ENVIS Centre, Ministry of Environment & Forest, Govt. of India

Printed Date: Friday, March 29, 2024

Upcoming Event

Wild Life Week

 Wildlife Week Wildlife Week is celebrated every year in India between October 1 and 8. The annual theme of the campaign is to promote the preservation of fauna – i.e. animal life.

          In the year 1952 with a view to preserve the fauna of India, particularly to take urgent steps to prevent extinction of any species, the Government of India established an Indian Board of Wild Life (IBWL).  The Board has since been doing pioneering work to arouse public consciousness in favour of wildlife preservation.
      
      From time immemorial, our wildlife has been closely associated with our legendary beliefs and our folklores, with our epics and our history. Our lives would be very much poorer without these varied forms that build up the balance of nature. Wildlife preservation in fact implies active and planned wildlife management under which all forms of life would progress side by side with human progress, each in its own sphere of influence and utility and without any detriment to human interests. In fact, it is with this end in view that wildlife sanctuaries and national parks have been established and developed in suitable localities all over the country.
 
            Therefore, in order to arouse a general awakening in the common man in favour of protection of wildlife, the Indian Board of Wild Life (IBWL) decided to observe the Wildlife Week and since then from October 2 - 8 every year organize different activities related to wildlife conservation to commemorate this week.
 
            Every year around on (October 2 to 8) governments, environmentalists, activists, educators organize different activities to accelerate the awareness of wildlife conservation among people. India, being a mega-storehouse of various species, is also able to manage several conferences, awareness programmes, and public meetings among the nature lovers. Schools and educational institutions organize events such as wildlife related movie screening, painting competition/essay writing/ debate competition for young children with wild life as the theme.  

 

            However the seriousness of celebrating Wildlife Week is not only to educate or create awareness about wildlife among young people like school children and general public but also work with the government and help them form policies and design strategies favouring solutions that address wildlife conservation issues in today’s changing circumstances.