Vanishing wildlife: 22 species have gone extinct in India

sfg-2026
ForumIAS LATEST
  1. 04 June | MGP Strategy Series | GS Paper 4 (Ethics) with AIR 7 A.R. Rajah Mohaideen Click Here to register for the session →
  2. 04 June | GS Advance Program begins from 4th June 2026 | First 2 classes open to all Click Here to register for the event →
  3. 05 June | MGP Strategy Series | GS Paper 3 Strategy Session with AIR 406 Mannat Luthra Click Here to register for the session
  4. 06 June | Open Orientation on Essay Guidance Program (EGP 2026) Click Here to register →
  5. 07 June | Open Orientation for Current Affairs for Mains 2026 Click Here to register →
  6. 07 June | Sociology Optional Strategy Session with AIR 10 Ujjwal Priyank Click Here to register →

  1. According to the data tabled in the Lok Sabha by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change,4 species of fauna and 18 species of flora have gone extinct in India in the past few centuries.
  2. The data has shown that among mammals,the following are considered extinct in India (a)Cheetah(Acinonyx jubatus) (b)Sumatran rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) (c)Pink-headed duck (Rhodonessa caryophyllacea) and (d)Himalayan quail (Ophrysia superciliosa).
  3. The factors like competition, predation, natural selection and human induced factors like hunting, habitat degradation are some of the important reasons that have led to these extinction.
  4. However,these four animals can be found in other parts of the world. India has about 6.49% of all the fauna species in the world.
  5. Further,the 18 species of plants which consists of 4 non-flowering and 14 flowering plants have also gone extinct. 
  6. Notable among them are Lastreopsis wattii,a fern in Manipur discovered by George Watt in 1882 and three species from the genus Ophiorrhiza (Ophiorrhiza brunonis,Ophiorrhiza caudate and Ophiorrhiza radican) all discovered from peninsular India. 
  7. Corypha taliera Roxb, a palm species discovered in Myanmar and the Bengal region by William Roxburgh is also extinct.India is home to 11.5% of all flora in the world. 
Print Friendly and PDF
Blog
Academy
Community