This article presents the field of wildlife ecology, which serves as the scientific basis for wildlife protection and management. The evolution of the field is briefly discussed. The application of wildlife ecology to management and conservation of wildlife species is discussed, as well as the central interrelated themes in wildlife ecology. The application of ecological principles to the study of wildlife species is known as wildlife ecology. However, there is no generally recognized meaning for the word wildlife. During the 1900s, the term's meaning evolved in tandem with the growth of the wildlife management profession. Historically, wildlife management centered on game animals, which were birds and mammals that were hunted or harvested. Since the 1960s, the focus of wildlife management activities has shifted to include non-game species (i.e., non-game species) as well as the conservation of rare or endangered taxa. The term "wildlife" now encompasses all terrestrial vertebrates (birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians), as well as invertebrates.