Social Science 3 Marks Each

• Wildlife is in danger today for many reasons.
• The forests which are dwellings for wildlife are destroyed on very large scale. Increasing human population, expanding cities, increasing demand for wood, etc. have encouraged the illegal tree felling. It has led to adverse effects on wildlife. Some animal species have become extinct due to the loss of their dwellings.
• Many times, the farmers use the forbidden insecticides for the conservation of their crops and thus cause the death of many animals. To save their own cattle from lion — leopards, the maldharis (shepherds) sometimes use poison , to kill lion - leopards. Animals and birds are killed to obtain their meat, hides, bones, horns, teeth, feathers, etc.
• The vehicular noise in forests. pollution, death of medical services for animals, excessive use of insecticides, etc. are also the danger for the wildlife. Due to irregular rainfall and excessive use of water by men, the forests are vanishing. So the wild animals do not get enough drinking water. Due to many such problems, the wildlife in danger today.

• Different projects for the protection of wildlife are as follows:
• 1. Project Tiger : Considering the decreasing number of tigers and their hunt, the Government of India has started ‘Project Tiger’ in 1973.
• This project was implemented with 9 protected zones, under which 48 areas are covered.
• 2. Project Lion: Earlier, the lions were seen up to the forests in Iran of Asian sub-continent. But due to their hunting and the destruction of forests, the lions are now found only in Gir forest of Saurashtra. At one time, the number of lions was reduced to 100. So the ‘Project Lion’ was implemented by the Government in 19792.
• Similarly, Hangool Project for Kashmiri bara- Singa which is a rare species of deer, -‘Crocodile Project’ for crocodiles of saline water, ‘Rhino Project’ for the protection of Indian rhino, ‘Snow Leopard Project’, etc. are implemented.

Division of a region into various natural vegetation regions is done on the basis of the characteristics of a region. Similarly, presence of animals over a region can be classified on the basis of its zoogeographical region.Zoo-geographical Region:A region of the world classified on the basis of its distinctive animal life is known as the zoo-geographical region. There are about 6-7 such geographical regions in the world. [For information: The world zoogeographical regions are:

1. Palaearocic,
2. Ethiopian (Africa South of the Sahara)
3. Oriental
4. Australian
5. Nesarctic
6. Neotropical and
7. Antarctic

Similarly, at country level, the zoogeographical regions of India are divided into nine zones.
Biodiversity:

• The diversity of flora and fauna found in a particular habitat is known as the biodiversity.
• Biodiversity varies as per the region. Hence, one can study it on the basis of
  the zoo-geographical region in which it lies.

• Since the last few decades, a danger hangs on the existence of wildlife of India and so there is a decrease in the number of wild animals.
• Before about one hundred years, there wert many tigers in India. According to an estimate of 2014 by the Forest and Environment Ministry today there are 2226 tigers.
• The number of species of vulture has also decreased due to eating the meat, pollute because of the use of diclofenec drug used treat sick milch cattle.
• The leopards which were found in India in the beginning of the 20th century are almost extinct in the country.
• Earlier, the Asiatic lions were found strolling in the forests of Asiatic forests of middle-eastern countries are now found only in Gir forests. Due to the implementation of ‘Lion Project’, and their breeding, there are now 523 lions in 2015.
• At one time, flamingos were seen in very large numbers in the country, but today their number has reduced.
• Shyam Garud (Black eagle) which is a native of mountain forests in Gujarat is also rarely seen.
• Chilotro, a bird found in the mountain forests of Vijaynagar Taluka of Sabarkantha district, is ‘ also hardly seenowadays.