Hyderabad, July 2 (IANS) Stressing the need for the conservation of endangered species, Vice President Mr. Venkaiah Naidu on Friday called on LaCONES scientists to develop assisted reproduction technologies to increase the hangul deer population in Kashmir, from wild buffaloes in Chhattisgarh and red pandas in Darjeeling.

He made the suggestion during a visit to LaCONES, a laboratory of the Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), for the conservation of endangered species.

Naidu noted that scientists at LaCONES have developed technologies for assisted reproduction and have successfully reproduced black fallow deer, spotted deer and rock pigeon using these advanced technologies.

“In the Nehru Zoological Park, endangered mouse deer have been successfully bred from a few individuals to over 250. The deer have now been successfully released into the forests of Amarabad. Similar efforts should be extended to hangul deer in Kashmir, wild buffaloes in Chhattisgarh and Red Panda in Darjeeling, “he said.

Naidu said he was happy to hear that LaCONES ‘National Wildlife Genetic Resource Bank is part of an exclusive league of 23 such labs around the world.

He was also pleased to note that LaCONES activities involving zoos prompted the formation of a consortium involving five zoos from different regions of the country to promote the biobank of endangered species. Calling it a timely initiative, he hopes this consortium and others will take full advantage of this biobank facility.

“With climate change underway, there is an undeniable impact on all forms of life around us, including humans. India, as you all know, has some of the most biodiverse regions and is home to a wide range of ecosystems such as forests, grasslands, wetlands, deserts, and coastal and marine ecosystems. We must not only protect and preserve our ecosystems, but also do everything possible for the conservation of endangered species for the well-being of animals, plants and humans, ”he said.

The vice president exuded confidence that modern biotechnology tools will help mitigate adverse effects on wildlife and ecosystems.

–IANS

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