In 1972, a quarter century after Independence, the colonial legacy of shikar had continued despite the concerns that trophy hunting, trade in wildlife products and the increasing loss of natural habitat was taking a huge toll on India’s famed and diverse wildlife.
The cheetah was already extinct; tiger numbers had plummeted and other wild animals including mammals, birds and reptiles were faring no better. This called for urgent measures. Many believed that national wildlife legislation was one such measure.
