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A long post, but trust me, these stories are worth your time. As Wildlife Week concludes today, here are some little-known but significant stories of species revival in India. In our article in @the_hindu today, Yash Veer @IUCN and I write about the efforts of governments, forest departments, scientists and communities to bring threatened wildlife back from the brink. India’s Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats scheme supports recovery action for 24 identified species and their habitats. Recovery needs sustained funding. The Government of Tamil Nadu’s Endangered Species Conservation Fund prioritises mahseer, striped hyena, Madras hedgehog, lion-tailed macaque and hornbill. Internationally, the Phoenix Species Project, launched by Re:wild and the Bezos Earth Fund in 2026, has committed $200 million to the recovery of 100 of the world’s most threatened species. Here are some inspiring stories from the field. Clouded leopard Meghalaya’s plan for its elusive State animal combines habitat restoration, monitoring and community participation, with 14 priority landscapes identified across the northeast. Snow leopard India’s first scientific assessment estimated 718 snow leopards in 2024. In Kibber, local women help conservation teams set camera traps, monitor populations and protect wildlife. Dugong Tamil Nadu’s 448.34 sq km Dugong Conservation Reserve protects this marine mammal’s seagrass habitat. A 2026 assessment estimated 270 dugongs across Palk Bay and the Gulf of Mannar; fishermen help by releasing animals caught in nets. Sangai Manipur’s wetland deer is a priority under India’s recovery programme. Saving its wetland habitat is essential to its survival. Hangul Kashmir’s hangul is supported through India’s species recovery framework, with habitat protection, research and monitoring central to its future. Nilgiri tahr Project Nilgiri Tahr combines surveys, radio-collaring and habitat assessment for Tamil Nadu’s State animal. Surveys recorded 1,303 tahrs in 2025 and 1,364 in 2026. Vultures The veterinary diclofenac ban, conservation breeding and safer habitats support recovery. Madhya Pradesh recorded 12,981 vultures in 2025, up from 8,397 in 2019; Pinjore’s breeding centre works with white-rumped, long-billed and slender-billed vultures. Asiatic lion Gujarat’s lion population rose from 674 in 2020 to 891 in 2025, supported by long-term protection, habitat management and community participation. Greater one-horned rhinoceros Grassland management, monitoring and translocation support recovery. In Assam’s Pobitora, communities contribute to protection and conflict reduction. These gains take years of patient fieldwork, political commitment and scientific effort. Sustaining that work is how we turn hope into a secure future for wildlife. #SpeciesRecovery #WildlifeConservation #Biodiversity Photos -Sangai deer -Manipur Forest Dept. Snow Leopard - Koustubh Sharma, Nilgiri Tahr @dhanu_paran @shanmughanandam here is the link thehindu.com/opinion/lead/fr…

This mouse deer is actually not a deer. Nor is it a mouse ! It is a little-known gem of biodiversity, the Indian spotted chevrotain, Moschiola indica, one of the smallest hoofed mammals on earth. Listed under Schedule I of India’s Wild Life Protection Act, it receives the country’s highest level of legal protection for wildlife. Barely 25–30 cm at the shoulder and weighing around 3 kg, it belongs to an ancient lineage of ruminants. With no horns or antlers, this shy forest dweller is mainly active at night. The Western Ghats are its principal stronghold, though it also occurs elsewhere in peninsular India. This shy little animal feeds on fallen fruits and other plant material, yet much about its life in the wild remains unknown. Hunting, snares and the loss and degradation of its forest habitat threaten its survival. What a wonderful planet we have inherited. It’s full of surprises 😊 Photo by Chandrasekar Das #indianMouseDeer #chevrotain