The first official nationwide survey ‘Snow Leopard Population Assessment in India (SPAI)’ was conducted between 2019 and 2023 and the report was released in 2024. It showed that India had 718 snow leopards.
Six New Butterflies for India from Arunachal’s Siang Valley
Nestled within the lush, rain-drenched terrain of Siang Valley in Arunachal Pradesh, a team of researchers stumbled upon a discovery that would expand India’s butterfly list.
A New Species of Flounder, Hiding in Plain Sight in Odisha
Quick Glance Along the silty banks of the Bahuda Estuary of Odisha, where river meets sea and light filters through a matrix of mangrove roots and shifting mud, a flounder has been quietly playing hide-and-seek with science. For decades, this flat, brown-spotted fish swam under the name Pseudorhombus arsius — the commonly known Gangetic large-tooth […]
Indian Roller Declared ‘Near Threatened’ After Sharp Population Decline
The Indian Roller, India’s blue bird and state symbol of three states, faces a 30% decline and is now ‘Near Threatened’ due to festival hunting and habitat loss.
India Has Fewer Elephants than We Thought, Finds First DNA Survey
The easiest way to collect an elephant’s DNA is through its dung. Elephants defecate frequently—about 12 to 15 times a day, often in large quantities—and sometimes even in sync with others in the herd, making it possible to gather multiple samples at once. The method is also non-intrusive, requiring no direct contact with the animal. […]
India’s Ghost Bird: Jerdon’s Courser Heard Beyond Its Known Range
India’s legendary Jerdon’s Courser, one of the world’s top “lost birds,” was rediscovered outside its known range in August 2025—ending a 125-year absence from locations beyond Lankamalla hills. A team of birders recorded audio calls of the bird. The Jerdon’s Courser is a Critically Endangered bird as per the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of […]
Historic First: Captive-Bred Wolves Give Birth in the Wild in Gujarat’s Grasslands
Sometimes, it takes just one birth to change the course of conservation history. “Randeepak” — a male wolf pup — was born in the wild to captive-bred Indian wolf parents, Sona and Pradeep, who were released last year into the open grasslands of Kutch’s Nadabet under Gujarat’s Wolf Breeding and Conservation Programme. This birth marks […]
New Animal And Plant Species Discovered in India this August (2025 Update)
India’s biodiversity continues to reveal its secrets as scientists uncover a remarkable range of new species across the country’s rivers, forests, and hills. From two vibrant freshwater crabs in Kerala’s Western Ghats to a narrow-banded snake in Mizoram, the Western Ghats and North east India reveal more secrets that nature has still in store. Here […]
A Tiger’s Death by Wire Snare Exposes Hidden Dangers in India’s Forests
When a four-and-a-half-year-old tigress was brought for treatment to the zoo in Tirupati, veterinarians were confronted with a horrific sight — a huge, gaping hole in her throat. This was not the result of a territorial fight or a hunting mishap. The wound was caused by a poacher’s wire snare illegally set in the Nagarjunasagar […]
Rare Return of Dholes to Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong, Assam: First Sighting in Decades
In a significant conservation breakthrough, the elusive Dhole (Cuon alpinus), also known as the Asiatic wild dog, has been rediscovered in the Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong Landscape of Assam. A study by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) confirmed photographic evidence of the species—once believed extinct in the region since the 1990s. Camera traps captured images of […]
India’s Secret Wildcats: New Report Reveals Where Small Cats Still Roam
India is home to several big cats – the Tiger, Asiatic Lion, Leopard and the Snow Leopard. But hidden in the same forests are other wild cats – smaller in size – but no less important. To understand where these small cats live and their present occupancy status, the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) recently […]