The Madhya Pradesh Forest Department has some delightful news for bird lovers. 7 pairs of the Critically Endangered Lesser Florican birds were seen in the protected Sardarpur Kharmor Sanctuary after a gap of 8 years. The sanctuary is a known breeding ground of this rare bird but after failed sighting of the floricans for the […]
Rajasthan gets Drones and Cameras for Wildlife Monitoring
The state of Rajasthan is installing an advanced surveillance mechanism which includes drones and thermal cameras to curb the menace of poaching and other anti-wildlife activities in an attempt to protect its wildlife and forests. This includes over 9% of the state’s geographical area and include biodiversity-rich national parks like Ranthambore and Sariska. This surveillance […]
This Renault Ad is Not How You Save Wildlife
Uniting a calf with the mother cow is simple and joyous. However, while the joy is comparable the scenario is entirely different when attempting the same with an elephant calf. For one, chances of finding an elephant calf stranded in the forest are slim, unless for a good reason. Even in such a case, uniting […]
Is This the Rarely Photographed Leaf Curling Spider?
Quick Notes Wildlife enthusiast Rajiv Basu clicks photo of a spider rarely seen in Agumbe forests and believes it is the leaf curling spider The last time the spider was officially clicked was in 1928 by W R Sheriff A research paper published in June 2018 says the spider that Sheriff clicked could have been […]
Arabica or Robusta Coffee? These Researchers Asked the Birds!
It’s an age-old debate for coffee lovers. Which is better: Arabica beans with their sweeter, softer taste, or the bold, deep flavor of Robusta beans? A new study by WCS, Princeton University, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison appearing in the journal Scientific Reports has taken the question to unlikely coffee aficionados: birds. The researchers, led by WCS […]
New Frog Species Discovered in Goa
A new terrestrial frog has been discovered in Goa, seen in the high elevation areas near paddy fields and ponds. The frog is brown coloured and has been given the scientific name Fejervarya goemchi in honor of the state where it was identified. The team that made the discovery was led by KP Dinesh, from […]
Bhargavi’s Quest for the Lost Bats of India
In 2016, Hipposideros hypophyllus slid to the bottom of a list that no species wants to be on – the ‘Critically Endangered’ section of IUCN’s Red List. The assessors stated that only 150 to 200 of these creatures remain, all of them confined to a single cave near the village of Hanumanahalli in Kolar, Karnataka. Today, the bat […]
A Year Back Into Nature
“The extinction of wildlife would likely be caused not just by the greed of poachers, but equally by the rapacity of developers,” writes Prerna Singh Bindra in her book The Vanishing: India’s Wildlife Crisis. The year 2017 has given ample proof of both – the remorseless operations of the merchants of wildlife who will sell […]
To Breed or Not to Breed? Migratory Butterflies of India Make Smart Choices, Finds a New Study
Quick Notes Butterflies of peninsular India that undergo a bidirectional migration every year choose a reproductive pause to conserve energy. Migrating and non-migrating female butterflies have distinct morphological and physiological differences. A non-reproductive state helps migratory butterflies to use energy for the exhaustive 300 km migration journey from Western to Eastern Ghats. Post migration the […]
Over 1000 Turtles and Tortoises Rescued in Bangalore from Smugglers
A group of smugglers trying to make away with 1012 exotic turtles and tortoises, valued at about Rs 4 crore in the international market were caught right on time by Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officials last week in Bangalore. They were trying to make their way across the state border over to Chennai and […]
Going Wild Over Mushrooms
Come monsoons, and the thick undercover of Western Ghats forests are transformed into a magical kingdom of mushrooms – ending their mysterious life spent underground and popping out for a brief moment as if just for the purpose of enhancing the life nurturing quality of the season. Unlike the supermarket versions of the packed button […]