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  • 30/05/1995

WILDLIFE conservation has made commendable progress in India. We now have a network of over 500 Protected Areas (PAS), a Wildlife Protection Act, an exclusive Wildlife Wing within the Forest Department to manage PAs, an everexpanding body of scientists and institutions dedicated to wildlife research, and scores of NGOs and individuals working on wildlife- related education, research, lobbying and litigation. Given the current situation and the continuing need for innovative research and management practices, why would anyone want to go back to the proceedings of a workshop held 13 years ago in order to know the latest in wildlife conservation?

Much emphasis is laid on the scientific method, quantification of data and statistical analyses. It would have, therefore, made a good introduction to wildlife research methodology and field techniques for greenhorn students, but far more recent material on the same topic is now available.

The preface tells the reader to expect in the book "greater emphasis on the interaction of people and wildlife". People are, however, restricted to the last few chapters and are treated in a very amorphous, generalistic manner.

Another essential ingredient missing is an index which, for a book like this, would have been far preferable to its cumbersome 7-page Table of Contents.

---Farhad Vania is a researcher studying human-nature relationships.

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