Prelims: Current events of national and international importance | Environment
Why in News?
The Tamil Nadu Government has sanctioned fund to implement a conservation plan for two crucial mesopredator species- the Indian Bengal Fox (Vulpes bengalensis) and the Golden Jackal (Canis aureus).
Key Highlights
- The initiative marks a shift towards protecting "edge species" and smaller carnivores that inhabit scrublands, grasslands, and human-dominated agricultural fringes outside traditional protected forests.
- Comprehensive Conservation Plan- The scheme focuses on assessing current threats, identifying critical habitats in Protected Areas (PAs) and Reserved Forests, mitigating human-wildlife conflict, and controlling poaching.
- Ex-situ Conservation - Proposals include setting up a dedicated captive breeding and conservation center at the Salem Zoo.
- Grassroot Community Participation - Leverages local models like the "Golden Jackal Ambassadors" programme (pioneered in the Tenkasi Forest Division), which engages school and college students as local wildlife stewards and rescue volunteers alongside Village Forest Committees.
- Inter-Departmental Coordination - Because these canids function as "edge species" occupying agricultural lands, riverbanks, and scrub forests, the plan requires close coordination between revenue, forestry, and agricultural departments.
- Ecological Role of Mesopredators
- Both species function as essential mesopredators (mid-level predators) and scavengers.
- They keep agricultural pest populations in check by preying heavily on rodents, insects, and small reptiles, while also helping clear animal carcasses to prevent disease outbreaks.
- Major Threats
- Habitat Degradation - Misclassification and conversion of open natural ecosystems (scrublands/grasslands) into industrial zones or urban "wastelands".
- Accidental Mortality & Persecution - High frequency of roadkills on highways, retaliatory poisoning by farmers, and illegal poaching for traditional folk medicine or bushmeat.
- Disease Transmission- Increased interaction with free-ranging feral dogs leads to high vulnerability to lethal canine distemper virus (CDV) and rabies.
Reference
The Hindu | Conservation of Bengal fox
