It took the researchers 11 years to convince the scientific community that they had discovered a new scorpion. Because the specimen they had first spotted in Amboli Ghats of Maharasthra looked so similar to another commonly found Indian scorpion the Hottentotta rugiscutis, that it could possibly have been just a colour variation, thought the experts. […]
News Shorts from the Wild
30 June 2019 – 07 July 2019 Impressed Tortoise Seen for the First Time in India Bunty Tao, a ranger under the Hapoli forest division in Arunachal Pradesh’s Kamle district, saw the tortoise in the hands of one of the villagers. He rescued it and thought this one was different. “I’ve seen turtles and tortoises […]
The 9 Core Issues Affecting Safety of Asiatic Lions in India
23 Asiatic lions died unexpectedly in Gujarat in September and October last year because of a sudden bout of the Canine Distemper Virus. The incident again triggered the issue of safety of the growing population of the lions and finding a second home for them. At present the Gir National Park in Gujarat is the […]
Wanted – Eggs of the Great Indian Bustard
It has been long due, but a bustard hatchery centre has finally come up in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. And now, the scientists, including a team of experts from Abu Dhabi, are desperately searching for bustard eggs to pull back the world’s most threatened bird from extinction. The Great Indian Bustard was listed as a Critically Endangered […]
First Tigers Spotted in Kheoni Sanctuary in Dewas, Madhya Pradesh
Kheoni Wildlife Sanctuary in Dewas district of Madhya Pradesh is in the spotlight for the right reasons. For the first time, five tigers have been spotted in the sanctuary that were photographed by a night camera trap. These include 1 male, 2 females and two eighteen month old tiger cubs. The Kheoni sanctuary was established […]
11 Himalayan Animals & Plants Fighting Climate Change
A few days ago, scientists from the University of Columbia and the University of Utah shared images and a study to show that the melting of Himalayan glaciers caused by rising temperatures has accelerated dramatically since the start of the 21st century. The analysis, spanning 40 years of satellite observations across India, China, Nepal and […]
Supreme Court Stops Road Construction Through Rajaji Tiger Reserve
The Supreme Court of India last Friday stayed the construction work of an 11.5 km stretch road that is supposed to be build between Laldhang-Chillarkhal in the Rajaji Tiger Reserve in Uttarakhand. For the promised road, Uttarakhand government had conveniently bypassed statutory clearances and begun the work. The court has issued a notice to Chief […]
Endangered Plant to be Named ‘Shiv Suman’ to Honour King Shivaji
The Frerea indica plant was first discovered in Shivneri Fort of Maharashtra’s Junnar region in Pune in 1865. It was first documented by British scientist Nicol Alexander Dalzel and scientifically named Frerea indica Dalzell after him. But now, 154 years later, in honour of the state and the place of its discovery the plant is […]
Gujarat Fears It Has Lost Its Only Male Great Indian Bustard
In December 2018 the state of Gujarat reported that its lone male Great Indian Bustard was missing. It was a young adult that the officials believed had flown to neighbouring Rajasthan and might return soon. Now six months later, the bird has still not been traced, and as chances of it returning to the state […]
596 New Species Discovered in India in 2018
From tiny mushrooms and clams to snakes, frogs and fish, the scientists and researchers of India who seldom stop looking for the next big find, discovered 596 news species of plants and animals in 2018, according to the latest report by Botanical Survey of India (BSI) and the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI). With these […]
Bees Can Connect Symbols To Numbers Just Like Humans
If you show a first grader the symbols 1,2,3,4 he or she would quite easily be able to tell you that these represent the numbers one, two, three and four. Interestingly, if you show a honeybee the same symbols, the bee too might give a knowing buzz of recognition and understand that those symbols represent […]