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Despite being rich in wildlife distribution, India is yet to make it big in terms of wildlife or nature tourism. India is at par with Africa if not more when it comes to the presence of different species but it is still not considered as a premium destination for wildlife tourism. There might be some branding issues in this lack of exposure but there sure are some operational and motivational issues, issues pertaining to the government of India, issues pertaining to the people of India and issues pertaining to the caretakers of the wildlife in India. Believe it or not but these issues are far deeper than a mere lack of en efficient marketing program. If these issues are properly addressed, India can give a tough competition to Africa in terms of wildlife tourism and attract more people in taking a wildlife safari in India. Wildlife preservation and promotion does not seem to be on the priority list of Indian government. The efforts which are needed to promote the Indian wildlife on a global front are completely absent. Let alone the promotion, Indian government is even not serious to preserve whatever species we have been gifted. A lot of species are on the verge of extinction including the great Royal Bengal Tiger and Asiatic lion. Give this credit to the living conditions these species are living in, human interference in their habitat or poaching; these species are not going to be with us for long unless the government does something now. The other thing being a big hindrance in government’s anti poaching efforts is the unwillingness of native people to support this. People living around different national parks are not too enthusiastic about saving the wild. In fact they feel that these national parks are actually a pain in their lives. Take the example of Panna national park, situated in Panna district of Madhya Pradesh and one of the most famous national parks in India. Panna, even being a business district and one of the major sources of diamond in the world, still does not have a rail link. Government cites the national park as the reason for this non availability of railways in Panna despite being a big city. They claim that they do not want to touch the habitat and want to preserve it. Railways would disturb the environment for the animals. People of this city are distressed and consider the wildlife as the sole reason for their problems. They are not interested in promoting or preserving it. Rather they prey for it to be finished. Same is the case for other parts of the country, one reason or another. Because of the lack of funds, the employees and guards of the national parks do not get their salary on time. They have no motivation for working towards saving the wildlife. In fact they even help the poachers some times. These reasons are not letting the wildlife of India flourish. We need to address these issues as soon as possible otherwise we may lose the rich wildlife god has gifted us. Sachin is a wildlife enthusiast and conservationist, trying to promote the wildlife of India through inclusive and responsible tourism. He organizes wildlife trip India and adventure trips India on a regular basis.
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safari in India, national parks in India, wildlife trip India, adventure trips India,
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