The Western Ghats, India’s veritable treasure of some of nature’s best specimens, became the country’s 32 World heritage site after The UNESCO world Heritage Committee at its 36th meeting in St Petersburg inscribed it as a natural world heritage site.
132 species of Plants and Animals Critically Endangered in India
The latest Red List of threatened species has been published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and according to the list India has 132 species that are critically endangered.
14 Species of Birds on the Verge of Extinction
The Ministry of Environment and Forest recently announced that there are 14 species of birds that might not fly anymore in the future and might be extinct in India. The announcement came after International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) informed the ministry.
Asiatic Lions no more Critically Endangered
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has just demeaned the threatened status of the Asiatic Lion. Observing the healthy population of the animal in the wild, the organization has re-categorized the Asiatic lions in its Redlist of threatened species from Critically Endangered (CR) to Endangered (EN).
Tea-Coffee Plantations Changing Habitat of Western Ghat Otters
According to a new research published in mongabay.com’s open access journal Tropical Conservation Society (TCS), the Asian small-clawed otter is widespread in the Western Ghats but can’t keep up with changes brought to the region by humans.
Tips for an Eco-conscious Traveler by IUCN
A normal travel plan can change into an eco-travel plan if you only spend a little more time deciding on the place to go. It is not necessarily the trip to a national park or a beach that makes into the list of an eco-tourism spot. The important thing is to minimize the amount of fossil fuels you burn, plan the amount of things you are carrying before you go and if possible opt to help a local conservation organization.
One horned Rhinos to be saved from Annual Floods
To save the One-horned Rhinos from the annual floods of the river Brahmaputra in Assam, the state is all set for trans-location of the animals from Kaziranga national park to Manas Tiger Reserve.
Tree that Helps Treat Cancer Pushed Towards Extinction
A species of Himalayan Yew Tree that is used to produce a drug called Taxol a chemotherapy drug, is being pushed towards extinction due to overharvesting. Medicinal use and use for fuel is fast depleting the given resource of the tree in India, Afghanistan and Nepal warned scientists.
Western Ghat Aquatic Species plunging towards Extinction Warns IUCN
There is a new fear that has gripped biologists in recent times owing to a number of studies and research done on marine species around the world. The fear is that over fishing is killing many small and big fishes in masses, pushing them towards extinction at a very fast pace. The threat is now being felt closer home in India, as an IUCN study reveals that aquatic freshwater species in the western ghats are showing ‘tendencies of extinction’.
India to Have its Own Red List of Endangered Species
As a move to take protection of animals and plants to the next level the Indian environment ministry has decided to bring out its own red list of endangered species like the one published by IUCN worldwide. The move will hopefully give a more systematic and planned approach to the protection of species in the verge of extinction in India.
What is IUCN
IUCN stands for International Union for Conservation of Nature. It is the world’s leading organisation that deals with conservation issues.