Did you know that you could get an accurate estimate of the age of an elephant just by analyzing the frequency of its call? Recent research has shown that it is in fact possible to calculate the age of an elephant from the low frequency long distance call sounds made by them. In a paper […]
End of a Dark Era: India’s Most Notorious Poacher Dead
Infamous poacher Sansar Chand, who single-handedly wiped out all the tigers of Sariska Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan died on Tuesday of lung cancer. Often called the deadliest wildlife criminal of India, Chand and his family killed more tigers and leopards of the country than anyone else till date. 60 year old Sansar Chand was suffering […]
Olive Ridley Turtle gets Help from Locals in Protecting Eggs
Its ‘Arribada’ time on the East coast of India. Every year hundreds and thousands of Endangered Olive ridley turtles swim across miles of oceans to reach the beaches of Orissa, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry to lay eggs and bring the next generation into the world at the same places where they were once […]
Two Bird Species make Debut Appearance at Andaman & Nicobar Islands
SPECIES SIGHTING: Researchers of the Zoological Survey of India have been delighted to find two new bird species in India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands. These birds namely the Blue and White Flycatcher (Cyanoptila cyanomelana) and the Great Short-Toed Lark (Calandrella brachydactyla ) have never before been seen or photographed in these parts, proving once again the […]
‘SMS’ for Elephants: Innovative Idea Resolves Man-Elephant Conflict
CONSERVATION SUCCESS: An early warning system using SMSes or text messages is now showing results, reducing the human-pachyderm conflict in the Anamalai hills of Tamil Nadu. Read the story in this guest post by Ananda Banerjee. One night the watchman at the Parry Agro tea factory in Valparai, Tamil Nadu, saw a man getting off […]
GPS Tracking to help Study Snow Leopards in India
TRACKING: Satellite-linked collars will be soon fitted on six snow leopards in the tribal Spiti valley of Himachal Pradesh to get a deeper understanding of the behaviour of the endangered cat. The $40,450 project (Rs 25 lakh) will benefit the state wildlife department in studying the movement of the snow leopards in the Himalayas where […]
Veerappan’s Ghost Surfaces: New Gang Duplicates Method to Retrieve Elephant Tusks
POACHING: Almost a decade after he was gunned down by Special Task Forces, the ghost of dreaded forest brigand – Veerappan – seems to have resurfaced in the forests bordering Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. A series of elephant-killings has led forest officials to suspect that an organized gang of poachers is operating in the area. […]
More Areas of Ladakh Declared as Wildlife Sanctuary
CONSERVATION: The enchanting mountainous region of Ladakh in the state of Jammu & Kashmir is soon to have greater protection for wildlife with the government recently declaring an increased area of Ladakh region being converted into wildlife sanctuary. Ladakh has the unique honour of being home to certain rare and elusive species such as the […]
The Song of the Indian Purple Frog
Scientists Study Rare Species With Unique Behavior UNUSUAL: Have you ever come across a weird-looking purple colored frog with a plump body and characteristic pointed snout? Chances are you have never even heard about their existence until now, because these fascinating members of the animal kingdom were only discovered as recently as in 2003. Now […]
Big Bird Day Records 787 Bird Species of India
SURVEY: February 16, 2014 marked an eventful Sunday for birders all over the Indian sub-continent when they celebrated the Big Bird Day. The 468 teams participating in the annual event this year (as compared to last year’s 168 teams) recorded 787 species of birds which accounts for 65 percent of the bird diversity in India. […]
800 Endangered Olive Ridley Turtles found Dead in South India
TRAGEDY: It was a quest to bring the new generation into this world that led to the death of 800 rare and endangered Olive Ridley Turtles in a beach in southern India. The turtles are known to make their yearly voyage to the east coast Indian peninsula to breed and lay eggs in some of […]