The Asiatic Lion census of 2020 in Gujarat’s Gir National Park, the last bastion of this lion species in the world, was replaced by ‘Poonam Avalokan’ or full moon night observation due to Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdown. Carried out on June 5 and June 6 the observation found 674 lions now in Gujarat which […]
Conservation Milestone: 14 Pygmy Hogs Released into Manas National Park
It is difficult to imagine that the conservation of an entire ecosystem could be resting on the shoulders of a tiny little animal called the Pygmy Hog. But the more you understand the importance of the species the more you understand how vital its presence is to save grasslands, elephants, and tigers. Fourteen captive-bred pygmy […]
Clean Air during Lockdown and Beyond: Why it Matters
Most people living in the city of Jalandhar, Punjab had not seen the Himalayan ranges from here in the last 30 years. But last March, amidst an all India lockdown with no car or industrial fumes to cover the skies, the Dhauladhar mountain range, part of the Himalayan range in Himachal Pradesh, emerged and became […]
11 Threatened Plant Species from India
India is home to approximately 50,000 plant species in the world. Around 6 percent of world species of flowering plants are found in the country. It is one of the 17 mega-diversity regions of the world, and eleventh in respect to the number of endemic vascular plant species. Around 28 percent of flora in India […]
Endangered Star Tortoises Rescued and Released with Satellite Tags
In a first, conservation organization Wildlife SOS and Karnataka Forest Department have rescued over 50 Endangered Star Tortoises from smugglers and released them back in their natural habitat after fitting satellite tags on the animals to track their survival. This is the first time that a satellite telemetry study of Indian Star tortoises rescued from […]
Mass Nesting of Olive Ridley Turtles Begins in Odisha
The mass nesting of olive ridley turtles has begun at Odisha’s Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary in Kendrapara district. The phenomenon known as Arribada (Spanish for mass nesting) began on 14 March 2020. Already 15,000 turtles have come ashore to lay eggs and more will arrive soon. According to Bikash Ranjan Dash, the Divisional Forest Officer of […]
How to Save a Fish that Looks and Acts Like a Snake
More often than not all fish in our minds look like a version of the fish we drew in our school colouring books – cute beady eyes, fins, and a tail. The problem with this version is that if there is in the real world, a fish that does not fit the description, and does […]
A Command for Conservation
Noted ornithologist Harsh Vardhan recently played a key role in helping army officers create a bird park in Jaipur, Rajasthan. He believes this is the first such effort by the army and was impressed by the pace at which the plan was executed. Here is an account in his own words, What has the army […]
Camera Traps Capture Images of Rare Fauna in Tirumala Tirupati Hills
Our verdant forests have always been known to be the thriving ground for exotic flora and fauna. And sometimes these elusive fauna are better seen when captured unawares, albeit on a camera. The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), the busiest temple shrine in the world, installed infrared cameras in the Tirumala hills in Seshachalam biosphere; known […]
These Dogs are India’s Newest Wildlife Heroes
Villagers around the Kawal Tiger Reserve in Telangana State live in fear of one animal – Cheetah. They know that if he gets their scent, no poacher is safe until he is nabbed by the forest department. Cheetah is none other than a German Shepard who is part of the wildlife dog squad deployed in […]
India’s Tiger Numbers are Rising, Reveals Latest Census
On International Tiger Day today Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the All India Tiger Estimation Report 2018 revealing that India now has 2967 tigers in the wild. This is 33 percent growth in the tiger population from the last census conducted in 2014. The Prime Minister said that India had achieved its target of doubling the […]