WILDLIFE PROTECTION ACT 1972
Wildlife Protection Act (WPA), 1972 is an Act of the Parliament of India enacted for the protection of plants & animal species. Among other reforms, the Act established scheduled protected plants & hunting certain animal species or harvesting these species was largely outlawed. The Act provides for the protection of animals, birds, and plants.
Wildlife Protection Act(WPA), 1972 consists of 6 schedule lists, which give varying degrees of protection. Poaching, smuggling and illegal trade of animals listed in Schedule 1-4 are prohibited.
Schedule 1 & Part II of Schedule 2
- Organisms listed in Schedule 1 and Part II of Schedule 2 have absolute protection. Offences under these are prescribed the highest penalties.
- Lion-tailed macaques, great Indian bustards, rhinoceros, Nicobar megapode, hornbill, and black duck are examples of the Schedule 1 category.
- In schedule 2 are dhole, Bengal porcupine, king cobra, rhesus macaque, flying squirrel, Himalayan brown bear etc.
Schedule 3 & Schedule 4
- Animals listed in Schedule 3 and Schedule 4 are also protected, but the penalties are lower compared to Schedule 1 and Part 2 of Schedule 2.
- Hyenas, hog deer, Nilgai, goral, barking deer etc. are listed under Schedule 3.
- Mongoose, vultures etc are listed in schedule 4.
Schedule 5: Animals listed in this category are called “vermin” which can be hunted. Mice, rats, common crows, and flying foxes (fruit-eating bats) are listed in Schedule 5.
Schedule 6: Cultivation, collection, extraction, trade etc of plants and their derivatives listed in Schedule 6 are prohibited. Pitcher plant, beddomes cycad, red Vanda, blue Vanda and ladies slipper orchid are the list of plants included in schedule 6.
1. Animals listed in Schedule 1 to 4 of WPA, 1972
| Common name | Category | Distribution | Habitat | Threats |
| Brown bear | Critically endangered | India-Jammu Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Nepal, Pakistan, China. | Temperate rain forest-northern India, and western China. | Man-animal conflict |
| Andaman Wild Pig | Least concern | Andaman | Temperate to tropical habitat. | Habitat destruction & hunting. |
| Brown altered deer | Endangered | South & south-east Asia, Manipur, southern end of Loktak lake, north-east India through Myanmar. | Open, grass-dominated habitat |
Hunting, medicinal product, habitat loss. Hydro-electric power project-Loktak Lake. |
| Bharal | Least concern | Bhutan, China, northern India, northern Myanmar, Nepal, and north Pakistan. Ladakh, UP, Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh | Open grass slopes in high mountains from 2500-5500 mts | Competition with livestock, habitat destruction due to livestock |
| Binturong | Vulnerable | India- Sikkim, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, China | Arboreal animal, feed on fruits, insects, birds. | Habitat loss & degradation |
| Caracal desert lynx | Least concern | Africa, Central Asia, southwest Asia into India | Semi-desert to open tropical grassland | Hunting, habitat loss |
| Capped langur | Vulnerable | Bangladesh, Bhutan, northeast India, Myanmar | Diurnal, arboreal, broadleaf, deciduous, bamboo forest | Habitat destruction, Jhum cultivation, monoculture, timber, firewood harvest, traded for meat. |
| Chinese pangolin | Endangered | Himalayan foothills, Nepal, Bhutan, northern India, NE Bangladesh | Primary & secondary tropical forest, limestone forest, bamboo forest, grassland- agricultural field; nocturnal animal | Habitat loss, hunting for local use trade skin, scales, meat. |
| Cheetah | Vulnerable |
Extinct-central India & Pakistan. Asiatic Cheetah-critically endangered-Iran only |
Open grassy habitat, dry forest, savanna woodland, semi-desert, absent in tropical rain forest | Habitat loss, fragmentation, loss of prey, livestock damage. |
| Crab-eating Macaque | Least concern | Occurs on Nicobar Island of India | Grassland, mangrove, swamp forest, found in agricultural area | Hunting, habitat loss |
| Indian Gazelle | Least concern | Western & Central India through Pakistan, SW Afghan | Inhabits arid area, sand deserts, flat plains & hills, dry scrub, light forest | Habitat loss through overgrazing, conversion to agriculture & industrial development |
| Clouded leopard | Vulnerable | Himalayan foothills in Nepal, SE Asia, China | Arboreal, forest habitat evergreen tropical rain forest, dry deciduous forest. | Habitat destruction, hunted for skin, bones for medicine, captive animals. |
