Reversing Wildlife Extinction in India

India is home to some of the planet’s most magnificent megafauna. Yet many species are at serious risk of extinction. Some have already been lost forever, while others are on the brink of disappearing from the wild, and many are gone locally across much of their original range. Yet heartening good news exists! Expedition Leader Aditya Panda shares his firsthand experiences with conservation initiatives in India to demonstrate how it’s possible to reverse the course of extinction. Bold efforts are helping to restore threatened or locally extinct wildlife, including the Bengal tiger, one-horned rhinoceros, Asiatic lion, Asiatic elephant, hardground swamp deer, pygmy hog, Asiatic wild buffalo, and India’s three crocodilians. And cheetahs are being reintroduced to India this year after a 50-year absence from the subcontinent! Aditya details the challenges that come with trying to save diverse megafauna in one of the most densely populated areas on Earth, emphasizing the importance of maintaining biodiversity to preserve healthy ecosystems. You’ll learn, too, how you can support efforts to bring endangered wildlife back from the verge of extinction.


Originally presented June 16, 2021

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