The dense mangrove forests in the Krishna river bed at Nagyalanka mandal, Andhra Pradesh near its confluence point is facing a threat to its very survival due to constant erosion of the 5km river bed. Krishna river is one of the longest rivers in central-southern India also known to cause heavy soil erosion during monsoons. […]
Orang National Park Poacher-free No more: Three Rhino Deaths within a Week
(Some images used in the article may be discomforting) POACHING: The Orang National Park located on the north bank of the Brahmaputra River in the Darrang and Sonitpur districts of Assam, India, had a distinguishing title till a fortnight ago. It was the only National Park in the North eastern state which could proudly display […]
Tiger Population Slowly but Steadily On the Rise in Sunderbans
GOOD NEWS: In an exciting news for animal lovers, forest officials inform that there could be more tigers in the Sunderbans than what was earlier believed to be their numbers. This news comes in the wake of the sudden spurt in cub sightings in the mangroves. In fact, the latest camera trap census reveals that […]
Western Tragopan: Vulnerable State Bird of Himachal Pradesh
SPECIES WATCH: Just like we have a National Bird, a National Animal and a National Flower, every Indian state has a State Bird, a State Animal and a State Flower. The motive behind designating these National and State features is to give them protection and to take corrective measures to avoid extinction of these species. […]
Electric Cars to Replace Fuel-run Cars in Shimla Water Catchment Wildlife Sanctuary
CONSERVATION ACTION: It is always great to know when government bodies take up initiatives that benefit wildlife. In a recent eco-friendly initiative, the Himachal Pradesh government decided to ban fuel-driven vehicles from entering the Shimla Water Catchment Wildlife Sanctuary and introduce electric cars and golf carts for use by the visitors. This move aims at […]
Twin Tragedy for Elephants in Bengal
These are trying times for elephants of West Bengal. Two members of the species lost their lives in two separate incidents last month. While one jumbo became victim of a poaching incident, a train accident led to the loss of another’s life. Victim of Poaching As the outcome of a gruesome poaching incident, the carcass […]
Sundarban Tigers Closely Related to Tigers from Central India
RESEARCH: India is home to the largest wild tiger population in the world. The Indian tigers are sometimes also known as the Royal Bengal Tigers (Panthera tigris tigris) also found in Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, China and Burma. Found in fragmented pockets all across the country, there has been speculations however that the tigers of Sundarbans […]
Diesel Pollutants Snatch Honeybee’s Ability to Smell Flowers
RED ALERT: In a report published in the journal Scientist Report, researchers from the University of Southampton have confirmed that certain pollutants destroy floral smells that help honeybees locate flowers that contain nectar. The researchers specifically explored the group of highly reactive nitrogen oxide gases released by diesel combustion and found that these pollutants are […]
Speeding Vehicles bring Early Death to Sloth Bears
CONCERN: Imagine a life where you are constantly living in fear that the next day may be your last as a bullet pierces your chest. Even if you are safe, your kid may not be, snatched right at birth to be sold in far off places. Miraculously, you evade these problems, but there is another […]
How do Plants Tell the Time of Day?
As a kid, I was always curious about a plant in our garden called nine o’clock. My father informed that the unusual name popped from the plant’s habit to bloom like clockwork precision at nine o’clock in the morning. And so with clockwork precision myself, every day I would go out in the garden to […]
12 Gir Lions to Get a New Home in Kuno
Palpur Kuno is finally set to get 12 lions in the first phase of a conservation project involving translocation of Asiatic lions from Gir in Gujarat to neighboring Kuno in Madhya Pradesh. Experts from the Wildlife Institute of India had long identified Kuno in Sheopur district as the ideal location for a second home for […]