Wildlife Trust of India
Encyclopedia
The Wildlife Trust of India, (WTI) is a non profit conservation
organisation based in New Delhi
, India
. Its principal concerns are crisis management to prevent destruction of India's wildlife and the provision of quick, efficient aid to those areas that require it the most. In the longer term it hopes to achieve, through proactive reforms, an atmosphere conducive to conserving India's wildlife and its habitat.
WTI was formed in November 1998 in response to the rapidly deteriorating condition of wildlife in India. WTI is a registered charity
in India (under Section 12A of the Income Tax Act, 1961).
WTI functions through partnerships and coalitions. Regional partners provide geographical oversight, technical partners provide the expertise and skill that may be required in specific projects, and international partners help in fund raising and global positioning. The core team at WTI comprises biologists, conservationists, veterinarians, communication professionals and lawyers who pool their respective skills to a common end.
WTI programmes are supported, among others, by:
To accomplish these goals and aims, the following three thematic divisions were incorporated in the wild rescue program:
Its main objective is tocreate a buffer zone to the Protected Area Network of the country by identifying, prioritizing, securing and managing privately owned wild lands of critical importance. Restoration of wildlife habitats of the existing protected areas in the country for long term conservation of threatened wild species are its other priority areas.
For the purpose of securing these goals and aims the following three thematic divisions are incorporated in the Wild Lands Programme:
The main objective of this program is to initiate long term projects that mitigate human-wildlife conflict and help recovery of populations of species in India defined as threatened by IUCN. It also conducts essential conservation surveys that generate information on the species and their habitats.
To fulfill these aims and objectives the wild species programme has incorporated the following thematic divisions:
Its main objectives are to curb wildlife crime by anti-poaching and anti-illegal trade activities and litigation, to ensure that national and international policies affecting wildlife and its habitats are in consonance with their survival needs.
In order to fulfill these aims and objectives the following five thematic divisions were incorporated in the Wild Enforcement and Law programme:
Its main objectives are to create mass public awareness and support for nature conservation activities through targeted campaigns and formal and non-formal education.
It is envisioned to meet these goals and aims through the following two thematic divisions:
Its main objectives are to build partnerships with local and traditional communities for effective biodiversity conservation.
In order to achieve these goals and objectives the following thematic divisions were incorporated in the communities for conservation programme:
Conservation movement
The conservation movement, also known as nature conservation, is a political, environmental and a social movement that seeks to protect natural resources including animal, fungus and plant species as well as their habitat for the future....
organisation based in New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Its principal concerns are crisis management to prevent destruction of India's wildlife and the provision of quick, efficient aid to those areas that require it the most. In the longer term it hopes to achieve, through proactive reforms, an atmosphere conducive to conserving India's wildlife and its habitat.
WTI was formed in November 1998 in response to the rapidly deteriorating condition of wildlife in India. WTI is a registered charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
in India (under Section 12A of the Income Tax Act, 1961).
Aims
- The mission of WTI is to conserve nature, especially endangered speciesEndangered speciesAn endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
and threatened habitats, in partnership with communities and governments - Provide emergency assistance to protect endangered Indian wildlife species, with particular priority to the tigerTigerThe tiger is the largest cat species, reaching a total body length of up to and weighing up to . Their most recognizable feature is a pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with lighter underparts...
, the elephantAsian ElephantThe Asian or Asiatic elephant is the only living species of the genus Elephas and distributed in Southeast Asia from India in the west to Borneo in the east. Three subspecies are recognized — Elephas maximus maximus from Sri Lanka, the Indian elephant or E. m. indicus from mainland Asia, and E. m....
and the Indian rhinocerosIndian RhinocerosThe Indian Rhinoceros is also called Greater One-horned Rhinoceros and Asian One-horned Rhinoceros and belongs to the Rhinocerotidae family...
. - Catalyse action by the government and by people in general for conservation of wildlife and its habitat.
- Provide aid in terms of expertise, finance, equipment etc. to individuals to assist wildlife in times of crisis.
- Maintain and boost the morale of wildlife protection staff in the field by equipping them to discharge their responsibilities more effectively.
- Support research programmes, field action projects, and other activities that encourage proactive action for conservation of wildlife and wild habitats.
- Produce and disseminate public awareness material and communication strategies that will promote the main objectives of the Trust.
- Acquire and set aside land for wildlife conservation and assist in its management.
Approach
WTI is geared to act quickly with minimum bureaucracy, ensuring that assistance reaches the field, where it is needed the most, as soon as possible. This could be in the form of finance, equipment, infrastructure and expert personnel, or it could be in the form of support for training. Rehabilitation and re-introduction of wild species back into their habitat, acquiring land for wildlife, creating innovative communication packages, providing relief in cases of conflict etc., are also part of the approach to promoting conservation.WTI functions through partnerships and coalitions. Regional partners provide geographical oversight, technical partners provide the expertise and skill that may be required in specific projects, and international partners help in fund raising and global positioning. The core team at WTI comprises biologists, conservationists, veterinarians, communication professionals and lawyers who pool their respective skills to a common end.
WTI programmes are supported, among others, by:
- Ministry of Environment & Forest, Government of India
- Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Government of India.
- State Forest & Wildlife Departments.
- International Fund for Animal Welfare
- David Shepherd Conservation Foundation , United Kingdom.
- United States Fish and Wildlife ServiceUnited States Fish and Wildlife ServiceThe United States Fish and Wildlife Service is a federal government agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats...
