Gharial, sloth bear to be covered under Centre's scheme for critically endangered species

New Delhi: The Standing Committee of National Board for Wildlife (SCNBWL) has recommended the inclusion of gharial and sloth bear in the Centre's Species Recovery Programme aimed at conserving critically endangered species and habitats.

At its March meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the NBWL identified several species needing urgent conservation, including the Asiatic lion, dolphin, gharial and sloth bear.

In a meeting on June 26, the SCNBWL, chaired by Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, decided to recommend the inclusion of the gharial and sloth bear under the Species Recovery Programme of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme for Development of Wildlife Habitats.

The scheme provides financial and technical support to states and Union territories for wildlife conservation.

The SCNBWL noted that the Environment Ministry, with inputs from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), has prepared conservation strategies for the two species.

Although sloth bears are not classified as critically endangered at the national level, certain localized populations are severely threatened.

NBWL member R Sukumar noted that while sloth bears are abundant in some regions, they are involved in frequent human-wildlife conflicts. He stressed the need to include a comprehensive conflict mitigation plan in the recovery strategy. The WII director endorsed this recommendation.

The NBWL member secretary said the ministry proposes focused conservation in regions facing acute conflict or population decline.

The gharial, endemic to Indian rivers like the Chambal, Yamuna, Ganga, Sharda, Girwa, Gandak, Ramganga, Mahanadi and Brahmaputra, remains critically endangered despite decades of conservation efforts.

The ministry also said that although the mugger and saltwater crocodiles are not as threatened, saltwater crocodiles have become locally extinct in parts of mainland India, including Tamil Nadu, and face conflicts in areas like the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The mugger is increasingly entering a "negative interface".

Conservation efforts for the gharial are expected to also benefit mugger and saltwater crocodile populations through research, monitoring and knowledge sharing, the participants noted.

Gharial conservation, particularly ex-situ hatchling rearing and release, will see renewed emphasis, they said.

NBWL member H S Singh recommended setting up conservation breeding centres for the caracal in Rajasthan and Gujarat.

The WII director said the ministry has already tasked the institute with conducting a caracal survey, while the NBWL member secretary said caracal is one of the focus species under the ministry's Small Cat Project.

The chief wildlife warden of Odisha said the state is home to all three crocodile species -- gharial, mugger and saltwater crocodile -- with the saltwater crocodile population now exceeding 2,000.