Wildlife Protection Act of 1972

Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 was enacted by the Government of India. Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, a comprehensive legislation, was enacted with the objective of efficiently controlling poaching and illegal trade in wildlife and its derivatives.

Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 is a comprehensive legislation that was enacted by the Government of India in 1972. The wild life laws in India have a long history. 

The first comprehensive legislation relating to protection of wild life was passed by the Parliament and it was assented by the President on 9th September, 1972 and came to be known as The Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. 

The main objective behind the enactment of Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 was to control poaching and illegal trading of wildlife in the country. Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 extends to the whole of India except the state of Jammu and Kashmir. 

The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, provides for the protection of listed species of flora and fauna. Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 empowers central and state governments to declare any area a wildlife sanctuary or national park. 

India had only five designated national parks before the year 1972.

Definitions under Section 2 of Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 Section 2 of Chapter I of the Act provides several definitions. Some of them are as follows -  

"animal" includes amphibians, birds, mammals and reptiles and their young, and also includes, in the cases of birds and reptiles, their eggs;

"animal article" means an article made from any captive animal or wild animal, other than vermin, and includes an article or object in which the whole or any part of such animal has been used, and ivory imported into India and article made therefrom;

"Board" means the Wild Life Advisory Board constituted under sub-section (1) of section 6;

"captive animal" means any animal, specified in Schedule I, Schedule II, Schedule III or Schedule IV, which is captured or kept or bred in captivity;

"closed area" means the area which is declared under sub-section (1) of section 37 to be closed to hunting;

"Government property" means any property referred to in section 39; 2[or section 17H;]

"habitat" includes land, water or vegetation which is the natural home of any wild animal;