Founded in 1916, the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) at Dehradun is a department under the Ministry of Environment and Forests.

The Zoological Survey of India at Dehradun conducts field surveys and lab tests in bio-geographic zones to collect, identify and collate inventories of national faunal resources. These are considered invaluable for any developmental strategy.

The Zoological Survey of India in Dehradun is one of 16 regional and field stations. The others are:

Eastern Shillong
Western Pune
Southern Chennai
Central Jabalpur
Desert Jodhpur
Gangetic Plains Patna
Andaman and Nicobar - Port Blair
Arunachal Pradesh-Itanagar
Marine Biology - Chennai
Fresh Water Biology - Hyderabad
Eastern Biology - Behrampur
Sunderabans - Cannings, West Bengal
Western Ghats - Kozhikode
Marine Acquarium and Research - Digha
High Altitude Zoology - Solan

On the basis of initial IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) categories of rare animals,the Zoological Survey of India published its first account in 1983: 'Threatened Animals of India'. IUCN later specified Red-listed species, requiring immediate protection through conservation methods In 2000, it introduced new categories like critically endangered, near threatened and least concern besides removing old ones like rare, lower risk-least concern and lower risk-near threatened, insufficiently known, etc.

The revised Red Data Book of the ZSI will contain updated information. Other conservation measures like CITES and Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act besides the IUCN are also paid heed to. These would help adopt effective conservation measures and offer protection to more species facing extinction such as the tree shrew, Wroughton's free-tailed bat, Salim Ali's fruit bat, etc. Information as per IUCN 2000 guidelines for every species as collected from experts will be compiled and its conservation status reviewed and reassessed.

The Zoological Survey of India at Dehradun is an important research center, keeping track of the faunal resources of the country.

Last Updated on 15 April 2011

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