Scientist in Scotland stumbles upon Critically Endangered Indian Bird’s Egg RARE DISCOVERY: In the drawers of the Zoology museum of the University of Aberdeen, lay an egg, preserved but uncatalogued and unrecognised, until Dr Alan Knox found it and sent it for DNA analysis. What he discovered he aptly describes as a ‘eureka moment’ in […]
Satellite tags to help reveal More about Lesser Floricans
CONSERVATION: Endangered species are animals and plants whose number in their natural habitat is so limited that they might get extinct if proper measures are not taken to save them. However, more often than not, it is lack of comprehensive information related to these species that makes planning their protection or conservation difficult. It is […]
A Tiger’s Growl to keep Elephants Away
CONSERVATION ACTION: Wild elephants are usually not a tiger’s prey. But the calves are still threatened by the wild cat and to keep a herd safe, the jumbos need to stay alert. Now researchers believe they can utilise the keen predator sensing skills of elephants to avoid crop raiding and other elephant-human conflict. A study […]
Shadow Puppetry Spreading Awareness about Medicinal Plants
CONSERVATION: Mixing education with entertainment, the Arunachal Pradesh government has decided to take the help of shadow puppetry to supplement its efforts in creating awareness about the importance of conserving medicinal plants in the state. Using a dying art to spread word about at risk plants is an innovative idea that can now help both […]
India Ends Brutal Slicing of Shark Fins: Why it Matters
There is a predator on the prowl around ocean waters. With a keen sense that has been honed from years of living around the marine environment, the predator looks for its prey and spreads the fearsome net of death. The prey is grabbed, hauled, a precious body part ripped apart while it is still alive, […]
The Smart Survivors: Animals living in Urban Jungles
Urban living is different from rural living – it is a sentiment that many relate to especially those who have made the shift in their lifetime. Lesser trees -more buildings, lesser meadows -more streets, lesser farms -more factories, the urban environment is a greyer setting that people adapt to and adjust to, to survive. Now […]
Know Why the Snow Leopard is Endangered
Name – Snow Leopard Scientific Name – Panthera uncia Status – Endangered In India also known as – Barfani tendua, Him chita Population – There are as few as 3,500 to 7,000 snow leopards living in the wild today; the exact number is unknown as they are extremely elusive and hard to survey. Range – […]
UV Light Emitting Diode to Save Endangered Turtles from Fish Nets
One of the reasons, endangered turtles like the Olive Ridley turtles and Green turtles are dying in large numbers in the world oceans today is because they become victims of accidental by-catch during fishing. But now a new technology might prevent this from happening by using fishing gear that sport Ultraviolet light (UV) emitting diode […]
From Gharials to Dolphins, Yamuna River Lifeline for Many Rare Species
Most people will agree that the river bodies of India like the Ganga and Yamuna are today a shrunken image of their past glory. With everything from industrial effluents to bodies dumped in these rivers; apart from canals, dams, hydro power projects, drinking water usage drastically altering river beds, it is surely a surprise to […]
Himalayan Brown Bear Loosing Home in Himachal Pradesh
The Himalyan brown bear (Ursus arctos isabellinus) some believe is the source of the legend of Yeti or the Abominable Snowman. It is perhaps its ability to walk upright that has given this subspecies of the more famous American brown bear this title. Sadly though experts fear the large scale destruction of its habitat is […]
Snow Leopards becoming Victim of Fashion
For the first time, a fashion symbol not directly related to an animal, has been found to create hurdles for its survival. Cashmere sweaters and products a fashion statement known globally for thousands of years is a new threat to snow leopard according to latest research. Made from the choicest of fuzzy and soft winter […]