Blogs & News

BHUBANESWAR: Field-level personnel of the forest department’s wildlife wing have left for the three tiger reserves of Madhya Pradesh to gather knowledge about habitat management and monitoring.

On September 8, 1983, a group of around 70 villagers from the Salkani village of Uttara Kannada district stood hugging the trees of the Kalse forests to prevent them from being felled by state authorities. Founded and led by environmental activist Panduranga Hegde, the movement christened Appiko (“hug” in Kannada, symbolising protection for the tree) became south India’s first large-scale environmental movement.

The Central government has come up with a new draft National Forest Policy (NFP), 2018, which takes into account a reality that has become the defining feature of the world today—climate change. This latest development suggests that a new forest policy is on the anvil after 30 years.

Manipur Forest and Environment Minister Thounaojam Shyamkumar said the State Government under the leadership of Chief Minister N. Biren Singh is committed and determined to save the environment and wildlife of the State. The department officials are visiting/inspecting the hill districts to look after the loopholes and on possible areas for development. The support of the locals is needed for the success of any developmental work, he added.

Fishing nets pose a serious risk to the survival of penguin species, according to a new global review of the toll taken by “bycatch” from commercial fishing. Fourteen of the world’s 18 penguin species have been recorded as fishing bycatch.

Indore: Two students from Saint Marino School on Wednesday visited Kamla Nehru Prani Sangrahalay, the city zoo, and handed over two endangered species of turtles to authorities. The duo took the initiative after learning about the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act,...

MEDRAFT has developed a unique concept for the independent traveler: “self-guided” GPS tours – an innovative user-friendly complete package that offers a combination of extensive knowledge and exceptional service. It combines the advantages of a private tour together...

Replanting trees after events like last year’s catastrophic Western wildfires not only is critical to forest recovery, but could actually help soils take up more carbon from the atmosphere than if the burned areas were just left idle or cultivated.

Oil palm is one of the fastest growing agricultural crops in the world. Oil palm is a highly productive crop, and palm oil is not only cheap but also extremely versatile, and is put to diverse uses as biofuel, lubricant, cooking oil, and as an additive in the food and cosmetic industries.

GORAKHPUR: Setting a unique example of compassion and devotion for wildlife, forest department employees in UP’s Maharajganj district on Sunday shook off all fears and risk to their lives and carried an ailing leopard on a two-wheeler to save its life as arranging a cage would have taken time.

HYDERABAD: Amrabad Tiger Reserve(ATR) receives a raw deal in the form of a minuscule proposed Eco-Sensitive Zone(ESZ), that is just about 12 per cent of the size of the tiger reserve.

MANGALURU: A herd of wild elephants from a nearby reserve forest have sneaked into villages of Sullia taluk, triggering panic among locals in the area.

Former England captain Kevin Pietersen recently adopted a baby leopard from Raipur. The cricketer posted a video of him feeding the cub from a bottle on his social media and applauded Chhattisgarh government’s efforts to conserve wild animals. Kevin has become the...

AHMEDABAD: After severe drubbing by Comptroller Auditor General (CAG) recently over going slow on implementation of conservation of lions, the Gujarat government has finally approved Project Lion on lines of the central-governmentfunded Project Tiger.

The first time I saw the Himalayas was from the capsule-shaped window of an Air India plane. It was my first flight ever, from Delhi to Leh. I was seven and I didn’t know that the earth could rise so high. A crisp black shadow of our plane fluttered over the brown mountains.

Boost to regional air connectivity through UDAN scheme and upgradation of smaller airports & helipads will bring remote and hinterland destinations into the mainstream.

BHOPAL: The conviction and imprisonment of Salman Khan on Thursday has boosted the morale of Madhya Pradesh forest department, which is struggling with sluggish trials of 135 blackbuck poaching casesin the last 36 years. Bhopal circle has the lion’s share of 46 cases...

After completing a cycling adventure trip from Manali to Leh, a group of cyclists in Goa are keen on taking a bigger team of Goan cyclists on the same route. Café speaks to Rainer Dias, a fitness trainer from Panjim, to learn more about his maiden trip from Manali to Leh a few years ago and his annual rides across the globe.

The Forest Department will attempt to rescue nearly 30 deer that were forced to take to the roads in Taramani on Wednesday. Residents can contact the Forest Department in Velachery in case of any animals or reptiles stray into their localities.

JALPAIGURI: Roofed turtles, which are protected under Schedule I of Wildlife Protection Act 1972, will get a new breeding ground in Jalpaiguri, thanks to all-out efforts by the Society for Protecting Ophiofauna & Animal Rights (SPOAR) and the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI).The population of the species is depleting fast due to rampant poaching and loss of habitat. 

Ranthambore is one of the largest national parks in India. It was established as the Sawai Madhopur Game Sanctuary in 1955 by the government of India.

What we were staring at was totally unexpected and stranger than fiction. And it was within touching distance.

Semi-hidden in the leafy canopy of a beautifully sculpted sausage tree, Kigelia Africana, were several beige blobs.

