Wildlife Week 2025 (October 2–8), celebrated across India, is a timely reminder of India’s bottomless wealth of wildlife and botanical splendour. The event has served as an appropriate occasion to felicitate individuals, school students, forest department staff, journalists, social workers and other stakeholders who have contributed significantly to the cause of forest and wildlife conservation.
One cannot emphasise strongly enough the need to step up our conservation efforts to this noble cause, by which we can leave behind a better planet for the coming generations, for both our wildlife and humanity at large. Now more than ever we need to go all out to ensure peaceful coexistence with all wildlife and protecting the planet through sustainability of habitat and healthy ecosystems as defined by Wildlife Generation.
Not many people, even in India, are aware that India is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, even though it covers only 2.4% of the Earth's land. It is home to 7-8% of all known species, including over 45,000 types of plants and 91,000 types of animals. India’s grand theatre of varied landscapes and climate diversity have created a fantastic range of ecosystems such as forests, wetlands, grasslands, deserts, and coastal and marine habitats, which support this rich wildlife in all its wondrous beauty. These ecosystems also the amazing biodiversity that benefits people in countless way. Did you know that India also has 4 of the world’s 34 major biodiversity hotspots—the Himalayas, the Western Ghats, the Northeast region, and the Nicobar Islands—which make it immensely significant as region for active global conservation.
It is significant too that, as of 27th November 2023, India has a network of 1014 Protected Areas including 106 National Parks, 573 Wildlife Sanctuaries, 115 Conservation Reserves and 220 Community Reserves covering a total of 1,75,169.42 km2 of geographical area of the country which is approximately 5.32%.
We’ve all heard about tiger-spotting in Bandhavgarh National Park, Kanha National Park, Tadoba Tiger Reserve, Nagarhole Tiger Reserve etc— and we’ve even enjoyed crocodile stalking on a cruise boat on the Chambal River.
But how many know the joy of watching smiling dolphins cavorting on the river alongside our boats? Dolphin spotting is truly magical. It brings out the child in us as we behold these friendly aquatic beings smiling at us without a care in the world.
Key dolphin hotspots have been identified in Kaziranga National Park and other stretches of the river Brahmaputra in Assam and Lakshadweep; but you can also spot this friendly aquatic Gangetic River species in the Chambal River Sanctuary segments in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. The Indus River dolphins can be spotted in Punjab’s Beas River, at the Harike Wildlife Sanctuary, just a short drive away from Amritsar.
About 90% of the global population of dolphins are found in India. A critical initiative to protect these beautiful creatures was the launch of Project Dolphin on 15th August 2020, Project Dolphin to conserve both marine and riverine dolphin species, along with any associated cetaceans, through habitat protection, scientific research, and community awareness.
Tiger-spotting in India will always lead the way in India’s allure as a wildlife destination. India now hosts over 70% of the world's wild tiger population, reaffirming its leadership in global tiger conservation. From Corbett National Park in Uttar Pradesh to Ranthambhore National Park in Rajasthan… from Pench Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh to Sariska National Park close to New Delhi, the apex predator of the Indian jungle has us in thrall with its legendary beauty and majestic splendour.
India lost all her cheetah population almost a century ago to the hunter’s gun, but huge efforts have been made to reintroduce this speedy, elegant, sphinx-like big cat in the Indian jungles. In September 202022, eight cheetahs from Namibia were translocated to Kuno National Park, followed by twelve cheetahs from South Africa in February 2023. A cheetah gave birth to cubs on Indian soil after 75 years, with one surviving cub reported to be six months old and showing normal growth patterns as of September 2023. On 3rd January 2024 three cubs were born to Namibian Cheetah Aasha at the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh. As of September 2025, Kuno National Park had 24 cheetahs within its boundaries, with 21 in Kuno and 3 in the Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary. One of the 16 cheetahs born in India was to reach adulthood on September 29, 2025, at Kuno National Park, earmarking a positive note for the three-year-old reintroduction efforts. On October 1 India launched its inaugural cheetah safari at Kuno National Park. Safari bookings can be made through the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department’s official website.
As the national parks and wildlife sanctuaries gear up to receive visitors from all over the world to enjoy immersive game drives, birding experiences, photography tours in the jungles— and all things wild, we just need to remember we must only take away memories and leave behind only our footprints…