We live in a world where fascinating animals, insects, plants, and other creatures are at risk of extinction. May 20 is celebrated as Endangered Species Day. The day is observed to celebrate, learn, and take action to protect threatened and endangered species.
The day was established by David Robinson and the Endangered Species Coalition in 2006. Here, we take a look at the species that are staring at oblivion and are on the endangered species list in India.
The Greater Adjutant Stork: It is among the rarest stork species in the world, only found breeding in India and Cambodia. They are largely scavengers and play a crucial role in maintaining healthy ecosystems. The bird is endangered, with only 800-1200 remaining worldwide.
In India, a third of their population survives in garbage dumps on the outskirts of Guwahati, Assam. Greater Adjutants are threatened given the steady decline of their wetland habitats due to pollution and rapid urbanisation.
Greater Adjutant Stork | FPJ photo
Western Hoolock Gibbon: They live in small families including the male, female and their young ones, and communicate with other gibbons by vocalisation. They are dependent on connected forest canopies for foraging and dispersal that are essential for their survival.
The expansion of linear infrastructure in their already shrinking habitats of evergreen forests, poses a threat to their existence. In Assam, near the Hoollongapar Wildlife Sanctuary, the gibbons survive in fragmented forest patches and agricultural fields. Hoolock Gibbon is the only non-human ape found in India.
Western Hoolock Gibbon | FPJ photo
Lion-tailed Macaque: The Lion-tailed Macaque are found in the rainforests of the western ghats in India, primarily in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Their distinct mane and tails, which look like a lion's, is the reason behind their name.
Usually shy, they avoid interacting with humans and move around in groups. The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) states that only 2400-2500 of the lion-tailed macaques are left. Factors such as habitat destruction, climate change, poaching and pollution have contributed to the rapid decrease in their numbers.
Lion-tailed Macaque: | FPJ photo
Asiatic Lion: The mighty Asiatic Lion is native to the Indian subcontinent but is only found as a single subpopulation in the Gir National Park in Gujarat. It is distinguished from the African lions with a smaller mane and a longer tail ruff.
For several centuries, the Asiatic Lion was found throughout the Middle East and Northern India but was listed as endangered after its numbers started dwindling at the beginning of the 20th century. The Asiatic Lion Census conducted in 2020 showed a 29% rise in the population since 2015, with 674 lions currently living in the Gir National Park.
Asiatic Lion | FPJ photo
Kashmiri Red Stag
The only surviving subspecies of the Elk native to Kashmir, the Kashmiri Red Stag, Hangul, which is found in the high forests of Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, is critically endangered. At the beginning of the 20th century, the hanguls were in thousands, but over the century, poaching and habitat destruction (through overgrazing of livestock, for example) has led to a sharp fall in their numbers. It was only after a census was conducted in the 1970s, that this alarming fall came to the attention of the relevant authorities.
According to a 2019 census, there are only 237 hanguls left. The Hangul Conservation Project aims at protecting and growing the hangul population through several initiatives
Kashmiri Red Stag | FPJ photo
