Cassandra of Conservation

The Bombay Natural History Society has, over the years, drawn the attention of the Government of India and the Governments of the various States of the Union to the urgent necessity for conserving the natural wealth of the Nation. Some action has been taken, but much remains to be done in this booklet, we draw attention to critical areas, which, if unattended, will be disastrous for the conservation of the biodiversity of the Nation. We have tried to identify the basic problems that plague conservation of our natural resources. Issues like prioritization in human-animal conflicts, population pressure on natural resources, displacement of traditional inhabitants, both human and animal, from their homes, the status and problems of indicator species and core habitats, have been addressed in this compilation of the author's view points from the Hornbill.