Lesser Florican (Sypheotides indica), the smallest member of the bustard family is one of the four threatened bustard species of India. Though it has been given the highest degree of protection under Schedule-I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act of India, 1972, its numbers has gone down drastically. In 2011 it was declared as an Endangered […]
A Spider that can stay Underwater for 14 minutes!
If there was a competition among spiders of holding their breath underwater, the Tylorida sataraensis spider from the Western Ghats of India would surely be a strong winning contender. This particular spider species will dive under water and stay under for as long as 14 minutes to evade its predator before coming up for air. […]
Tiger Numbers on the rise in Andhra Pradesh and Telengana
The newly bifurcated states of Telengana and Andhra Pradesh will soon have about 100 tigers owing to the conservation efforts at the Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve. If the authorities manage to successfully contain poaching in the following years, the tiger population is likely to cross the century mark from an all-time low of 68 in 2014. […]
A Newborn Hope for One of the Rarest Bird in the World
There is good news for Great Indian Bustard fans. A hatchling was recently seen in the Desert National Park of Rajasthan, after relentless efforts were made in the last few years to increase the population of this critically endangered bird. There are just 200 Great Indian Bustards surviving in India today with most of their […]
Sniffer Dogs to Protect Rhinos of Kaziranga
Kaziranga National Park is all set to receive two sniffer dogs, named Kareena and Babli to protect the one-horned rhinoceros from poachers. The two will join, Jorba the only sniffer dog in the park till now, who has successfully aided officials in nabbing poachers and guarding the rhinos. Image for representation purpose only. Courtesy, wwf.org.uk […]
‘Your Friend is My Friend’ Say the Hyenas
The exceptional success of facebook as a social media tool has proven beyond doubt that humans have a natural tendency to make friends with the friends of their friends. A study from National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis shows that even the spotted hyenas instinctively seem to know that this kind of bonding is […]
Endangered Asiatic Lions Drown in Flash Floods in Gujarat
The drought-prone areas of Saurashtra and Kutch in Gujarat struck by unseasonal heavy rains claimed the lives of 9 Asiatic lions after they got stuck in the flash flood. About 35 lions were reported missing. Amreli district, where the average monsoon rainfall is 600mm received 816 mm rainfall over three days was the worst affected. […]
iSharkFin for Better Protection of Endangered Sharks
A new technology that will help quickly identify shark species and help save them is here. The software called iSharkFin was developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) jointly with the University of Vigo and was funded by the Government of Japan and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora […]
New Nesting Ideas Helping Grey Hornbills Survive in Treeless Cities
Adaptation is one of the key requirements for successfully evolving and staying alive in the race of “the survival of the fittest”. The Indian Grey Hornbills of Indore are playing by these rules and have adapted to a highly urbanized environment created by human beings. In the concrete jungles where there are very few trees […]
Hidden Jungle Animals Caught on Camera by School Children
Living in Pawani village in Maharashtra one would not usually consider the village to be a tiger territory. Rightly so, as the village does not fall within the boundary of any protected tiger reserve. However, the children of this village studying in Jai Seva Adarsh High School have proved everyone wrong. Armed with highly sensitive […]
New Plant Species of Camphor Discovered in the Western Ghats
A new tree species has been discovered in the Western Ghats, the leaves and stem of which, when crushed, gives out a strong smell of camphor. The species was first reported from Agasthyamala hills in the southern part of the Western Ghats and was hence named Cinnamomum Agasthyamalayanum. Image courtesy journalijar.com/uploads/899_IJAR-4343.pdf The genus Cinnamomum contains […]