MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTS (SHRI A. RAJA)
(a) to (f) A statement is laid on the Table of the House.
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 85 DUE FOR REPLY ON 12.7.2004 REGARDING DEATH OF ANIMALS BY SHRI DALPAT SINGH PARASTE
(a) & (b) Population estimation in respect of a few important species of wild animals is carried out by the State Governments from time to time. State-wise up to date record of the estimated population, its comparison with previous estimate and the extent of increase and decrease is given at Annexure 1.
(c) & (d) Death of wild animals and birds is attributed to natural as well as human induced factors. The monitoring of deaths due to natural factors like old age, infighting, disease outbreak etc in wild is not possible. Available state-wise data on the deaths of wild animals due to human induced factors like poaching is at Annexure 2. The number of deaths of asiatic lions, tigers, bears, rhinos, elephants and birds in National Zoological Park, Delhi for the last three years, till date, is as follows:
Sl.No. Year Tiger Lion Bear Elephant Rhino Birds Total
1 2001-02 Nil 2 Nil 1 2 18 23
2 2002-03 Nil Nil 2 Nil Nil 9 11
3 2003-04 Nil 2 1 Nil Nil 16 19
The mortalities in National Zoological Park, Delhi are mainly attributed to old age, infighting, and diseases like gastroenteritis, lung infection and rabies.
(e) & (f) The responsibility of detection, investigation and prosecution of the offenders in poaching cases lies with the State Governments. However, several steps have been taken by the Government for conservation and protection of animals and birds. A detailed list is at Annexure 3.
POPULATION CENSUS OF IMPORTANT WILD ANIMALS
STATE WISE DETAILS
Sl.Name of State TIGER LEOPARD ASIATIC LION ELEPHANT# RHINO SANGAI WILD ASS
No. 1997 2001-02 1997 2001-02 1995 2001 1997 2002 1993 1998/99 1996 1997 1999 2004
1.Andhra Pra. 171 192 138 505 Nil Nil 57 74 Nil Nil
2.Arunachal Pra.## ## 98 NR Nil Nil 1800 1607 Nil Nil
3.Assam 458 354 246 248 Nil Nil 5312 5246 1440 1684
4.Bihar/Jharkh 103 110 203 164 Nil Nil 618 772 Nil Nil
5.Goa/D & Diu 6 5 25 41 Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil
6.Gujarat 1 0 832 999 304 327 Nil Nil Nil Nil 2839 3863
7Haryana Nil Nil 25 NR Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil
8.Himachal Pra. Nil Nil 821 NR Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil
9.J&K Nil Nil NR 7 Nil Nil Nil Nil
10.Karnataka 350 401 620 NR Nil Nil 6088 5838 Nil Nil
11.Kerala 73 71 16 NR Nil Nil 3600 3850 Nil Nil
12.M.P./Chatisg.927 937 1851 2206 Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil
13.Maharashtra 257 238 431 513 Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil
14.Manipur Nil Nil NR NR Nil Nil 30 12 Nil Nil 143 147
15.Meghalaya ## ## NR NR Nil Nil 1840 1868 Nil Nil
16.Mizoram 12 28 28 NR Nil Nil 22 33 Nil Nil
17.Nagaland ## ## NR 42 Nil Nil 158 145 Nil Nil
18.Orissa 194 173 422 457 Nil Nil 1800 1841 Nil Nil
19.Rajasthan 58 58 474 481 Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil
20.Sikkim ## ## NR NR Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil
21.Tamil Nadu 62 60 110 41 Nil Nil 2971 3052 Nil Nil
22.Tripura Nil Nil 18 NR Nil Nil 70 40 Nil Nil
23.UP/Utranchal 475 535 1412 2168 Nil Nil 1200 1667 12 13
24.West Bengal 361 349 108 331 Nil Nil 276 328 44 120
25.D & N Haveli Nil Nil 15 NR Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil
26.A & Nicobar NR Nil Nil 35 40 Nil Nil
Total 3508 3511 7893 8203 304 327 25877 26413 1496 1817 143 147 2839 3863
# : Figures for elephant have been adopted by the Steering Committee of Project Elephant in its meeting in December 2003
## : Survey could not be completed due to insurgency etc.
NR : Not received
ANNEXURE 2.
