Anuradha Shankar , a mother, blogger and a traveler recently visited Wayanad in Kerala and had an unexpected encounter with an Indian Rock Python. As curiosity took Anuradha and her family including her inquisitive son Samhith, to the place where the python was incubating its eggs, she also wondered how difficult it must be for […]
Indian Tree species out of Critically Endangered list
A tree species Syzygium Travancoricum (locally known as kulavetti or vadhamkolli) found only in the state of Kerala has been moved out of the Critically Endangered (CR) category of red list of threatened species. The tree is still rare, but now further away from extinction. In 1998 the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) […]
Carnivorous Plants Emit Blue Glow to Attract Prey
It can be aptly termed fatal attraction. Scientists in Kerala were surprised to discover carnivorous plants that attract insects by acting as blue fluorescent lamps! This is probably the first time in the world that a carnivorous plant has been discovered to reveal a blue glow to catch its prey.
Massive Jumbo Problem for Temples
It is literally a ton of weight on the shoulders of authorities of Tamil Nadu in southern India. The temple elephants kept for religious reasons in the state are getting obese, and now their keepers are planning a strict diet and exercise regime to bring the jumbos back into shape.
Elephant Mother and Baby Rescued from Deep Pit
A mother elephant and her calf were rescued from a 20 feet deep pit last week by forest officers near Vadattupara in Kothamangalam in Kerala. The duo was in the pit for more than 24 hours before they could be rescued.
How Much is too Much
The declaration of the Western Ghats as a World Heritage Site is another milestone achieved towards conservation of India’s vast bio-diversity. But along with world heritage tag comes the added responsibility of ensuring that this heritage is carefully preserved. In view of the expected increase in tourism activities at the heritage sites, the World Heritage Committee has therefore asked India to take proper measures to avoid any possibility of negative impacts.
Western Ghats become a World Heritage Site
The Western Ghats, India’s veritable treasure of some of nature’s best specimens, became the country’s 32 World heritage site after The UNESCO world Heritage Committee at its 36th meeting in St Petersburg inscribed it as a natural world heritage site.
Ship Strike Killing Marine Animals
A new study conducted by researcher along Kerala coasts find that the number of whales and other marine animals getting hit by ships has increased significantly in the past few months. The stranded sea animals also include some rare and endangered species like the Bryde’s whale. A Biju Kumar, Head of the Department of Aquatic […]
Scientists Develop Model to Predict Human-Elephant Conflict Zones
In Indian states like Assam and Kerala where the elephant population of the country is maximum the everyday battles between humans and elephants has become a cause of serious worry. No one can ask the elephants to restrict themselves just to the protected areas of the forest and avoid contact with humans, on the other hand humans too cannot be uprooted from their villages and farms. To ease the tension a team of scientists in Kerala have come up with a prediction model that helps predict possible zones where elephants might tread and come face to face with humans. If the statistical model works, it can be a huge boon in curbing the growing man animal conflicts.
Researchers Find 341 Species of Birds in Kerala
A first time ever dedicated ornithological survey carried out for a year in the Malabar coast of the country by forest department of Kerala has found that there are 341 species of birds in the region with many endemic to the area.
Innovative Tree Climber from Kerala helping Save Vultures in Gujarat
When a small farmer from a village in Kerala devised a new mechanism to make the arduous task of climbing coconut trees easier, he might have never imagined that his innovation would one day help save the highly endangered vultures of India. But that is exactly how some conservationists in the western state of Gujarat are ensuring that vulture population is safe on the tree top.