What started as a casual lunch time conversation at work turned into an experience of a life-time.
Beware! Your Paint Brush might be made from Mongoose Hair
The next time you pick up a paint brush or a make-up brush, think twice. Chances are the brush might have been made of mongoose hair and you have inadvertently become part of an international illegal trade which is going unnoticed for decades. India is the one of the largest exporters of such kind of brushes made by killing thousands of mongoose annually.
Researchers create first Snow Leopard stem cells
The white skinned leopards of the high altitude have for centuries lived a nomadic and isolated life in the snow peaked mountains of Central Asia. Born shy, no one knows for certain how many of the snow leopards today live in the wild, but that their numbers is diminishing is a given, looking at the conditions of the modern world. In order to make sure that the species can be genetically bred and preserved from extinction; scientists have now created for the very first time stem cells from the ear tissue of a snow leopard.
Rajan, the Sea Faring Elephant of Andaman
At 60, he needs his well deserved retirement after working 30 years of his life. But Rajan the elephant, does not feel like that at all. Even today, the elephant would love to ferry people as a sea taxi around the Andaman Islands in the Indian Ocean.
Tiger Count goes up in Panna but Threat still looms Large
The Panna Tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh was in the news for all the wrong reasons in 2009 when the park did not a single tiger left inside the protected area. But the picture is different today, thanks to tigers re-located from other parks of India who are now well settled in Panna and have also added litter to the population.
Black Necked Cranes Spotted in Arunachal Pradesh
Zemithang Valley in Tawang district of India’sNorth eastern state Arunachal Pradesh is one of the two winter destinations of black necked cranes in India but last year only three of these winged guests arrived here. This year though, the arrivals have been better much to the delight of local conservationists who also spotted a juvenile crane among the group.
Frog Songs Help Researchers Understand Climate Change
Not everyone might appreciate the ‘croak-croak’ of a frog, but few researchers from India are listening to these amphibian sounds night and day to better understand the affect of climate change on these species.
From Dogs to Humans: Problems Galore for the Great Indian Bustard
The Great Indian Bustards are India’s rarest bird species found in five states of the country. Though the government has heightened the conservation efforts to protect the species, there are a number of threats that are pushing the nocturnal birds towards extinction. In Kutch, Gujarat, a study found a population of 50 birds but also revealed that infrastructure development is just one of the many threats faced by the critically endangered birds.
Canal Project Cuts Crucial Tiger Corridor in Ranthambore
An under construction water canal at Ranthambore tiger Reserve is acting as a major hurdle for the tigers. Construction of the canal is underway in the….corner of the park that will join the Kushalipura nalla to the Mansarovar dam. If this is done, it will become a permanent border that will cut the crucial corridor that links Ranthambore National Park to the 128 sq km large Sawai Mansingh Sanctuary.
First Centre to help Captive Elephants of India
In 2009 the Central Zoo Authority of India banned elephants from being part of zoos or circuses in the country. The mandate was clearly a rushed affair as the authorities did not plan the next step regarding the need to provide a separate shelter for the rescued animals. Now three years later, Elephant Aid International has finally come to the aid of these captive elephants and is about to create India’s first Elephant Care and Rehabilitation Centre in Bangalore.
Armed Commandos to Save the Tiger
Poachers have a new threat in the jungles of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu – Trained and armed commandos ready to tackle anything and anyone up against the endangered tigers.