National Endangered Species Day 2022: Five Endangered Species In India

What used to be a well-balanced co-existence of humans and wildlife is gradually turning into a vicious takeover. Urban jungles and climate change have resulted in many wildlife species on the verge of vanishing from the face of Earth forever.

To fight for the cause, the third Friday of May is observed as National Endangered Species Day. Introduced in 2006, this noble initiative highlights the turmoil these species go through and carve out ways to ensure the safeguarding of such species.

This year, the theme of the National Endangered Species Day is “Recovering key species for ecosystem restoration.” Today, on this noble occasion, let’s shine a light on species that have their future under grave threat.

1. Kashmiri Red StagIncluded among the species of high conservation priority listed by the Indian government, the Kashmiri Red Stag is a critically endangered species. Their number has decreased from 5,000 in 1990 to a little more than 110 in 2015.
2. Lion-tailed MacaqueLion-tailed Macaque is found in the dense lands of Western Ghats and is generally found in the upper canopies of the rainforest. Estimated to be around 4,000, the species is under threat due to factors like hunting, habitat loss, and roadkill.
3. BlackbuckThere used to be roughly 80,000 blackbucks around the time of independence. The number drastically dropped to just 8,000. Hunted and poached ruthlessly for their pelts, blackbucks are another species that the country is paying heed to with priority.
4. Indian BisonIndian Bison or Gaur is listed as a vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and is protected under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. The Bison is estimated to have lost as much as 70 percent of their entire population
5. Bengal TigerBengal Tiger population has plummeted with less than 2,000 of them left. The Bengal Tigers are most affected by the human-wildlife conflict. The jungle cat is victim to poaching, trophy hunts, and habitat loss

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