| Sand cat | Near threatened | Found in true desert. North Africa, Sw & Central Asia | Specialist of sand desert, localized around spare vegetation which can support small rodent prey. | Habitat degradation, human settlement & livestock grazing |
| Ermine | Least concern | North America, Europe, Asia, Greenland, Canada, Siberia, India | Alpine meadow, forest edge habitat, scrub, marshes, woodland, hedgerows | Habitat destruction due to timber loss |
| Dugong (sea cow) | Vulnerable | Coastal island water belt, East Africa & Vanuate belt-India-Andaman & Nicobar, Laccadives | Coastal water, wide shallow mangrove, sizable sea grass bed. | Habitat & degradation loss, indigenous use & hunting, pollution |
| Four horned Antelope | Vulnerable | Widely distributed from Himalayan foothills to peninsular India | Found in well-wooded undulating, hilly area, never far from water. | Habitat destruction through the clearance of forest for agriculture |
| Fishing cat | Endangered | Asia-Pakistan-Indus Valley India, Nagpur, Himalayan foot hill, Eastern India. | Wetland swamp & marshy, reed beds, mangroves, evergreen & tropical dry forest | Wetland destruction;45% of wetland,94% of globally significant wetlands threatened. |
| Ganges river dolphin | Endangered | Indus Ganges-karnaphuli -Sangu river system, Brahmaputra Megna. | Cone in counter-current pools below channel convergence meanders. |
Water development project. Pollutant loads. Deliberate killing. Mortality in fishing gear. Fragmenting of pop, dams, barrages. |
| Golden cat | Near threatened | Himalayan Foothills into China, SE Asia. | Forest habitat ranges from tropical & sub-tropical evergreen to mixed &dry deciduous forests. | Habitat loss to deforestation, and illegal trading. |
| India Gaur | Vulnerable | Historically occurred in the mainland south. SE Asia, Srilanka. | Undisturbed forest act, hilly terrain, availability of water-coarse grasses | Hunting, habitat degradation, forest fragmentation with human population. |
| Golden Langur | endangered | Bhutan, NE India, Sankosh-Brahmaputra | Moist evergreen, riverine & moist deciduous forest. | Habitat destruction, hunting |
| Malabar/Indian squirrel | Least concern | SW-Central-Eastern peninsular India-AP, Kar, TN, MP, Ker, Chtt, Jhr, Guj | Diurnal, arboreal species, tropical evergreen, semi-evergreen, moist, deciduous forest. | Habitat degradation, agriculture, plantation, monoculture, dam, hunting. |
| Himalayan ibex | Least concern | Afghanistan, china, North-India- Jammu Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh. | Mountain, open alpine meadow, crags. | Hunted for food, habitat loss due to competition with livestock. |
| Hog badger | Near threatened | Central-SE Asia, Mongolia, Sikkim, Terai, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, China, Myanmar, Indonesia | Diurnal, forested area. | Hunting by dogs, man. |
| Hispid hare | endangered | Uttar Pradesh to Nepal, West Bengal to Assam | Elephant grass, tall grass land | Habitat loss, agriculture, logging, flood control |
| leopard | Near threatened | SW Asia, Himalayan foothills, India, China, Srilanka, Jawa | Rain forest, deserts. All forest types, tropical rain forest, deciduous & alpine coniferous. | Deforestation, poaching for illegal trade. |
| Hoolock gibbon | endangered | NE India, Bangladesh, up to south of Brahmaputra & east of Dibang. | Forest dwellers, locale, inhabit tropical evergreen | Habitat loss, fragmentation, human interferences, hunting. |
| Himalayan Thar | Near threatened | Himalaya China, southern Tibet, north India(JK to Sikkim), Nepal. | Steep rocky mountainside. Grass, herbs & fruits | Uncontrolled hunting & deforestation, habitat loss due to livestock grazing. |
| Leopard cat | Least concern | Widespread up in Asia. Himalaya foot hills across China, Russia | Upto 3000 m, extent to river valley, tropical –temp broad leaf, coniferous, grassland, cold steppe to desert Pakistan | Commercial exploitation for skin. |
| Lion-tailed Macaque | endangered | Endemic, western ghat hills range in SW India. | Upper canopy of primary tropical evergreen rainforest-monsoon forest in hilly country | Habitat fragmentation |
| Red panda | endangered | Nepal, India, Bhutan, Myanmar, NE India, southern China | Temperate forest with bamboo. | Habitat loss, fragmentation, poaching, inbreeding depression |
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Red slender Loris.
