Threatened Animals of India

Contents: Foreword. Preface. Introduction. 1. Why conserve wildlife. 2. Steps taken towards conservation. 3. Work done in India on threatened species. 4. Project tiger. 5. Gir Lion Sanctuary Project. 6. Crocodile Breeding Project. 7. Project Hangul. 8. Himalayan Musk Deer Project. 9. Manipur Browantlered Deer Project. 10. Lesser Cat Project. 11. Contributions by the Zoological Survey of India. 12. Population Census of Rhesus Macaque and Hanuman Langur of India. 13. Eco-ethological studies and population estimates of cercopithecid primates of Peninsular India. 14. Study on the population ecology of the most endangered species of mammals and birds in the Arid Zone of India. Mammals: 1. Primates. 2. Pholidota. 3. Carnivora. 4. Perissodactyla. 5. Artiodactyla. 6. Lagomorpha. 7. Rodentia. 8. Cetacea. 9. Sirenia. Birds: 1. Ciconiiformes. 2. Anseriformes. 3. Falconiformes. 4. Galliformes. 5. Gruiformes. 6. Charadriiformes. 7. Columbiformes. 8. Strigiformes. 9. Caprimulgiformes. 10. Coraciiformes. Reptiles: 1. Testudines. 2. Crocodylia. 3. Squamata. Amphibians: 1. Urodelia. 2. Anura. Bibliography. Appendices.

"Many of the most unique and beautiful animals in the world are to be found in India. But they are struggling hard for their survival. It is very appropriate here to remember the quotation of Jawaharlal Nehru regarding the wildlife of India: "I wonder sometimes what these animals and birds think of man and how they would describe him if they had the capacity to do so. I rather doubt if their description would be very complimentary to man. In spite of our culture and civilisation, in many ways man continues to be not only wild but more dangerous than any of the so-called wild animals."

Dr. B.K. Tikader has devoted more than three decades in studying animals in natural environment and scientific investigation. His studies mainly on spiders and scorpions of India and also three volumes of Fauna of India Series have been published (1980, 1982 and 1983). Recently he has extended his interest to wildlife and nature conservation problems. This book, "Threatened Animals of India" is an outcome of his Wildlife Conservation ideas and their implementation. It is a unique book on this subject so far published in India. He has dealt with in it various aspects of conservation of our magnificent wealth of wildlife, mainly of those animals which are struggling hard for their survival.

This book will be in furthering interest in this fascinating subject of wildlife protection and conservation among our young readers. The author has provided in this book, colour photographs and distribution maps of almost all species of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians which are threatened in our country.

For anyone interested in wildlife or the living natural resources of India, this is an enthralling and informative book. The author has dealt sympathetically with the problems and solution of wildlife conservation in our country." (jacket)