A chimp using sticks for foraging army ants or an octopus using coconut shells as home are some of the known tool uses in the animal world that are amazing proofs of how humans are not the only species that use an object for a specific purpose. Now scientists have been surprised to discover that […]
Butterfly Park attracts Hundreds of Colourful Winged-Visitors
A butterfly park, setup by a college lecturer, Sammilan Shetty, in August this year, has already attracted over 118 species of butterflies. The regular winged visitors to the new park include a few rare species such as the Blue Nawab and the Southern Birdwing (Troides minos), which is the largest Indian butterfly with a wingspan […]
Poachers using Crude Bombs to Kill Wildlife in Goa
Poachers have stooped to a new low in India by using crude bombs and cable snares to poach wild animals in forested areas and peripheral areas of wildlife sanctuaries in Goa. The brutal method of poaching was exposed accidently when a dog was killed by a crude bomb recently. Animal lovers in the region believe […]
Indian Teenager Wins Prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year Award
Barely 14 and already in the world’s radar – that would be the most apt way to describe Indian teenager Udayan Rao Pawar who won the Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year award by the Natural History Museum and BBC Worldwide for the year 2013. His photograph, “Mother’s little headful,” which shows a mother crocodile […]
Global Warming can make Mammals Smaller in Size
Scientist have long known that mammalian body size significantly decreased during an ancient global warming event around 55 million years ago. Researchers have now found that similar mammalian dwarfing occurred again 2 million years after the first event and thus as the Earth begins to heat up again – mammal body size may again see […]
Erosion of Krishna River bed poses Threat to Ecosystem
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 […]