- Tata Chemicals Ltd.
- Gujarat Heavy Chemicals Ltd.
- The Serenity Trust
- Charities Aid Foundation
- Born Free FoundationBorn Free FoundationThe Born Free Foundation is a conservation and animal rescue organization in the United Kingdom. It originated in 1984 as the "Zoo Check Campaign" by actors Virginia McKenna and her husband Bill Travers along with their son Will Travers and four associates....
- Rufford Foundation
- Care for the Wild International
- World Society for the Protection of AnimalsWorld Society for the Protection of AnimalsThe World Society for the Protection of Animals is an international non-profit animal welfare organization and also a federation of such organisations and active in over 150 countries with more than 1000 member societies.- Organization :...
- Japan Wildlife Conservation Society
- National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
- British High Commission, New Delhi
- National Mineral Development Corporation
Wild Rescue
The Wild Rescue Programme is conceptualized as a rehabilitation and veterinary skills unit of the conservation department of WTI. Its primary objectives are to rescue, rehabilitate and release distressed and diseased wild animals, by providing them appropriate health care and veterinary services.To accomplish these goals and aims, the following three thematic divisions were incorporated in the wild rescue program:
- Emergency Relief and Rehabilitation (ER)
- Captive Wildlife Welfare (CWW)
- Wildlife Veterinary Service (WVS)
Wild Lands
The Wild Lands Programme is conceptualized as a habitat ecology and realty skill unit of WTI.Its main objective is tocreate a buffer zone to the Protected Area Network of the country by identifying, prioritizing, securing and managing privately owned wild lands of critical importance. Restoration of wildlife habitats of the existing protected areas in the country for long term conservation of threatened wild species are its other priority areas.
For the purpose of securing these goals and aims the following three thematic divisions are incorporated in the Wild Lands Programme:
- Habitat Recovery (HR)
- Habitat Securing (HS)
- Land Use Planning (LUP)
Wild Species
The Wild Species programme is conceptualized as a species and behavioral ecology skill unit of WTI .The main objective of this program is to initiate long term projects that mitigate human-wildlife conflict and help recovery of populations of species in India defined as threatened by IUCN. It also conducts essential conservation surveys that generate information on the species and their habitats.
To fulfill these aims and objectives the wild species programme has incorporated the following thematic divisions:
- Species Recovery (SR)
- Conflict Mitigation (CM)
- Conservation Surveys (CS)
Wild Enforcement & Law
The Wild Enforcement and Law Programme is conceptualized as an enforcement and legal skill unit of WTI(Wildlife Trust of India).Its main objectives are to curb wildlife crime by anti-poaching and anti-illegal trade activities and litigation, to ensure that national and international policies affecting wildlife and its habitats are in consonance with their survival needs.
In order to fulfill these aims and objectives the following five thematic divisions were incorporated in the Wild Enforcement and Law programme:
- Legal Support (LS)
- Policy Advocacy (PA)
- Trade Control (TC)
- Wildlife Enforcement Monitoring Division (WEM)
- Guardians of the Wild or Van Rakshak Project (VRP)
Awareness for Conservation
The Awareness for Conservation programme is conceptualized as a campaigns, education and public awareness skill unit of the Conservation Department of WTI.Its main objectives are to create mass public awareness and support for nature conservation activities through targeted campaigns and formal and non-formal education.
It is envisioned to meet these goals and aims through the following two thematic divisions:
- Campaigns
- Education
Communities for Conservation
The Communities for Conservation Programme is conceptualized as a social sciences skill unit of WTI.Its main objectives are to build partnerships with local and traditional communities for effective biodiversity conservation.
In order to achieve these goals and objectives the following thematic divisions were incorporated in the communities for conservation programme:
- Community Based Conservation (CBC)
- Alternate Livelihoods ( AL )
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See also
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- Bombay Natural History SocietyBombay Natural History SocietyThe Bombay Natural History Society, founded on 15 September 1883, is one of the largest non-governmental organizations in India engaged in conservation and biodiversity research. It supports many research efforts through grants, and publishes the Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. Many...
(BNHS) - Sanctuary AsiaSanctuary AsiaSanctuary Asia is one of India's first and one of its leading environmental news magazines, being published in a bimonthly cycle. It was founded in 1981 by the conservationist Bittu Sahgal as Sanctuary. It became a syndicated publication under the banner of Sanctuary Features. Presently, the...
- Wildlife of IndiaWildlife of IndiaThe wildlife of India is a mix of species of number of different types of organism. The region's rich and diverse wildlife is preserved in 89 national parks, 13 Bio reserves and 400+ wildlife sanctuaries across the country. Since India is home to a number of rare and threatened animal species,...
- Protected areas of IndiaProtected areas of IndiaAs of May 2004, the protected areas of India cover , roughly 4.95% of the total surface area.-Classification:India has the following kinds of protected areas, in the sense of the word designated by IUCN:-National Park:...
- Wildlife Institute of IndiaWildlife Institute of IndiaThe Wildlife Institute of India is a autonomous institution under the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India.WII carries out wildlife research in areas of study like Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Wildlife Policy, Wildlife Management, Wildlife Forensics, Spatial Modeling,...
(WII) - Zoo Outreach OrganisationZoo Outreach OrganisationZoo Outreach Organisation , India started off as an NGO primarily focusing on training Zoo staff and bettering the circumstances of captive animals in Indian zoos...