It is often saddening to see the rapidity with which last expanse of wildlife is turning into concrete jungles in India. The growing population and with it the challenges of limited resources is turning even small wilderness pockets into space for high rise buildings. Among such news it is thus a pleasant surprise to find […]
Great Himalayan National Park Becomes a UNESCO World Heritage site
The Western Himalayas are a haven of sorts to numerous rare and threatened species of flora and fauna. The nine year long wait to help protect this haven finally ended a few days ago, when the Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area (GHNPCA) was granted the World Heritage site status by UNESCO. This decision was […]
Critically Endangered Great Indian Bustard gets a Survival Chance
Often, conservation issues surrounding the more recognisable fauna in the world such as lions and tigers receive unprecedented attention, whereas other uncommon species go comparatively unnoticed. However a recent initiative by the Central and the State Governments of India to set up a Conservation and Breeding centre for the Great Indian Bustard in Kutch spells […]
Chasing Monals: A Traveller Spots the State Bird on his Trip to Uttarakhand (photos)
It was a leisurely trip to Uttarakhand’s  Chopta village and Tungnath, that brought the Travelling Slacker face to face with the state bird – the striking Himalyan Monal. Surprised to find this colourful bird fearlessly flying around, the blogger clicked furiously to ensure the memory of this chance rendezvous was preserved for everyone to see. Himalayan […]
Poisoned Tiger in Tamil Nadu Raises Concern About the Animal
In a shocking yet bizarre turn of events, tigers living in the state of Tamil Nadu are now in danger of being poisoned to death. With the latest incident occurring as recently as last month, the toll of tigers killed this year alone has already risen to eight, three of which died due to poisoning. […]
New Species Discovery: A Doting Frog Father
While male parenting may be a recent development for human civilizations in general, the animal kingdom is replete with examples of such unusual parenting behavior. One such example would be that of a newly discovered frog species, the male members of which plaster the eggs laid by their mates with swamp mud in order to […]
In Defence of the Narcondam Hornbill
Narcondam Hornbill (Aceros narcondami) gets its name from its small island home ‘Narcondam Islands’. It is a mere 7 square km of land. Nonetheless for this bird, this tiniest patch of green with its fruit and berry laden trees is its only home in the entire world – a habitat as precious as the bird […]
Indian Railways Take Measures to Reduce Lion Mortality on Tracks
The beautiful Gir forest of Gujarat remains the only abode of the majestic Asiatic Lion in the world. Hunted relentlessly and at risk of extinction, it was the Nawab of Junagadh who first afforded protection to the King of beasts in the early 1900s. Since then, owing to the combined efforts of the Government and […]
Scientists Find World’s Highest Number of Song Birds in the Himalayas
There is a new song they sing and that’s what makes them unique. The results of the first ever mapping of birds in the eastern Himalayan region of India has confirmed that there are more than 360 different songbird species in the regions,  most of which are not found anywhere else on the planet. Scientists […]
Something to Think Beyond World Environment Day
5th June, World Environment Day. A day to buy green gadgets, use recycled paper, create conservation posters, have environment day contests, ditch the cars and pledge to love Mother Earth. Like a sudden burst of emotions for our planet, most of us treat this once-in-a-year occasion as a vain display of our undying love for […]
Assam Rhino Numbers Rise under the Shadow of Poacher’s Gun
There are whispered ‘hurrays!’ among numerous wildlife conservationists of the country. The population of Indian rhinos or one horned rhinos living in Assam has increased by 27 percent in the last seven years according to the latest census reports. Even as the news is a big relief the worry lines still exist as India tries […]