Marine Turtles

The Indian coastal waters supports five species of sea turtles found worldwide. These are the
Olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea), Green (Chelonia mydas), Hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata),
Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) and Loggerhead (Caretta caretta). These five species of sea
turtles that occur in Indian coastal waters are protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife
(Protection) Act, 1972.
India is home to the largest known nesting population of olive ridley turtles. Except Loggerhead
turtles, the remaining four species (Leatherback, Hawksbill, Green and Olive ridley turtles) nest
along the Indian coastline and islands of India.

India has identified all its important sea turtle nesting habitats as ‘Important Coastal and Marine
Biodiversity Areas’ of India and included in the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) -1.

Since 2017, roughly 5,000 turtles released in Ganga River, aimed at strengthening the cleanliness
of the Ganga. The quality of water in the Ganga has improved, and turtles have played a role as
they feed on meat and waste products thrown in the river. Improvement in biochemical demand
(BOD), faecal coliform (FC) and dissolved oxygen (DO) was found in river water quality checks.
National/State Aquatic Animals
 Gangetic Dolphin
India’s first centre for research on conserving the endangered Gangetic river dolphin, National
Dolphin Research Centre (NDRC), located close to Ganga river in Patna, was inaugurated on
March 4, 2024 by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
Ganges river dolphins once lived in the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli-Sangu
river systems of Nepal, India, and Bangladesh.
The Ganges river dolphin can only live in freshwater and is essentially blind. They hunt by
emitting ultrasonic sounds, which bounces off of fish and other prey, enabling them to “see” an
image in their mind. They are frequently found alone or in small groups, and generally a mother
and calf travel together
Females are larger than males and give birth once every two to three years to only one calf.
it is a reliable indicator of the health of the entire river ecosystem.
 Ancient Giant Dolphin
Paleontologists found a giant fossilized skull of a giant freshwater dolphin, along the shore of the
Napo River in the Peruvian Amazon. It is considered the largest-known species of river dolphin
to have ever lived. The new species has been named Pebanista yacuruna, after mythical aquatic
beings (Yacuruna) believed by some Indigenous groups to live deep in the river.
Surprisingly, the discovered species was not related to living species of Amazon river pink dolphin
(Inia geoffrensis). It is close to South Asian river dolphins (genus Platanista).
Note:
For river dolphins, echolocation, or biosonar, is even more critical as the waters they inhabit are
extremely muddy, which impedes their vision. Dolphins are considered as the top predators in
some of the world’s largest river systems.
They are considered as ecological canaries: If dolphins are thriving, the chances are that the river
and its fish populations are also doing well overall.
 Dolphins
In September 2023, more than 125 river dolphins were found dead in Brazil’s Lake Tefé. Experts
suspect climate change’s devastating impacts, with soaring temperatures and plummeting water
levels, create hostile conditions for these aquatic mammals.
Overall populations of river dolphin species have decreased by over 70 percent since the 1980s
due to unsustainable fishing practices, climate change, pollution, illegal mining, dams and
dredging.
River dolphins include Amazon pink river dolphin, the Ganges river dolphin, the Indus river
dolphin, the Irrawaddy dolphin, the tucuxi. Baiji, endemic to Yangtze River in China was declared
likely extinct in 2007. This is the first dolphin species pushed to extinction by humans in modern
times.
On Oct. 24, 2023, in Bogotá, Colombia, representatives from 9 countries in Asia and South
America (including India) met in person and virtually to sign the Global Declaration for River
Dolphins.
 Lions
Most lions live in Africa, but a small population lives in India. Populations were once connected.

Once lived on nearly every continent, Today only in Africa and India, occupy a mere 8% of their
historic range

Found in many habitats, including deserts. Can survive even without drinking water by obtaining
moisture from prey and plants.

Opportunistic hunters and scavengers. Surprising prey items include porcupine, mice, ostrich
eggs, fish, termites, and on Namibia's beaches, even fur seals.

Most active at night, dawn, and dusk.