Gray slender Loris |
Endangered
Least concern |
Srilanka
SE India, Srilanka |
Insectivorous
Near human habitation |
Habitat loss due to road kills, electrification, medicine uses. |
| Indo-pacific Finless porpoise | vulnerable | Malabar west of India | Coastal water, shallow bay, mangrove, swamps, estuaries | Susceptible to entanglement in gillnets. Pollution boat traffic. |
| Malabar civet | Critically endangered | Endemic western ghat, a coastal district of western ghats. | Lowland forest, lowland swamp, riparian forest in coastal plain district | Habitat loss, degradation, poaching for civet oil. |
| Asian caracal(Lynx) | Least concern | Africa, Central Asia, SW Asia | Semi desert, open savanna to moist woodland, evergreen forest | Habitat destruction, hunting due to its attack on livestock |
| Sun bear | vulnerable | SE Asia, NE India, Bangladesh, southern China | Tropical forest, habitat, mangroves, swamp | Habitation, commercial hunting. |
| Markhor | Near threatened | NE Afghanistan, Northern India, Pakistan, Uzbekistan. | Mountain terrain 600-3600 meters-feeds on grasses & leaves | Hunting & Habitat Alteration |
| Marbled cat | vulnerable | Tropical Indo-Malaya westward along Himalayan foot hills-Nepal, China, Sumatra Borneo. | Moist-mixed deciduous evergreen tropical forest | Deforestation- due to oil palm, logging, agriculture |
| Himalayan Musk deer | endangered | Himalayas of Bhutan, North India, Nepal, china | Alpine environment, barren plateaus at high altitude meadows, fell fields, shrub lands forest | Hunting for meat, trade-musk gland- cosmetics, pharmaceuticals |
| Mouse deer | Least concern | India-from TN & Kerala, north up to Rajasthan | Tropical deciduous, moist evergreen & semi-evergreen forest of peninsular hill | Hunting for meat |
| Indian Pangolin | Near threatened | South Asia, Eastern part of Pak-India.TN, Kerala | Tropical forest, open land, grasslands, high in human settlement area | Meat & medicine for boots & shoes. |
| Nilgiri Tahr | endangered | West Ghats in south India-Kerala, TN | High elevation, grass-covered hills, open terrain | Habitat loss & poaching |
| Pygmy Hog | Critically endangered | NW Bengal, NW Assam in India. Himalayan foot hill from up to Assam | Smallest & rarest wild pig in the world. A grassland with shrub & tree | Habitat loss, affecting natural succession |
| One horn rhino | vulnerable | North India along Indus, Ganga, Brahmaputra basin includes Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Pakistan | Riverine grassland-Terai. Alluvial grassland-swamps & forest | Habitat loss, poaching for horn-medicinal use in China |
| Rusty spotted cat | vulnerable | India & Srilanka | Moist, dry deciduous forest types, scrub & grassland-absent in evergreen forest. | Habitat loss due to agriculture |
| Sloth bear | vulnerable | India, Nepal, Bhutan, Srilanka, western Ghats of India | Wet & dry tropical forest, grasslands, lowland species-1500 m -2000m western Ghats | Habitat loss, poaching, monoculture, fat of bear is used for medicine. |
| Snub fin Dolphin | vulnerable | SE Asia, India, Chilika lake | Coastal area with muddy, brackish water at river mouth | Habitat loss & degradation |
| Tibetan fox | Least concern | Tibetan plateau, Ladakh, China, Nepal | Upland plains, hills-mostly spare grassland devoid of trees & shrubs | No major threat |
| Snow leopard | endangered | J.K, H.P, Sikkim, Uttarakhand in India, Pamir, Karakorum, Himalayan range. | Alpine & sub-alpine ecological zone favouring steep terrain | Reduce in prey, illegal trade, people conflict, lack of conservation |
| Kiang-wild ass | Least concern | Tibetan plateau, China, India, Nepal, Pakistan | Open terrain, plains, alpine meadows-where grasses & sedges abundant | Hunting, disease transmission from domestic livestock |
| tiger | endangered | SW Asia, Central Asia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia | Forests of tropical Asia | Poaching, man-animal conflict |
India’s porcupine, wild pig, Sambar, Nilgai, Hyena, hog deer, goral / wodgsoni, chital, barking deer, forest owlet, cheer pheasant, black-necked crane, Bengal florican, olive ridley, leatherback turtle, haws bill turtle, green turtle, India Softshell turtle, Gharial, Tricarinate hill turtle, terrapin, Indian buffalo, urial etc are some animals which are vulnerable, endangered, least concerned.
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Previous Year Questions 1. Consider the following statements: (UPSC 2023) Once the Central Government notifies an area as a 'Community Reserve'
How many of the above statements are correct? (a) Only one (b) Only two (c) Only three (d) All four Answer: C 2. With reference to Indian laws about wildlife protection, consider the following statements: (UPSC 2022) 1. Wild animals are the sole property of the government.
2. When a wild animal is declared protected, such animal is entitled for equal protection whether it is found in protected areas or outside.
3. Apprehension of a protected wild animal becoming a danger to human life is sufficient ground for its capture or killing.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 2 only (c) 1 and 3 (d) 3 only Answer: A 3. If a particular plant species is placed under Schedule VI of The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, what is the implication? (UPSC 2020) (a) A licence is required to cultivate that plant. (b) Such a plant cannot be cultivated under any circumstances. (c) It is a Genetically Modified crop plant. (d) Such a plant is invasive and harmful to the ecosystem. Answer: B 4. Which of the following Protected Areas are located in Cauvery basin? (UPSC 2020)
Select the correct answer using the code given below: (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 3 and 4 only (c) 1, 3 and 4 only (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4 Answer: C 5. Which of the following are the most likely places to find the musk deer in its natural habitat?
Select the correct answer using the code given below: (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 3 and 4 only (d) 1 and 4 only Answer: A |
