Environment & Biodiversity

KEY POINTS

Mega species myopia

·         When a tiger dies in a national park, it makes it to the front pages of newspapers. Steps are taken to avert another tiger death.

·         There is similar for death and destruction of habitats of other large mammals like elephants, rhinos, leopards and snow leopards.

·         However, similar concern is not shown for several smaller species like Great Indian Bustard, the house sparrow, the shy Indian pangolin, the caracal, etc.

·         Such an attitude is called “mega species myopia”.

Present condition in India

·         The hog deer were the principal food of the tiger in the grasslands of Corbett National Park in the sixties.

·         There was an abundance of them. Now there may be just 20 of them in Corbett.

·         Great Indian Bustard is one of the rarest species and undoubtedly one of the most endangered.

·         They are endemic to Jaisalmer and Pokhran, its habitat was severely damaged by the nuclear tests in 1974 and 1998.

·         The mouse deer can be found in the Sal forests of south India, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal.

·         They raise their young in the hollow of the fallen Sal, but unfortunately these trees are used as fuel wood, endangering their survival.

·         The pangolin is endangered due to supposed medicinal value of their scales and the meat demand in China.

·         Similarly, so many other small animals are on the verge of extinction.

Why too much focus is on big animals?

·         Protecting big animals like, the tiger, leads to protecting an entire ecosystem.

·         They attract tourists.

·         Much of an outrage is shown immediately by animals in case of threat to these animals due to their popularity.

Why should other species be protected?

·         Unless similar support is extend to the prey base of bigger animals the ecosystems might collapse.

·         The big cat only dominates the high grasslands.

·         So other ecosystems like the dry grasslands, the mountains might be left unprotected.

Way forward

·         We have the expertise to save these small species but lack the political will.

·         It is time we gave priority to animals on the basis of the threat perception to them.

Kindly review. Thanks.