March 17, 2021
Amid the densely packed bustling urban settlements of Delhi and Gurugram, one would expect a jaunt far from the city to catch a glimpse of wildlife. But a new survey of the remnant Aravalli forests of Gurugram, Faridabad, and Delhi conducted in 2019 revealed that they harbour an astonishingly rich diversity of wildlife with relatively high densities of mammals in non-protected areas.
Forming a critical wildlife corridor, these contiguous forests, including Mangar Bani, a sacred grove near the Gurugram-Faridabad highway, need immediate protection to ensure wildlife can thrive in this region. One of the most degraded forests of India, Haryana’s Aravallis has suffered rapid deforestation. Frequent instances of human-leopard conflict have occurred in the region and need proper management, notes the WWF-funded report.