Introduction to wildlife management

INTRODUCTION TO WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT

HISTORICAL & CULTURAL BACKGROUND

India has a rich heritage of wildlife as well as a long history and tradition of conservation. The conservation ethic was imbibed in the sylvan surroundings of the ashramas of our sages which were the seats of learning in the country’s ancient past. The first recorded game laws were promulgated by Kautilya in his Arthashastra in the third century BC. Indian mythology is equally profuse in references to our regard and love for wild animals. Different animals were associated with different Gods and were thus provided with religious sanctity and ensured conservation. India is also unique in the richness and variety of its wildlife. Though the love and regard for wildlife is a part of India’s culture, yet it is confronted with the sad paradox of fast disappearing wildlife.

ECOSYSTEM CONCEPT

To an average citizen, it is difficult to understand why wildlife conservation is important. What relevance does it have in the present context in a poor and developing country like India, when the crying need is for pooling all the country’s resources for rapid economic development to mitigate the poverty of the masses?

The concern for wildlife is, however, the concern for man itself. All forms of life – human, animal & plant, are so closely inter-linked that disturbance in one gives rise to imbalance in the others. Man’s activities for development may have profound influence on the biosphere. Man has harnessed the environment to meet his diverse requirements, which nevertheless, should be done without disturbing the laws of nature. The human race can survive only by living in harmony with nature and explore it for optimum use. Man’s interference with nature without regard for the ecological aspects may lead to catastrophes eg. Pollution, floods, droughts, silting of river beds and dams, industrial pollution, water pollution, agricultural chemicals and pesticide residues, acid rain, depletion of the ozone layer etc.

Ecologists consider all organic life on earth to be organized as a series of energy transfers called trophic levels in a closed system of living and non-living parts which they call the ecosystem. The series of energy transfers is depicted below:-

Primary producers (Autotrophs) : convert chemicals into organic matter with solar energy

Primary consumers (herbivores)

Secondary consumers (carnivores)

Decomposers

The producers, consumers and decomposers are linked together in food chains. Various food chains are joined at different trophic levels forming complicated food webs. In this intricate web of relationships, the existence of one organism is dependent on the others. The process of natural selection has led to species specializing in the performance of certain functions in the food chains. These are the ‘niches’ which the organisms occupy. The entire trophic structure is delicately balanced on these niches.

Any process of development by human societies with varying levels of their technology in harvesting natural resources is an intervention in nature and its life support systems. To be sustainable, any development requires that the renewability of the resources and life support systems is maintained in perpetuity. This, in turn, needs an understanding of the ability of species to adapt themselves to changing environment and to integrate these considerations in the development planning process. This, in essence, is the crux of the case for wildlife conservation.

VALUE OF WILDLIFE

1. Game value : Due to its worth as game, wildlife has a higher economic value than realized from the direct sale of its meat and hides. It is of recreational value to those who hunt or fish for sport. Many businesses cater to their needs by producing firearms or fishing tackle, camping equipment, recreational vehicles, or by providing accommodation, food or drink, thus earning considerable revenue.

2. Aesthetic value : Wildlife deserves preservation due to its enchanting beauty and sheer appeal to the human spirit. Worldwide, it is this aesthetic value that becomes more important and provides economic justification. Wildlife attracts a large number of tourists and serves as a principal source of foreign exchange, especially in countries like Kenya.

3. Ethical value : As human beings, we should realize that plants and animals also have a right to live on this planet and thus proper ecological security should be granted to them. We should appreciate that any species of wildlife is a unique creation of nature and cannot be manufactured by man.

4. Cultural value : In various cultures of the world, wildlife has occupied a special place of veneration and preservation. The paintings and carvings in caves and other age-old historical places further stand testimony to the integral cultural association of wildlife with man. In religion, history and superstition, there are several evidences for the protection of wildlife : Chanakya’s game laws in Arthashastra in third century BC, religious value of trees, holy books containing edicts for conservation, Ashoka pillar edict giving names of wildlife species to be afforded protection, Kalidas’ Abhyranya pleading for wildlife protection etc.

5. Scientific value : Knowledge gained from research on wildlife provides many spin-offs that are of direct value to humans. In terms of scientific value, scientists contend that the smallest creature—even a slug—can benefit mankind by yielding scientific knowledge, even cures for diseases. By way of illustration, they point to the fungus that produced penicillin, the bark of the yew tree that offers a treatment for some forms of cancer, and an Asian viper's venom that is used in a stroke-prevention medicine. Chemicals from sea sponges and some marine organisms might block arthritis inflammation and fight cancer. Plants and small creatures also benefit agriculture: farmers use insects, plants, and other animals as alternatives to synthetic chemicals for pest and predator control.

6. Ecological value : It is now understood that existence of any component of our ecosystem is essential for the stability of the system. Some examples of the ecological value of wildlife are:-

- Entomophagous birds (eg. the ‘rosy starling’ and smaller hawks which voraciously consume serious crop pests like locusts) can consume more food than their own weight in 24 hrs, and play an immense role in the development of agriculture and forestry.

- If left unchecked, a single pair of rats could increase in one year to 880. Large owls such as the great horned owl or wood owl can eat as many as 7 rats a day, and play an important role in killing destructive rats and mice.

- Monoculture forestry (eg. Eucalyptus) is more prone to insect-borne plant diseases as it does not have foliage in which birds can rest and feed.

- Animals and birds are indicators of the health of the environment. eg. Birds like canary, with exceptionally high metabolic rates, can be kept inside coal mines to check the presence of CO₂ and other noxious gases; fishes serve as indicators of potable water.

7. Commercial value : Wildlife is a potential source of useful products of global interest.

- Wildlife as food : Wildlife resources constitute an important source of food for those people living in hills and forests. The commercial value of wildlife is best seen in the world’s marine fisheries, yielding perhaps 70 MT of food. This constitutes a good percentage of the world’s animal protein and its cost is estimated in billions of dollars.

- Wildlife in medicine : The medication used in the treatment of various ailments owes its origin to plants and animals rather than synthesized commercial chemical products. However, there is considerable variation in the purported therapeutic value of different parts, organs and secretions of wild animals, and such claims require thorough scientific study.

- Trade in wildlife products : Products of global trade interest include fur, wool, skin, horn, hoof, meat, ivory, bone, fats, bile salts, bone charcoal, bone glues, trophies, perfumes, cosmetics, medicines etc. Unchecked trade in wildlife products has considerably decimated the rare wild fauna.

- Trade in live animals : Such trade provides a means of support for many people who cater to people’s desire to own strange or exotic pets, or to meet the demands of scientific or educational institutions. Flying squirrels, marmots, lemurs, monkeys, pheasants, frogs etc. are mainly used for trade.

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Disclaimer : The information on this site is meant as an aid to students and fellow veterinarians and should be used for educational purposes only. The views expressed are solely that of the author and should not be construed to be that of his employer or any other organization.