INDIAN WILDLIFE (PROTECTION) ACT

Presented by,
S.Elakkiya
2019505033
• Parliament of India - 9th
September, 1972.
• Protection of wild
animals, birds and
plants including their
habitats.
• It extends to whole of
India, except Jammu
and Kashmir.
• India with only 2.3% of the total land mass has
around 91,206 animal species comprising 7.43%
of the total (Ramakrishna and Alfred, 2007).
• Taking cognizance of the alarming situation of
the depletion of natural habitats, the
Government of India took significant steps in
establishing the Indian Board for Wildlife in
1952 followed by the Indian Wildlife
(Protection) Act, 1972.
• India also became signatory to the CITES, IUCN
and World Wide Fund for nature.
• CITES (the Convention on International Trade
in Endangered Species. CITES is a multilateral
treaty to protect endangered plants and
animals. It was drafted as a result of a
resolution adopted in 1963
• The World Wide Fund for Nature is an
international non-governmental organization
founded in 1961, working in the field of
wilderness preservation, and the reduction of
human impact on the environment.
• The International Union for Conservation of
Nature is an international organization
working in the field of nature conservation
and sustainable use of natural resources.
• The Government of India has so far protected
more than 4% of the geographical area, with
99 National Parks, 513 Wildlife Sanctuaries, 41
Conservation Reserves and 4 Community
reserves (Anonymous, 2008) with a forest
cover of 20.64%
• The earliest codified legislation on wild life in India can be
traced back to 300 B.C.
• when king Ashoka enacted a law for preservation of wildlife
and environment.
• The first law in India for protection of wildlife was enacted in
1887 by the British and was titled as the Wild Birds Protection
Act No. X of 1887.
• In 1912, Wild Birds and Animals Protection Act No. VIII was
passed and it was amended in 1935 as Wild Birds and Animals
Protection Act No, XXVII.
• The Indian Parliament on 9th September, 1972 passed the
Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act No. 53 of 1972.
• The Parliament passed the Constitution (Forty-
Second Amendment) Act, 1976 and inserted
Article 48-A (w.e.f. 03.01.1977) in Part IV
which contains the ‘Directive Principles of
State Policy’. Article 48-A reads as “The State
shall endeavour to protect and improve the
environment and to safeguard the forests and
wild life of the country”.
• The Parliament by the said Amendment also
incorporated a new Chapter-Part IVA
specifying the fundamental duties of the
citizens. The newly incorporated Article 51 A
sub-clause (g) states that “It shall be the duty
of every citizen of India to protect and
improve the natural environment including
forests, lakes, rivers and wildlife and to have
compassion for living creatures”.
The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 had to be amended seven
times, the last amendment being in the year 2006.
These amendments include.
1. The Constitution (Forty second Amendment) Act, 1976;
2. The Wild Life (Protection) (Amendment) Act, 1982 (23 of 1982);
3. The Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Act, 1986 (28 of 1986);
4. The Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Act, 1991 (44 of 1991);
5. The Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Act, 1993 (26 of 1993);
6. The Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Act, 2002 (16 of 2003)
and
7. The Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Act, 2006 (39 of 2006).
This schedule is for endangered species
Schedule I and part II of Schedule II provide absolute
protection - offences under these are prescribed the
highest penalties.
SCHEDULE I
• PART I - Mammals
• PART II - Amphibians and Reptiles
• PART III - Birds
• PART IV - Crustacea and Insects
SCHEDULE II
• PART II - Beetles
• Schedule III and Schedule IV : List of those animals not
in danger of becoming extinct; hunting invokes
penalties. This schedule is for species that are not
endangered, but the protection and punishments are
equally rigorous.
• Schedule V : List of animals declared as vermin. Only
four species of wild animals i.e, common crow, fruit
bats, mice and rats are permitted to be hunted. This
schedule delineates the animal species that can be
hunted and the rules pertaining to their hunting.
