The great Indian bustard was once Salim Ali’s candidate for national bird. The bird is now facing a bleak future. The most common bird sighted on the fields of Haryana, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh once, the bustard is now difficult to spot. The loss of habitat is one of the prime reasons for its disappearance but other reasons include poaching for meat and sport. Conservation efforts need to be scaled up. They should actively involve the community. Pakistan should also be involved in conservation efforts. It will make no sense if the birds are protected here and killed across the border.
Prerna Sharma,
Gurgaon
Landscape approach is a holistic one. Only this can reduce human-animal conflict, garner local support for conservation efforts and save the endangered species from extinction.
V. Chaitra Gowda,
Bangalore
It would be futile to embrace a single conservation maxim in a country as diverse as India. Different kinds of animals need different environments for their existence. Adoption of situation-specific approaches can help reduce the list of endangered species.
Geethu Issac,
Thiruvananthapuram
