How a colonial-era hunting club became India’s pioneering conservation force

As discussions gain momentum to revive one of India's oldest conservation associations, the Nilgiri Wildlife And Environment Association (NWEA), conservationists are recalling its pioneering role in preserving biodiversity not just in the Nilgiris but across the country.

The NWEA traces its origins to colonial India, when British hunters discovered a 'hunters' paradise' in the Nilgiris. According to N. Mohanraj, a Nilgiris-based conservationist and long-serving member of the NWEA, hunting restrictions existed in England but were absent in India. The Nilgiris, soon connected by railway, attracted European hunters from across the region. The influx, combined with the advent of more accurate breech-loading rifles, rapidly led to a decline in local wildlife populations.

Within 65 years of the first Europeans arriving, the drop in game numbers alarmed even the hunting community. General Richard Hamilton, an early advocate for wildlife protection, persistently urged the government to act. He proposed a closed hunting season and drafted what became the Nilgiris Game and Fish Preservation Act of 1879. Before this landmark legislation, a key meeting was held at the Nilgiri library in Udhagamandalam, establishing the 'Nilgiris Game Association' — the precursor to the NWEA.

Mohanraj noted that the Act marked the start of structured wildlife conservation in the region and served as a blueprint for conservation across India. 'Thanks to this early initiative, the Nilgiris remains one of India’s most ecologically vibrant regions, even amid modern development,' he said.

The association employed up to 17 watchers to enforce hunting restrictions and owned four bungalows in the Nilgiris. Over time, these were handed over to the Forest Department in Mudumalai, two were submerged by hydroelectric projects, and only the one in Mukurthi National Park remains with the association.

'The Association controlled and managed the fishes and wildlife of the Nilgiris with great success, leading to the creation of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary, and Mukurthi National Park,' Mohanraj said. With the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, the association lost most of its powers as the Forest Department took over. It then metamorphosed into the Nilgiri Wildlife and Environment Association, shifting from a hunting organisation to a conservation body.

The NWEA also played a pivotal role in conserving the Sigur Elephant Corridor. E.R.C. Davidar, an honorary secretary, identified the corridor, which later became India’s first designated elephant corridor. Additionally, Wildlife Week is celebrated in the first week of October because the association was founded in that month. Initially observed in Ooty, it spread to other areas, involving communities in conservation. The association also contributed to declaring the Nilgiri Tahr as the state animal after estimating its population along the Western Ghats.

In 1984, with cooperation from the Wildlife Institute of Dehradun, the NWEA introduced electric fences in India. A workshop in Vazhaithottam brought ranchers from New Zealand and Australia to demonstrate the technique, aiming to keep wild animals away from Aavin’s farms.

Despite its contributions, the association faced disputes and decline in recent years.