In 1972, a quarter century after Independence, the colonial legacy of shikar had continued despite the concerns that trophy hunting, trade in wildlife products and the increasing loss of natural habitat was taking a huge toll on India’s famed and diverse wildlife. The cheetah was already extinct; tiger numbers had plummeted and other wild animals including mammals, birds and reptiles were faring no better. This called for urgent measures. Many believed that national wildlife legislation was one such measure. In 2022, India celebrates 75 years of Independence and 50 years of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. A lot has since happened on the wildlife front, a lot more could have been achieved. Wildlife India @ 50 captures India’s 50-year-long wildlife journey through the eyes and experiences of a diverse set of authors who themselves played a part in it. About the Author Manoj Kumar Misra is a former member of the Indian Forest Service (IFS). During government service, he managed protected areas, was a trainer and researched forestry and wildlife. Before seeking voluntary retirement from government service, he headed TRAFFIC India, a division of WWF-India. Presently, he convenes Yamuna Jiye Abhiyaan (Living Yamuna Campaign) for the rejuvenation of India’s rivers. Contributors Suresh Chandra Sharma, H.S. Panwar, Harbhajan Singh Pabla, Arvind Kumar Jha, V.K. Uniyal, Ghazala Shahabuddin, Anjali Bhartari, Saket Badola, Sudha Ramen, Koustubh Sharma, Joanna Van Gruisen, Lala Aswini Kumar Singh, Suhas Kumar, Faiyaz Ahmad Khudsar, Ritwick Dutta, Prerna Singh Bindra, Asad R. Rahmani, Usha Rai, V.B. Sawarkar, Sharad Gaur, R. Sreenivasa Murthy, Aparajita Datta, Stella James, Nayana Udayashankar, Bhuvana Balaji, Ishan Kukreti, Rabindra K. Singh, Sumit Dookia, Aditya Dicky Singh, Ishan Dhar, Dharmendra Khandal, Ananda Banerjee, Nivedita Khandekar and Neha Sinha