The Zabarwan Range is a short sub-mountain range between Pir Panjal and Great Himalayan Range in the central part of the Kashmir Valley. Last week when two friends, Sheikh Riyaz and Mudassir Manzoo went for a hike in the mountains, they had little idea they would spot an animal that has been hardly ever seen or […]
Uttar Pradesh To Axe 50,000 Trees In Tiger Habitat To Build A Road
One would assume that the recent floods of Kerala would be a good learning lesson for the nation to think twice before playing with nature. But yet again, the news of the state government of Uttar Pradesh planning to axe prime forest trees to build a road on the Indo-Nepal border, seems to show otherwise. […]
From Kolkata To Munnar, The Race To Save Live Corals
It was a strange predicament for the officers of the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) few days back when they seized 20 live corals from a house in Kolkata. Unlike other species usually rescued by them that can be released in safe habitats locally, in order to save the corals, the officers have to restore […]
Caught In Their Silky Web
Did you know there is a spider found in India that looks exactly like an ant, a mimicry that helps the spider save itself from predators? There is also a spider from the genus Lycosa that lives in the leaf litter near water bodies. To save her eggs from drowning,the mother spider carries them on […]
23 Lions Now Dead in Gir, Few Because Of Canine Distemper Virus
It has been a devastating September and the news of more lion deaths continue to come in October from Gir National Park in Gujarat. Two more lions passed away on October 2nd taking the toll to a total of 23 lions dying between September 12 and October 2. It has now come to light that […]
More Asiatic Lions Dead, Toll Rises To 21 In Gir
The single abode of Asiatic Lions in the world is in mourning. After the death of 14 lions since 12th September, 7 more wild lions have died between 20th and 30th September raising the total number of lion deaths to 21. The last seven lions were sent to rescue centre for treatment, but could not […]
Lions Being Screened In Gir For Infection And Injuries After The 14 Deaths
7 Asiatic Lions including 3 males, 3 females and a cub have been moved from Dalkhaniya range of Gir National Park as a precautionary measure after 14 lions were found dead in the same range since 12th September. The forest department says the lions died due to infighting, though vets also suggested they could have […]
11 Lions Found Dead In Gujarat’s Gir Forest
Bodies of 11 Asiatic Lions were found in Gujarat’s Gir Forest in the last 11 days. Officials deny foul play and say that most of them died of a lung infection the cause of which is still not known. Gir is the last bastion of the Asiatic Lion and it has been long felt that […]
Scientist Finds An Unusual Bond Between Himalayan Bears And Langurs
It was fruiting season of Acorns in the pristine Himalayan alpine forests of the Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary. Researcher Himani Nautiyal was on a field trip to observe the Central Himalayan Langur (Semnopithecus schistaceus) and their interactions with livestock, when she observed an interaction of a very different kind. A Himalayan black bear was prowling in the […]
Lost Species Of Shark Seen Again In India
Field biologists Mahesh Babu and Ganesh Pallela of EGREE Foundation were out surveying the Godavari River estuaries in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh when they spotted an unusual marine animal. It was a shark, not longer than 3 feet, and had distinct black tip on the dorsal, pectoral and tail fins. Could it be the rare Pondicherry […]
The Perils Of Being A Great Indian Bustard
In the 1970s, Arab royalties would often come to India for falconry, a sport that involved shooting of birds like the Great Indian Bustard, commonly found then in Western Rajasthan. It is believed that the Indian government extended this invitation to the Arabs, as a diplomatic gesture but it came to an abrupt end when […]