These unusually diverse agroforestry systems have reduced the pressure on native primary rainforest and serve to provide habitat, forest cover, biodiversity and food security within the buffer zone, where land is otherwise quickly being converted to tea plantations.

Representatives of 10 non-governmental organisations discussed the role played by huge industrial and corporate entities in causing an impact on the environment and the stakeholders at a meeting, convened by Iyarkkai Padhukaapu Kuzhu, here on Saturday.

Fires on the edges of tropical forests and their alteration by land use makes these hot ecosystems lose their shape and stability bringing a sudden, even catastrophic, transformation of land from trees to grass, researchers have found.
In a study published in the journal Ecology Letters, the new knowledge could help protect these tropical forests and allow land managers to build new tools to predict the stability of both individual forest patches and larger regional-scale forests.

T hree Hyderabadi bikers — Pruthu Mehta (38), Khushal Thakkar (33) and Vijay Patel (46) had the time of their lives as they successfully completed an eventful 10-day trip to the majestic Himalayas braving snowy winds, and treacherous hairpin curves on icy roads in extreme winter recently.

CHENNAI: About 100 hectares of reserve forest land in Tiruvannamalai, Dharmapuri and Salem districts will be destroyed to make way for the proposed Rs 10,000-crore Chennai-Salem Green Corridor Express Highway project.

Prashant Deshmukh, Range Forest Officer (RFO), Mangrove Cell, said he has already received instructions for setting up the temporary facility and would begin work on it soon.

Chennai: Welcome to Kullargal Kugai (dwarf cave) reads a field guide prepared by the Tamil Nadu forest department on Tiruvannamalai. The first of its kind documentation by local foresters helps the public to understand the significance of Tiruvannamalai as a biodiversity hotspot.

A year after the forest department and the district administration began efforts to restore River Sigurhalla, and ensure perennial flow of water along its course, wildlife has begun to thrive along its banks and local communities are now free of their annual water crisis.

The male elephants were in must, which meant they were randy, aggressive and unpredictable. “Don’t move,” whispered Bernard, my guide, as a giant bull approached our Land Cruiser and peered down 
its enormous tusks at me. Move? I was frozen solid. Never had I...

Spotted deer and sambar in the Kondapalli Reserve Forest (KRF) will now get access to drinking water 24×7 this summer.

NEW DELHI: Keeping in mind India’s strategic interests, the forest panel of the environment ministry has recommended approval for diversion of about 52 hectares of forest to the Army for its infrastructure needs on the India-China border.The proposal was discussed in a meeting of the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) last month.

Google on Monday commemorated the 45th anniversary of the Chipko movement with a doodle. The doodle depicts four women bedecked in traditional attire, holding hands and forming a chain around a tree, with the fauna which are denizens of the forest portrayed as spectators to this scene of solidarity that is played out on a starry night

With hundreds of miles of rugged coastline and three National Parks that cover a fifth of the entire country, there are few better places to take an active holiday than Wales – whatever kind of trip you have in mind. Whether it’s blowing off steam with a group of friends, unwinding by yourself, or introducing your children to the wonders of the natural world, Wales delivers adventures of all kinds.

NAGPUR: Even though there is a not a single case of human conflict against T-17, the state chief wildlife warden AK Misraon Tuesday issued an order to tranquillize and capture it. The eight-year-old tigress and her 4 cubs had strayed into Girgaon village in Talodhi...

The world’s last male northern white rhinoceros, Sudan has passed. The news was taken with dismay all across the world since the rhino’s death could lead to the extinction of the species itself.

Competitions for school students at the Tropical Butterfly Conservatory near Srirangam and awareness programmes in other places in the district marked International Day of Forests on Wednesday.

R. Gurusamy, a resident of Gandhavayal near Sirumugai, turned teacher for the students of Panchayat Union Primary School of Gandhavayal on a rare subject on Tuesday.

The world’s last male northern white rhino has died leaving only two females left to save the subspecies from extinction.

TRICHY: The invasion of various species of exotic trees had taken a toll on wildlife thereby causing an ecological imbalance, according to the director, state department of environment, A V Venkatachalam.  Addressing students at the 67th college day of Jamal Mohamed...

Jharkhand has always found itself on the crossroads of development and conservation. The dense sal forest surrounding Maturkham village in Purbi Singhbhum district is an example of this strife. It was mercilessly plundered for almost two decades by the forest mafia for its precious timber and rare fauna. Then, in the 1980s, Naxalites set up base in the forests. What ensued was a long-drawn battle between the two, resulting in a lot of bloodshed.

Yet another incident of a man-animal conflict has strengthened the need to protect the green cover and the wildlife corridors that connect various national parks and wildlife sanctuaries

Some 50 years before that magnificent monument of love, Taj Mahal, was built, Abdur Rahim Khan-e-Khanan, a poet and diwan in Emperor Akbar’s court, built a tomb in the memory of his wife Mah Banu. It was the first Mughal tomb built for a woman.

Kendrapara: Frequent wildlife offences and illegal fishing in the protected forest water bodies has put forest personnel of the Bhitarkanika National Park in a spot of bother.

