There is a hubbub in the atmosphere. The residents of Ghoshpara Bakpukur, a Bengal village about 20 km from Kolkata cannot believe how their luck has turned around thanks to a duck. But it surely seems like it. Around ten days ago a single male American Wood Duck was seen swimming in the village water […]
A Gharial travels 1100 km from Nepal to India
The river Gandak in India is called Narayani in Nepal, but ask one Ghariyal, and the trans-boundary differences just merge into one long river path which it took to travel for more than 1000 kilometres from Nepal to India. According to the Wildlife Trust of India, biologist Subrat Behera working on the Gharial Recovery Project […]
Rare Ganga River Dolphin Spotted in Meerut and Kolkata amidst Lockdown
The natural world is finding different ways to reveal itself amidst the nationwide lockdown. From spotted civets in Kerala to deer in Punjab, and flamingos in Mumbai to now the endangered Ganges river dolphin seen in Meerut and Kolkata, it seems the pause button in people’s lives has created just the right opportunity for the […]
From Kolkata To Munnar, The Race To Save Live Corals
It was a strange predicament for the officers of the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) few days back when they seized 20 live corals from a house in Kolkata. Unlike other species usually rescued by them that can be released in safe habitats locally, in order to save the corals, the officers have to restore […]
Bengal Becomes the Hub of Wildlife Trade in India
Quick Notes Raids conducted in different parts of the state in June reveal 6 cases of large wildlife seizures in just a month Wildlife trades include rare and protected species like the pied hornbill, slow loris, great Indian hornbill, bear, tiger, tokay gecko etc. Bengal is used as a hub and a transit point by […]
Animals Killed In Thousands, On World Environment Day Last Month
When the world was celebrating World Environment Day on June 5th this year, as part of a ritual of a hunting festival in West Bengal, about 5000 animals were being hunted using slingshots, bows, arrows and knives. This gruesome act was reported by a Kolkata-based organisation and Sanctuary Asia magazine. The shockingly brutal incident took […]
New Species Of Moray Eel Discovered In India
A new species of eel has been discovered along the coast of Digha in West Bengal’s Purba Medinipur district by scientists of Zoological Survey of India (ZSI). The species has been named Gymnothorax mishrai. It is 32.4 cm long, brown in colour and is devoid of any pattern on its body. The species is distinguished […]
Tiny National Park Showcases Huge Butterfly Diversity
Gorumara National Park in West Bengal is one of the smallest known national parks of India with a total area of just 80 sq km. Nonetheless, what it lacks in size, the park compensates in the rich diversity of fauna, especially butterflies thriving in this area. A recent study recorded more than 300 species of […]
Bengal considering Birth Control to solve Human-Elephant conflict
The continual decline in the population of a species poses a major threat to biodiversity. On the flip side, the unhindered and rapid multiplication of species also brings forth its own set of problems. It is this rise in the population of the elephants in West Bengal that has led to increased man-animal conflict, say […]
World’s First Mangrove Zoo to be opened in West Bengal
In case you are planning a trip to West Bengal in future, do include in your travel itinerary – a trip to the “Mangrove Zoo”. According to official sources, the world’s first mangrove zoo, a dedicated facility accommodating the fauna of the Sundarbans, is to open in Jharkali, South 24- Parganas district West Bengal soon. Jharkali […]
Twin Tragedy for Elephants in Bengal
These are trying times for elephants of West Bengal. Two members of the species lost their lives in two separate incidents last month. While one jumbo became victim of a poaching incident, a train accident led to the loss of another’s life. Victim of Poaching As the outcome of a gruesome poaching incident, the carcass […]