Environment ministry asks for conservation plan for wild water buffaloes

New Delhi: The environment and forest ministry has asked the Chhattisgarh state to submit a conservation plan to protect the endangered wild buffalo after reports that only one female of the species is left in Chhattisgarh.

Years of neglect and shortage of funds in India has pushed the species to near-extinction.

The issue was raised during a recent meeting of the standing committee of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) by wildlife expert H.S. Singh.

“He (Singh) mentioned that there was only one surviving female in Chhattisgarh and an innovative approach is required for recovery,” said the minutes of the meeting, which was reviewed by Mint.

During the meeting, chaired by environment minister Prakash Javadekar, the chief wildlife warden of Chhattisgarh pointed out the recent achievement of birthing of one female and cloning of another female wild buffalo in Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana.

“After discussion, it is decided that the next meeting of Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) should consider financial support for conservation of wild buffalo in Chhattisgarh and the state government of Chhattisgarh should send a proposal to CAMPA in this regard,” the minutes of the standing committee meeting said.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the wild buffalo is an endangered animal since 1996. It is also a protected animal under India’s Wildlife Protection Act. The remaining world population of the animal is less than 4,000, according to IUCN.

The wild buffalo is found in Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Myanmar, Nepal and Thailand and is possibly extinct in Vietnam. In India, the species is largely restricted to the states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Meghalaya, Orissa and Maharashtra.

Experts say that it is one of the worst-affected mammalian species in recent times, mainly because of domestication and continuous interbreeding with domestic buffalo. The latter has led to genetic disorders and mortality. Besides, habitat fragmentation, degradation and poaching are other major threats in the conservation and protection of this globally threatened species.

In February 2012, the Supreme Court had directed Chhattisgarh to submit an annual plan to the Central government seeking funds for the conservation of wild water buffalo. The court had also ordered stopping of interbreeding of wild buffaloes with domestic buffaloes to preserve genetic integrity.