The Delhi zoo is in celebration mood, all thanks to a Himalayan Black Bear that was born in the bear enclosure after a gap of five years. What is also exciting is that this is the first time the zoo is monitoring the mother and baby with the help of CCTV cameras.
Soldier Saves Sambar Deer Fawn from Stray Dogs
When S K Tripathi, a soldier from Indian Army’s Western Command Signals Regiment was on duty, he spotted a Sambar Deer fawn being attacked by a pack of stray dogs who were biting the helpless creature. The soldier sprang into action immediately and saved the deer from the onslaught.
Farmers Discover Leopard Cubs in their Field
Villagers near Surat in Gujarat were in for a surprise when they found three leopard cubs in the fields. Fearing the mother would return to look for them, the farmers informed Forest Rangers who rescued the cubs.
Great Indian Bustard now Critically Endangered
Elevating the conservation status of the Great Indian Bustard, The Bird Life International and IUCN have declared the bird as a critically endangered species. The present population of Bustards stand at just 300 covering six states in India.
Six Reasons Why Vultures may be dying in India
Pune based NGO Ela Foundation and the National Institute of Virology (NIV) have recently published a research paper that analyses the cause of drastic fall in the vulture population of India. While many believe the main reason for the deaths is use of Diclofenac, a chemical that is fatal to the birds, the research papers suggests other reasons too including electrocution.
Rare Pickle Mango Variety on Path of Resurrection
The appe midi mango varieties in India, know to be excellent for pickle making, are now being conserved by Bangalore University after different varieties were found to become rarer due to usage.
14 Tigers Die in Two Months in India
The tiger count in India was last recorded as approximately 1400. But this census was done in 2008 and in all likelihood the population of the national animal is far less than projected. This has become apparent after Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said on Tuesday that the new year has already seen 14 tiger deaths in the nation.
Turtles become the Most Endangered Vertebrates of the World
Out of all the endangered groups of vertebrates facing extinction the tortoise and fresh water turtle species are the most threatened. This was found by IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group in a study that revealed more than half of the total population under threat of extinction.
World Oceans Losing Big Fishes
What would happen if there were no tigers in the forest? The deer population would increase drastically eventually clearing up the whole forest. It is the same shocking scenario that has come into the forefront after University of British Columbia researchers found out that the number of big predatory fishes in the world oceans is depleting due to over fishing by humans. Small fishes on the other hand are thriving and over the last 100 years their numbers have doubled.
India to Host World Environment Day 2011
It is ‘Destination India’ for the World Environment Day 2011 (WED) which falls on June 5th, for “embracing the process of transition to a green economy”. This year’s theme ‘Forests: Nature at your service” emphasises that quality of life and the well being of forests and that of ecosystems are closely knit. For the first time, India is named as the host by the UNEP-The United Nations Environment Programme. The theme is also in support of United Nations International Year of Forests.
What is IUCN
IUCN stands for International Union for Conservation of Nature. It is the world’s leading organisation that deals with conservation issues.