In situ conservation is an age-old practice. Establishment of protected areas, parks, sancuaries or reserve forests, where wild life could grow and multiply, has been the common response of societies and governments to the threat of diminishing wild life since times immemorial.
Kings and courtesan often carved out large areas of wilderness for preserving game animals. Traditions and taboos of indigenous tribes have preserved patches of forests as refuge of spirits and deities which have remained undisturbed since prehistoric times. Though these preserves were intended for an entirely different purpose, they have been instrumental in preserving much of wild life in the vicinity of human establishments.
In-situ conservation involves conservation of species in its natural habitat – in places where the species normally occurs. The natural surroundings or the entire ecosystem is protected and maintained so that all the constituent species, known or unknown to us are conserved and benefited.
We do not have to isolate a few individuals of the species, create artificial habitat for their maintenance, feed them and provide a mate for their reproduction. We simply have to eliminate factors which are detrimental to the existence of species concerned and the rest is left to the nature which takes care of its own self.