Page 31 - Ex-Situ Updates - Double Edition

If poaching is prevented, the species can continue to

survive in the forests of peninsular India. Loss of forest
habitat due to encroachment, felling for timber, linear
development also threatens this species’ safe survival.
Though the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
places the Indian chevrotain in the Least Concern

category, India’s Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972,
acknowledging the threats faced by the species,
acknowledging the threats faced by the species,
accords maximum protection by placing it in Schedule

I of the Act.

Since 2010, Nehru Zoological Park in collaboration
with the Laboratory for Conservation of Endangered
Species (LaCONES) of Centre for Cellular and

Molecular Biology (CCMB), and Central Zoo Authority,
Delhi have been carrying out a breeding program for
the conservation of mouse-deer. The conservation

breeding program has been a success story as more
than 200 individuals have been born in captivity from
than 200 individuals have been born in captivity from
the initial founder population of 6 individuals. More
than 150 individuals have been released in several
protected areas such as Amrabad Tiger Reserve,

Mrugavani National Park, and Kinnerasani wildlife
Sanctuary in Telangana State thereby making it one of
the largest and successful planned reintroduction

programs from zoos to the wild in recent histor
programs from zoos to the wild in recent history.

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