Considered most social of all wild felid species, Form matriarchal prides.
 Steps by GoI for GIB
The Supreme Court has constituted a seven-member committee to find a balance between
conservation measures for the Great Indian Bustard (GIB) and efforts to generate renewable
energy in the same regions (During M.K. Ranjitsinh v. Union of India case hearing)

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has implemented the national GIB
Project which undertakes ex-situ conservation measures to provide and conserve habitats into
which captive bred birds may be released. Insulation breeding centres will be established in
range states other than Rajasthan where they do not currently exist.

In-situ operations will be implemented in the desert National Park Sanctuary, Rajasthan; Kachch
Bustard Sanctuary, Gujarat; Great Indian Bustard Sanctuary, Maharashtra; Rollapadu Sanctuary,
Andhra Pradesh; Ranebennur Sanctuary, Karnataka and Ghatigao Sanctuary, Madhya Pradesh;
 State Butterflies in India
Jammu and Kashmir: Blue Pansy (Junonia orithya)
Goa: Malabar Tree-Nymph (Idea malabarica)
Arunachal Pradesh: Kaiser-i-Hind (Teinopalpus imperialis)
Karnataka: Sahyadri Birdwing (Troides minos) or Southern Birdwing
Kerala: Malabar Banded Peacock (Papilio buddha)
Sikkim: Blue Duke (Bassarona durga)
Tamil Nadu: Tamil Yeoman (Cirrochroa thais)
Tripura: Common Birdwing (Troides helena)
Uttarakhand: Common Peacock (Papilio bianor)
Maharashtra: Blue Mormon (Papilio polymnestor) – first state to declare - 2015
 Mithun
The ‘Soulung’ festival is observed annually by the Adi tribes of Arunachal Pradesh to commensurate the
birth and arrival of mithun on this earth. The animal is sacrificed during such festivals at which time its
meat is eaten.

In Nagaland, mithun is sacrificed at the ‘Feast of Merit’ which are a series of gradual feasts carried out
over a period of several years. This permits a man to advance in social and economic position and raises
his status in the society. Ownership of mithun confers prestige.

It is also used for payment of fine for social and legal obligations. The animal figures in system of exchange
and for some groups it is a notable item of trade.

In some parts of Arunachal Pradesh milking is done in mithun to fulfil the requirement of milk. Higher
butter fat percentage (8-10%) of milk provides avenues for production of value added milk products to
fetch high price. But in the other NE states milking in mithun is hardly practiced with majority of the
mithun owners having little knowledge about the milk production potential of the animal.

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research established the National Research Centre on Mithun at
Medziphema in Nagaland.
 Biodiversity Heritage Sites
BHS are well defined areas that are unique, ecologically fragile ecosystems - terrestrial, coastal and inland
waters and, marine having rich biodiversity comprising of any one or more of the following components:
richness of wild as well as domesticated species or intra-specific categories, high endemism, presence of
rare and threatened species, keystone species, species of evolutionary significance, wild ancestors of
domestic/ cultivated species or their varieties, past pre-eminence of biological components represented
by fossil beds and having significant cultural, ethical or aesthetic values and are important for the
maintenance of cultural diversity, with or without a long history of human association with them.

The State Government in consultation with local bodies may notify BHS

The State Government in consultation with the Central Government may frame rules for the management
and conservation of BHS.

The State Governments shall frame schemes for compensating or rehabilitating any person or section of
people economically affected by such notification.

The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) issues the guidelines for selection and management of the BHS.
 Any of the following characteristics may qualify for inclusion as BHS
a. Areas that contain a mosaic of natural, semi- e. All kinds of legal land uses whether government,
natural, and man made habitats, which together community or private land could be considered
contain a significant diversity of life forms. under the above categories.

b. Areas that contain significant domesticated f. As far as possible those sites may be considered
biodiversity component and /or representative which are not covered under Protected Area
agro-ecosystems with ongoing agricultural practices network under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972.
that sustain this diversity. g. Areas that provide habitats, aquatic or terrestrial,
for seasonal migrant species for feeding and
c. Areas that are significant from a biodiversity point breeding.
of view as also are important cultural spaces such as
h. Areas that are maintained as preservation plots
sacred groves/trees and sites, or other large
by the research wing of Forest department.
community conserved areas.
i. Medicinal Plant Conservation Areas.
d. Areas including very small ones that offer refuge
or corridors for threatened and endemic fauna and
flora, such as community conserved areas or urban
greens and wetlands.