There is a different Ganga for everyone. For the fisherman, it is his source of daily sustenance. For the septuagenarian, her gateway to Nirvana. From the washerman’s daily grime to the sins known only to the one eager to cleanse his soul, the River Ganga is at work 24×7 washing away the dirt and reviving […]
Anti-poaching Camp for the Sea Cucumbers of Lakshadweep
An archipelago of 36 palm-laden coral islands nestled amidst the endless Arabian sea, Lakshadweep embodies a precious heritage of ecology and culture and forms India’s smallest Union Territory. In July 2020 it also became home to the world’s first Sea Cucumber Conservation Reserve. Sea cucumbers convert decomposing organic matter into inorganic nutrients which are sparse […]
Six Elephants die within Ten Days in Chhattisgarh
Thursday 18 June 2020 – A wild elephant is found dead in Rajgarh district of Chhattisgarh. The carcass was found in Behrampur village under Chhal forest range of Dharamjaigarh division. Arun Kumar Pandey, the Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest says the elephant did not die due to natural causes and there were no external […]
China Offers Money to Breeders to Quit Wildlife Trading
In a world devasted by the Covid-19 pandemic, all fingers point to China’s wildlife markets from where the infection first spread. These illegal markets have for long been criticised by conservationists for trading in rare and endangered wildlife. But now that the real human threat because of these markets are visible, China is facing more […]
Planned Roads in Asia Threatening the Tiger’s Future
The roads cutting into a tiger’s land could be endangering its chances of survival. New research by scientists from the University of Michigan finds that more than 24,000 km of roads built and planned for the future could deepen the big cat’s extinction risk. This includes roads and highways being planned in India and the […]
Clean Air during Lockdown and Beyond: Why it Matters
Most people living in the city of Jalandhar, Punjab had not seen the Himalayan ranges from here in the last 30 years. But last March, amidst an all India lockdown with no car or industrial fumes to cover the skies, the Dhauladhar mountain range, part of the Himalayan range in Himachal Pradesh, emerged and became […]
Sea Turtles are Attracted to Stinky Plastic
Sea turtles around the world are threatened by marine plastic debris, mostly through ingestion and entanglement. Now, researchers reporting in the journal Current Biology have new evidence to explain why all that plastic is so dangerous for the turtles: they mistake the scent of stinky plastic for food. “We found that loggerhead sea turtles respond to […]
River Ganga turning Lifeless in Parts finds Study
Researchers from Banaras Hindu University and Mahatma Gandhi Kashividyapith University in Varanasi have found that the underwater portion of River Ganga has got fragmented into areas where no aquatic life exists – a condition named hypoxia. Pollution of River Ganga with untreated sewage containing toxic metals has reduced the level of dissolved oxygen, especially near […]
How to Save a Fish that Looks and Acts Like a Snake
More often than not all fish in our minds look like a version of the fish we drew in our school colouring books – cute beady eyes, fins, and a tail. The problem with this version is that if there is in the real world, a fish that does not fit the description, and does […]
Your Paintbrush could be Stained in Red
“What brush is this?” “It is sable-hair brush. One of the best brushes.” “Okay, we will buy it. Will you give us a bill for the same?” “Bill…umm…no, it is illegal to sell these brushes.” “Why illegal?” “It is wildlife. Banned in India.” The conversation your read above was between an undercover volunteer from Wildlife […]
Changing Physiology of Plants could be Boosting River Flooding Worldwide
The tiny pores under the surface of the leaves called stomata are primarily responsible for the intake of carbon dioxide that plants need for photosynthesis. During the daytime, the pores are open to allow the maximum intake of the gas in the presence of sunlight so that plants can produce their food. But what happens […]