• Schedule VI : This schedule covers the protection and
trade of medicinal plants as well as agricultural species
of plants.
• There are discrepancies in this Act with regard
to the insect fauna listed. There is an impending
need for updating the insect fauna listed both in
terms of correct names and their current status.
• In this communication, such an attempt has
been made, with regard to the insects listed
under different Schedules of the Act and also to
provide photograph of the 58 butterfly species
included therein.
total 493 species
• 454 are Lepidoptera, 38 are Coleoptera and 1
is Odonata in the three Schedules namely I, II
and IV, out of total six Schedules.
• In Schedule I, Part IV (Secs.
2,8,9,11,40,41,48,51,61 and 62) 128 species of
Lepidoptera and 1 species of Odonata listed;
• In Schedule II, Part II (Secs.
2,8,9,11,40,41,43,48,51,61 and 62) 307 species of
Lepidoptera and 38 species of Coleoptera listed
• and in Schedule IV (Secs. 2,8,9,11 and 61) 19
species of Lepidoptera listed (Anonymous,
2003b).
• Nine Lepidoptera species, which have no known record
of occurrence in India, and two species of Lepidoptera
well known as pests of agricultural crops need to be
excluded from the lists.
• The need to prepare field guides on the fauna listed in
the Act with details, photographs, distribution and
current status is thus achieved by the present
communication.
• Thus it is an attempt in the right direction for enabling
easy access to material, enforcement of Act and
protection of fauna in their natural habitats.
• The Lepidoptera species marked with * namely Faunis
faunula faunuloides (de Niceville), Lycaenopsis haraldus
ananga Felder, Melitaea shandura Evans, Aporia harrietae
harrietae (de Niceville), Melitaea robertsi lutko Evans,
Vanessa polychloros fervida Standfuss, Colias cocandica
hinducucica Verity, Delias lativitta Leech and Euchloe
charlonia lucilla Butler are not known to occur in India and
hence these are to be deleted (Table 1 & 2). The two
Lepidoptera species marked with ** namely Lampides
boeticus Linnaeus and Euchrysops cnejns Fabricius in
Schedule II, Part-II need to exclude as these are recognized
pests of agricultural crops (Table 1).
This communication also provides photograph of 58 such butterfly species which are
listed in the schedules besides the updating of the names and the classification of all
the listed insects
 Objectives
• Prohibition on hunting of specified wild animals, birds
and plants.
• Setting up and management of national parks and
wildlife sanctuaries.
• Control of trade and commerce in wildlife and wildlife
products.
DEFINITION OF SOME TERMS USED UNDER
THE ACT
• “Animal” includes amphibians,
birds, mammals and reptiles.
• “Animal article” means any
article made any captive or wild
animal.
• “Hunting”includes capturing,
killing, poisoning, trapping,
injuring animals, birds or
reptiles.
• “Trophy” means the whole or
any part of any captive or wild
animal which has been kept or
preserved by any means.
• “wild life” includes any
animal, bees,
butterflies, moths,
crustacean and fish; and
aquatic or land
vegetation which forms
part of any habitat.
AUTHORITIES APPOINTED UNDER THE ACT
 The Central Government may appoint:
i. A Director of Wild Life preservation.
ii. Assistant Directors of Wild Life preservation.
iii. Other officers and employees as may be necessary.
 The State Government may appoint:
i. A chief Wild Life Warden.
ii. Wild Life Wardens
iii. Other officers and employees as may be
necessary.
 Sec 51: Penalties
Offences in core area of TR
• 3-7 years jail and fine not less than 50 k, max up to
2 lakh.
Offences against Schd. I & Part II of Schd. II
• 3-7 years jail and fine not less than 10k for 1st time
• 3-7 years jail and fine not less than 25k for 2nd
time onwards.
Offences against Schd. III & IV
• Jail up to 3 years or fine up to 25K or both
 Protected area
• National parks - 104
• Wildlife Sanctuary - 531
• Biosphere reserves - 18