Wild Life Conservation

Conservation of living natural resources-plants, animals and micro-organisms, and the non-living elements of the environment on which they depend is crucial for development. Nearly 4% of the earth’s land area is managed explicitly to conserve species and ecosystems, and all but a small handful of countries have national parks.

The conservation of wild life is of immense importance to the mankind. The extinction of wild life will ultimately lead to the extinction of the human race itself. Since the origin of the life about 3.7 million years ago, wild life is maintaining an ecological balance. Different ways in which the wild life is beneficial to mankind:

1. Economic Importance: Different plants, animals and micro-organisms are of great economic importance to mankind. The products and by-products of different plants are used by human beings for different activities of their life. They also release oxygen, prevent soil erosion, floods and advancement of deserts. Many plants have medicinal value. Micro-organisms serve as decomposer and release inorganic compounds.
2. Ecological Balance: The living organisms in an Eco-system interact with one another through food chains and maintain the balance of nature, maintaining the environment as self sustaining system.
3. Gene Bank: Wild life is of immense value as gene bank for breeding programme in agriculture, horticulture, apiculture, floriculture, poultry, fishery and animal husbandry.
4. Scientific Value: Experiments are carried out on wild animals like monkeys, guinea, pig, rat, fruit fly etc. which have contributed a lot in adding to our knowledge in different scientific fields like biology and medicine.
5. Recreation and Sports: Wild animals are source of fun and recreation to public in circus shows, zoological parks and aquarium. Many people enjoy visiting parks and sanctuaries.
6. Aesthetic value: Green forests, graceful beasts, melodious birds, colourful fishes and beautiful butterflies in fields and grasslands give grace to the Biosphere.

The preservation of the fauna and flora, some species of which are getting extinct at an alarming rate, has become a great urgent necessity for the survival of humanity