Wildlife Rules and Acts

Wildlife Rules and Acts are some regulation by government body to save and conserve wild and zoo animals.

Wildlife According to Wildlife Protection Act

According to this act, “Wildlife” is defined as ‘any animal, bee, butterflies, crustaceae, fish and moths and aquatic or land vegetation’. Thus it is to be understood that Wildlife is the term that embraces all life forms that are wild or care themselves.

Important sections are to be understood accordingly by the attending veterinarian also.

Acts and Rules Related to Zoo and Wild Animals

Wildlife Protection Act, 1972

Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 was amended in the year 1991.

According to this act, “Wildlife” is defined as ‘any animal, bee, butterflies, crustaceae, fish and moths and aquatic or land vegetation’. Thus it is to be understood that Wildlife is the term that embraces all life forms that are wild or care themselves. There are many important sections of this act which are to be understood.

Section-18: Declaration of Sanctuary

The State Government may by notification declare its intention to constitute any area or area comprised with any reserve forest or territorial waters as Sanctuary if it considers that such area is of adequate ecological faunal, floral, geomorphological, natural or zoological significance for the purpose of protecting, propagating or developing wildlife or its environment.

Section-27: Restriction of entry in Sanctuary

No person other than a public servant on duty a person who has been permitted by the Chief Warden or the authorized officer to reside within limits of the sanctuary. a person who has any right over immovable property within limits of the sanctuary. a person passing through the sanctuary along a public highway and  the dependents of the person classified in class (1), (2), (3) shall enter and reside in the sanctuary, except under and in accordance with the conditions of a permit granted under section 28.

Section-28: Grant of permit

The Chief Wildlife Warden may on application grant to any person a permit to enter or reside in a sanctuary for all (or) any of the following purpose:

• Investigation or study of Wildlife and purposes of ancillary or incidental threats.
• Photography
• Scientific research
• Tourism
• Transaction of any lawful business with any person residing in the sanctuary.

A permit to enter or reside in a sanctuary shall be issued subject to such conditions and on payment of such fee as may be prescribed.

Section: 33-A: Immunization of Livestock

The Chief Wildlife Warden shall take such measures in such manner as may be prescribed, for immunization against communicable diseases of livestock kept in or within 5 kms of the sanctuary.

No person shall take or cause to be taken or grazed any livestock in a sanctuary without getting it immunized.

Schedules

Schedule I to VI are dealt by Wildlife Protection Act 1972 with amendments during 1986 and 1991. Important animals in each schedule are given below:

Schedule I

• Part I – Mammals: Indian chinkara, Indian lion, Indian wild ass, Indian wolf, leopard, leopard cat, Lion-tailed macaque, Loris, Gaur or Indian Bison, Cheetah, Indian gazelle, Dugong, Nilgiri Tahr, Niligiri langur, Musk deer, Sloth bear, Tiger, Wild Buffalo, Mouse deer, Hog badger, Hispid Hare, Chinese pangoling, Crab-eating macaque, Desert fox, Fishing cat, Four-horned antelope, Indian one-horned Rhinoceros, Rusty spotted cat, Serow, Swamp deer etc.
• Part II – Amphibians and Reptiles: Pythons, Water lizard, Gharial, Estuarine (or) Salt water crocodile, Golden Gecko, Green sea turtle, Leathery turtle, Logger head turtle, Hawksbill turtle, Indian egg-eating snake.
• Part II A – Fishes: Whale shark, Shark, Ray, Sea horse, Giant grouper.
• Part III – Birds: Hornbills, Mountain quail, Peafowl, Andaman teal, Nicobar megapods, Nicobar pigeon, Bengal florican, Black-necked crane etc.
• Part IV – Insects: Butterflies and Moths.
• Part IV A – Coelentrates: Fire coral, Sea fan, Roof building coral.
• Part IV B – Mollusca
• Part IV C – Echinodermata
• Sea cucumber (all Holothurians)

Schedule II

• Part I – Bonnet macaque, Common langur, Wild dog, Chameleon, Spiny tailed lizard or Sanda.
• Part II – Beetles.

Schedule III

Chital, Barking deer or Muntjac, Gorals, Hog deer, Wild pig, Nilgai, Sponges.

Schedule IV

Indian Hedgehogs, Indian porcupine, Mongooses, Polecats.

Schedule V

Common crow, Fruit bats, Mice, Rats, Five striped palm squirrel, Black napped hare, Common Indian hare, Desert hare, Himalayan mouse hare.

Schedule VI

Birds like Coots, Cranes, Cormorants, Flamingos, Ibises.

Ladies slipper orchids, Red Vanda, Blue Vanda.

Indian Biological diversity Act, 2002

Indian Biological diversity Act, 2002 is act to provide for constitution of biological diversity, sustainable use of its components and fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the use of biological resources, knowledge and for matters connected there with or incidental threats.

Following are the important definitions in this:

‘Chairperson’ means the chairperson of the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) or as to case may be of the State Biodiversity Board.

‘Member’ means a member of the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) or a State Biodiversity Board and includes the Chairperson.

Bio-survey and Bio-utilization means survey or collection of species, sub species, genus, components and extracts of biological resource for any purpose and includes characterization, inventorisation and bioassay.

“Value added products” means products containing potions or extracts of animals as well as the plants in unrecognizable and physically inseparable form.

other acts related to zoo and wild animals

Other Acts

• The Forest (conservation) Act,1982.
• The Indian Forest Act,1927.
• The Indian Fisheries Act,1897.
• Elephant preservation Act,1879.
• Bengal Rhinoceros Act,1932.
• Bombay Wild animal and wild birds Protection Act,1951.
• The Cruelty against animals Act,1960.