By The Editor
Human beings are not the only creatures of this planet. Besides humans, there are also countless others that inhabit the earth which interact with each other and thus thrive. In brief we are all interdependent and the existence of various species are mutual and hence there should be good understanding about environment especially human beings who are gifted with high intellect and wisdom. We are all well aware that the air we breathe, the water we drink or swim in, wildlife, factories and industries, farming and mining, etc. are to be well-regulated and implemented for survival and existence of living species. But human beings’ unlimited greed for wealth and power during all these past decades had greatly damaged the environment and posed imminent danger to survival of the planet itself. However, environmentalists began to raise their voices unitedly and courageously which led to adoption of various policies and measures, one of those being preservation and conservation of wildlife.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently launched the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) for protection and conservation of big cats. Modi reminded that after 50 years of ‘Project Tiger’ tiger population in India in 2022 rose to 3,167 which was only 1, 411 in 2006 and gradually rose at good rate every year. He lauded efforts made by government which proved successful and hence matter of pride not only for India but the whole world since protecting wildlife is global issue. Prime Minister stressed that ‘for wildlife to thrive, it is important for eco-system to thrive’ which clearly implies that ecology and economy should go hand in hand. IBCA will focus on protection and conservation of seven major big cats of the world- tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, puma, jaguar and cheetah. Meanwhile wildlife scientists and experts have discovered that in Northeastern hills of India and Brahmaputra plains of Assam there are 194 tigers. The region is home to several populations of tigers which are threatened by habitat loss, fragmentation and poaching which require more efforts from government and non-governmental organisations for long-term conservation.
Eastern part of India is a biodiversity hotspot including North Bengal Dooars, flood plains of Brahmaputra, and Northeastern hill ranges, covering eight North East (NE) states of India and North Bengal. High forest cover still prevailing in Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur and Nagaland are favourite habitat of tigers. The region is maintaining as per tradition reserved forests, sacred groves, protected areas and wetlands which offer refuge and protection to endangered and endemic species. Conservation planning, environmental management and public involvement are needed to ensure that ecology and economy are highly essential in modern area. Tigers that live in the wild blend well with the underbrush through which they move because of their striped bodies.