Three Wildlife Species in India Extinct, Declares Zoological Survey of India
The 14th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) was recently held in Delhi, India. The members of the UN discussed the problem of desertification and potential solutions for it. Other concerns such as global warming and threat of extinction of species were also pondered upon and immediate action courses were planned.
While talking about the danger of extermination of endangered species at this conference, the researchers announced that three critically endangered wildlife species in India have gone extinct. These extinct species are Indian Cheetah, pink-headed duck and the great Indian Bustard. The desertification in India is the stated cause for the extinction of these species.
Indian Cheetah / Image: Ehsan Kamali/Wikipedia
Director of Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), Kailash Chandra revealed that they have been studying a database of more than 5.6 million specimens of these species, which were collected from all over India and from neighboring countries before the independence. The studies show the decline in the number of species’ distribution over the last hundred years highlighting the impact of land degradation and deforestation on wildlife.
He said that specimens of endangered species have reduced to the 150-mark in terms of numbers. The researcher also said that many more species are on the verge of extinction and are labeled as critically endangered species.
Pink-headed duck / Image: Animal-Life
According to the researchers at ZSI, heavy usage of insecticides and pesticides, industrial and chemical wastes are the contributing reasons for desertification beside deforestation. The process of desertification doesn’t only affect animals but has a negative impact on microorganisms and human beings as well.
Given the statistics of land degradation in India, where 30% of total land area has been degraded due to deforestation, soil erosion and many other related reasons, the threat to other endangered species has become more tangible.
Great Indian Bustard / Image: Vinod Bartakke
Not only in India but on global level strict actions are crucial at the moment to reverse the scenario for the survival of all living species on the earth.
Via: Weather
