Wildlife Sanctuary
- Imagine a special place just for animals – a kind of VIP zone where they can live freely without any worries. This place is exclusively reserved for wildlife, including all sorts of creatures like animals, reptiles, insects, and birds.
- The Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 is like a superhero that gives power to both the central and state governments. With this power, they can officially declare certain areas as wildlife sanctuaries, national parks, or closed areas.
- The main idea behind these special zones is to provide a safe and peaceful home for wild animals. It’s like a lifetime vacation spot where endangered and rare species can chill out, live their lives, and make sure their gang stays strong.
Importance of Wildlife Sanctuaries
There are a number of reasons for establishing wildlife sanctuaries. Some of the reasons are listed below:
- The wildlife sanctuaries are established to protect the endangered species.
- It is quite difficult to always relocate the animals from their natural habitat, therefore, protecting them in their natural environment is advantageous.
- The endangered species are specially monitored in the wildlife sanctuaries.
- If they reproduce and grow in number while under protection, few specimens can be kept for breeding in the conservation parks for their survival.
- Biologist activities and researches are permitted in the wildlife sanctuaries so that they can learn about the animals living there.
- A few sanctuaries take in injured and abandoned animals and rehabilitate them to health before releasing them in the forest.
- Wildlife sanctuaries preserve the endangered species and protect them from humans and predators.
Reserve Forest
- Reserved forests are the most tightly regulated woodlands, established by the State Government on government-owned forest or unused land.
- Access to reserved forests is generally prohibited for local residents, unless granted permission by a Forest Officer during settlement processes.
Community Forest Resource
- According to Section 2(a) of the Forest Rights Act, this refers to the forest land that communities traditionally use, located within the boundaries of their village or the seasonal landscapes used by pastoral communities.
- This includes different types of forests like reserved forests, protected forests, and specific areas such as sanctuaries and national parks.
- The key point is that these lands are areas where the community has had traditional access over time.
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