Wildlife refers to all non-domesticated living beings—animals, plants, fungi, and microorganisms—that inhabit natural ecosystems such as forests, grasslands, wetlands, deserts, and oceansDraft overviewOceansOceans are vast bodies of saline water that cover approximately 71% of Earth’s surface and play a central role in regulating climate, supporting biodiversity, and shaping geological and atmospheric processes. Modern ocea…. In ecological science, wildlife is understood as a core component of biodiversityDraft overviewBiodiversityBiodiversity, short for biological diversity, refers to the variety and variability of life on Earth at all levels of organization: genes, species, and ecosystems. It encompasses the immense range of organisms—from micro…, contributing to the stability, resilience, and functioning of ecosystems. Species interact through food webs, nutrient cycles, and habitatDraft overviewHabitatIn Jain thought, a *habitat* refers to the physical, ecological, and karmically conditioned environment in which living beings (*jīva*) exist. Unlike modern biological definitions that focus on climate, vegetation, and g… formation, creating dynamic systems that sustain life on Earth.
In Jain philosophical and ethical frameworks, wildlife is viewed through the lens of jīva (living beings) and ahiṃsā (non-harm). All living beings—from one-sensed organisms like plants and water-bodiedDraft overviewWater-bodiedIn Jain ontology, “water-bodied” beings (Sanskrit: *āpo-kāyika*; Prakrit: *āo-kāya*) are one of the five classes of *ekendriya jīvas*—single-sensed living beings possessing only the sense of touch. Jainism teaches that w… beings to five-sensed animals—are considered to possess consciousness and the capacity for suffering. Wildlife therefore occupies a morally significant place in Jain thought, where protection of animals and ecosystems is tied to spiritual discipline and karmic theory. Classical Jain texts categorize animals by sensory capacity, mobility, and karmic bondage, offering detailed taxonomies that reflect both metaphysical and biological observations.
Modern ecological research emphasizes the threats wildlife faces, including habitatDraft overviewHabitatIn Jain thought, a *habitat* refers to the physical, ecological, and karmically conditioned environment in which living beings (*jīva*) exist. Unlike modern biological definitions that focus on climate, vegetation, and g… loss, climate changeDraft overviewClimate changeClimate change refers to long-term shifts in global temperatures, precipitation patterns, and atmospheric conditions driven primarily by human activities—especially the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, and industr…, pollutionDraft overviewPollutionIn Jain thought, pollution (often discussed under terms such as *ashuddhi*, *parisaha*, or forms of *himsa* toward the environment) refers not only to the physical contamination of air, water, and soil but also to the et…, invasive species, and unsustainable exploitation. ConservationDraft overviewConservationIn Jain thought, “conservation” is not a modern environmental policy term but a principle emerging from the core doctrines of **ahiṃsā (non‑violence)**, **aparigraha (non‑possessiveness)**, and the recognition that **all… biology seeks to protect species and ecosystems through protected areas, restoration, legal frameworks, and community-based stewardship. Jain-inspired environmental ethics have increasingly contributed to contemporary conservation dialogues, highlighting nonviolence, restraint, and interdependence as guiding principles for sustainable coexistenceDraft overviewCoexistenceIn Jain thought, coexistence is not merely a social ideal but a metaphysical, ethical, and ecological principle grounded in the nature of reality itself. The Jain term most closely aligned with coexistence is *parasparop… with wildlife.