ANNEXURE REFFRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (c) & (d) OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 85
REGARDING DEATH OF ANIMALS DUE FOR REPLY ON 12.7.2004
S.No. Name of State Year Tiger Lion Ele- Leopard Rhino Peafowl phant
1 Andhra Pradesh 2001 1 …. …. …. …. …. 2002 …. …. …. 1 …. …. 2003 …. …. …. 2004 …. …. Total 1 1
2 Arunachal Pra. 2001 - - - - - - 2002 - - - - - - 2003 … … 2004 … …. Total 0
3 Assam 2001 …. …. ….. …. 10 …. 2002 …. …. ….. …. 5 …. 2003 …. 1 6 2004 …. … 1 Total 0 1 0 22
4 Bihar 2001 …. …. …. …. …. …. 2002 …. …. …. …. …. …. 2003 …. 2004 …. Total
5 Delhi 2001 … … … 6 … … 2002 … … … … … … 2003 …. …. 2004 …. …. Total 6
6 Chhatisgarh 2001 …. …. …. …. …. 1 2002 …. …. …. …. …. …. 2003 …. ….. 2004 …. …. Total 1
7 Goa 2001 …. …. …. …. …. …. 2002 …. …. …. …. …. …. 2003 …. …. 2004 ….. …. Total 0
8 Gujarat 2001 …. 2 …. …. …. 6 2002 …. …. …. …. …. 5 2003 …. 1 …. 2004 …. …. …. Total 3 0 11
9 Himachal Pra. 2001 …. …. …. 7 …. …. 2002 …. …. …. …. …. …. 2003 …. …. 2004 …. …. Total 7
10 Jharkhand 2001 …. …. 2 …. …. …. 2002 …. …. 1 …. …. …. 2003 …. 2004 …. Total 3
11 Karnataka 2001 …. …. 12 …. …. …. 2002 …. …. 3 …. …. …. 2003 …. 5 2004 …. 6 Total 26
12 Kerala 2001 3 …. 5 …. …. …. 2002 …. …. 5 …. …. …. 2003 …. 2 2004 …. 3
Total 3 15
13 Madhya Pradesh 2001 4 …. …. 2 6 2002 …. …. …. …. …. …. 2003 … …. 2004 1 …. Total 5 2 6
14 Maharashtra 2001 17 …. …. 6 …. 3 2002 3 …. …. 1 …. …. 2003 …. …. 2004 …. …. Total 20 7 3
15 Meghalaya 2001 - - 2 - - - 2002 - - - - - - 2003 … … 2004 …. … Total 2
16 Mizoram 2001 - - - - - - 2002 - - 1 - - - 2003 …. 2 2004 …. …. Total 3
17 Orissa 2001 …. …. 7 …. …. …. 2002 …. …. 2 …. …. …. 2003 …. 6 2004 …. 7 Total 0 22
18 Punjab 2001 …. …. …. …. …. …. 2002 …. …. …. …. …. …. 2003 … …. 2004 …. …. Total 0
19 Rajasthan 2001 …. …. …. 2 …. …. 2002 1 …. …. 2 …. …. 2003 …. …. 2004 …. …. Total 1 4
20 Tamil Nadu 2001 …. …. 5 26 …. 3 2002 …. …. 3 1 …. …. 2003 …. 5 2004 …. 1 Total 0 14 27 3
21 Uttar Pradesh 2001 20 …. 1 28 …. 2 2002 1 …. …. …. …. 1 2003 …. 1 2004 …. … Total 21 2 28 3
22 Uttaranchal 2001 …. …. 2 6 … …. 2002 …. …. 4 … …. 2003 …. …. 2004 … … Total 2 10
23 West Bengal 2001 2 …. 7 3 1 …. 2002 …. …. …. 1 …. …. 2003 …. 3 2004 …. 2 Total 2 12 4 1
GRAND TOTAL 53 3 102 96 23 27
ANNEXURE-3
ANNEXURE REFFRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (e) & (f) OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 85
REGARDING DEATH OF ANIMALS DUE FOR REPLY ON 12.7.2004
Steps taken by the government for protection and conservation of wildlife are as under:
(i) Legal protection has been provided to wild animals against hunting and commercial exploitation under the provisions of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
(ii) Several rare and endangered species of wild animals have been included in the Schedules of Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, thereby giving it highest degree of protection.
(iii) The Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 has been amended and made more stringent. The punishment in cases of offences have been enhanced. The Act also provides for forfeiture of any equipment, vehicle or weapon that has been used for committing any wild life offence.
(iv) Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has been empowered under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 to apprehend and prosecute wildlife offenders.
(v) Government of India has set up Regional and Sub-regional Offices for wildlife preservation in major export and trade centers of the country to prevent smuggling of wild animals and their products.
(vi) Financial and technical help is provided to the States under various Centrally Sponsored Schemes, viz. Project Tiger, Project Elephant and Development of National Parks and Sanctuaries for enhancing the capacity and infrastructure of the States for providing effective protection to wild animals.
(vii) A National Wildlife Action Plan 2002-16 was adopted by the Indian Board for Wild Life under the chairmanship of Prime Minister in January 2002. The plan outlines the strategy for conservation and protection of wildlife in the country.
(viii) Government of India is a signatory many international conventions concerning biodiversity conservation and control of illegal trade in wild flora and fauna.
