It is literally a ton of weight on the shoulders of authorities of Tamil Nadu in southern India. The temple elephants kept for religious reasons in the state are getting obese, and now their keepers are planning a strict diet and exercise regime to bring the jumbos back into shape.
Elephant Mother and Baby Rescued from Deep Pit
A mother elephant and her calf were rescued from a 20 feet deep pit last week by forest officers near Vadattupara in Kothamangalam in Kerala. The duo was in the pit for more than 24 hours before they could be rescued.
Jumbo Ferries Saving Marooned Villagers
Jumbos of North Bengal have become the only means of transportation for people of flood-hit villages near Gorumara National Park under Jalpaiguri Forest Division with most villages having turned into a watery island.
One Horned Rhino and other Wildlife battling Floods in Assam
Forest officials of Assam are having many a sleepless nights as they work non-stop to transfer the animals of world renowned sanctuaries like the Kaziranga national park to safer locations. The park known for its population of one horned rhinos was severely affected after flood waters submerged almost all of the forest area.
Sensor to Save Jumbos from Being Hit by Trains
Come 2016 and elephants may safely cross railway tracks without the risk of being hit by an oncoming train. A device developed by Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, will help detect the presence of elephants and other animals on railway tracks thus sending a warning signal to the train.
Squatters and Solid Waste threatening Kaziranga wildlife
India’s Kaziranga national park is a world heritage site and a park that is home to at least 15 of India’s threatened mammal species including the one horned Rhino. But now the forest officials are concerned that the animals are being threatened by increased plastic waste and other solid waste strewn all over the protected forest grounds.
Rajan, the Sea Faring Elephant of Andaman
At 60, he needs his well deserved retirement after working 30 years of his life. But Rajan the elephant, does not feel like that at all. Even today, the elephant would love to ferry people as a sea taxi around the Andaman Islands in the Indian Ocean.
Karnataka Learns Lessons from Africa to minimise Man-elephant Conflict
Africa is home to almost 3.5 lakh elephants and 80 percent of wild elephants of the nation live outside protected areas. Yet the recorded cases of man-animal conflict are very low. Comparatively the state of Karnataka has just 6000 wild elephants which are increasingly being killed due to human-animal conflicts. It is to find answers to this growing problem that state forest officials travelled to Africa to know what the nations there are doing right to prevent loss of animal life.
10 Endangered Species and Where to Find them in India
Know more about ten of India’s Endangered animals and where to find them in the wild.
Temple Elephants head for a Rejuvenation Camp
13 year old Parvathi, looked quite happy boarding her truck as she looked forward to the 48 day rejuvenation camp planned for her at the cool Madumalai forests. The resident elephant of the famous Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple will join 34 more temple elephants to roam in the wilderness and relax at the Theppakadu elephant camp […]
Scientists Develop Model to Predict Human-Elephant Conflict Zones
In Indian states like Assam and Kerala where the elephant population of the country is maximum the everyday battles between humans and elephants has become a cause of serious worry. No one can ask the elephants to restrict themselves just to the protected areas of the forest and avoid contact with humans, on the other hand humans too cannot be uprooted from their villages and farms. To ease the tension a team of scientists in Kerala have come up with a prediction model that helps predict possible zones where elephants might tread and come face to face with humans. If the statistical model works, it can be a huge boon in curbing the growing man animal conflicts.