NEW DELHI: A decade hence, a visitor to an Indian zoo may find himself gazing at the last Asiatic lion, the last Kashmir dear or the last great Indian bustard.
The snow leopard, Indian wild ass and blackbuck may also be the last representatives of species says Dr G M Oza, secretary of the international society of naturalists (INSONA).
In a recent article in “wildlife week”, Dr Oza warned that the ted data book, which lists all the endangered species in the world presents an “alarming status” for several birds and reptiles of the Indian subcontinent.
Besides 22 bird species, 7 amphibians and reptiles, including the Indian python, the central Asian cobra and the marsh crocodile face extinction.
India ranks second in the world and first among the 15 countries of the Oriental region.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 19, 1990
