalayan National Park, Himachal Pradesh

21. Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary, Karnataka

22. Silent Valley National Park, Kerala

23. Rajaji National Park, Uttarakhand

24. Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary, Goa

25. Hemis National Park, Jammu and Kashmir

 The following websites have been consulted while writing the article:

1)      https://www.wildlifeday.org

2)      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasudhaiva_Kutumbakam

3)      https://www.thrillophilia.com/blog/top-10-wildlife-sanctuaries-in-india

4)      https://wii.gov.in/nwdc_

        

      Dr Shankar Chatterjee, Hyderabad

        Dt. 03 March 2021