Despite catching up late in India, adventure activities or sports have given thrill seekers multiple places to choose from to get a total adrenaline rush in our own country. Here’s a list of 6 places where you can enjoy adventure activities to the fullest.

Wildlife vet Dr Vinod Dhoot and Gorewada divisional manager Nandkishore Kale are looking after the cub, which has been kept at inpatient ward.

It’s the first time this global phenomenon of having Dinner in the Sky has been made available to Thais and international visitors to Thailand.

According to forest officials, the deer have been kept in a temporary enclosure built at the Rajabhatkhawa forest under the BTR.

HYDERABAD: Adventure sports have caught on well among denizens looking for weekend getaways from the city, and upcoming holiday season is adding to the craze. However, officials are reminding enthusiasts that prior permission would need to be taken before venturing into restricted areas.

Kerala and Karnataka have temporarily banned trekking in forests after a fire in the Theni district of Tamil Nadu on Sunday evening killed 10 trekkers.

The findings of Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) 2018 have brought cheer to birders and ornithologists of Telangana. a whopping 309 species of birds were recorded during the survey conducted between February 16 and 19. “The best part is we have recorded 59 more species when compared to last year, where the count was 250. With this, Telangana now stands sixth in the country. The overall figure of bird species spotted this year in India is 832,” informs Abhishek Ravindra of Hyderabad Birding Pals.

Adventure Island‘s newest water slide will give you a sinking feeling, thanks to its sudden 70-foot drop.

The new ‘Vanish Point’ ride at Busch Gardens’ water park gets you started in a hurry, literally pulling the floor out from under you and sending you hurtling through a slide over 400 feet long.

Big social media companies join with World Wildlife Fund to fight illegal sales

Tulsi Ghat is not just another ghat of Varanasi but one of the important tourist places. The cultural legacy of Tulsi Ghat speaks volumes about its spiritual stature

Now power will be restored by late night.”It is notable that this power house supply power to half city and more than 15 villages including –Begawala, Rahimpur, Dharam Nagari, Kherki etc.

Grammy Awards winning musician and record producer Pharrell Williams visited the Wildlife SOS-run Elephant Conservation and Care Centre at Mathura in Uttar Pradesh to meet rescued elephants and help promote their conservation in India.

‘Protection, support’

Satellite-based observations suggest that global mean sea level has been rising at a rate of about 3±0.4 mm per year since 1993. By considering interannual and decadal variability and instrument errors, the sea level is accelerating every year at 0.084±0.025 mm per year

When it comes to holidaying in the Middle East, there’s a new kid on the block. From April 1, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will start issuing tourist visas for the first time since it clamped down on visitors in 2010.

In a gruelling seven-hour long rescue operation, members of an NGO managed to catch a 4.4-foot long crocodile stuck in a drain near a construction site in the residential area of Yogi Hills in Mulund in the wee hours of Monday.

New Delhi: Tourists on a wildlife safari in central India were treated to a rare and vicious fight for survival between a sloth bear defending its young and a huge Bengal tiger.

A camera trap installed in Lalgarh forest a few days ago caught a royal presence in the once-Red zone early on Friday: a full-grown male Bengal tiger, the first-ever sighting of the big cat in this area. The event, believe experts, marks one of the longest tiger migrations in India — a distance of more than 250km.

PARIS: A thriving hotspot of some 1.5 million Adelie penguins has been discovered on the remote Danger Islands in the east Antarctic, surprised scientists announced on Friday.

South America proves to be everything and more than what Shirin Mehta was hoping for as she visits Peru under the protective umbrella of a luxury tour by Globus

Four-day Biodiversity Assessment of Munnar Wildlife Division finds a total of 220 species of birds and 186 species of butterflies.

Canada welcomed a record-breaking 20.8 million tourists in 2017 – the highest ever in Canadian history – according to preliminary data released Feb. 20 by Statistics Canada.

The Halondsfjorden Fjord in the northern Saltan region is known predominantly for bridging Svartisen (the most-visited glacier in Norway) to avid Arctic travellers and ice climbers who brave the glacial colds for a view of the stunning Northern Lights

Ganesh Shirsekar - After traveling around the world and making a splash in Jaipur and Delhi, the global exhibition-cum-conservation initiative Elephant Parade arrived in Mumbai on Sunday. Hopefully, we can convince them to add elephant conservation to their CSR...

Uttar Pradesh has so much to showcase. It could be said Uttar Pradesh is the soul of India. In coming four years, tourism will be providing employment to youth at a huge scale, says Prof. Rita Bahuguna Joshi,Minister for Tourism and Women & Child Welfare, Family...

It might come as a surprise that the desert state of Rajasthan has vast tracts of luscious green vegetation at Kumbhalgarh. The dividing line between the Mewar and the Marwar state during medieval times, Kumbhalgarh was once a famous hunting ground for the royal...

We’re glad to introduce to you, India’s first initiative on Experiential and Sustainable Tourism – Times Travel Show, 24th-25th February 2018, at MMRDA grounds, Mumbai

AS part of the third phase of All India Tiger Estimation, 2018, counting of tigers through camera trapping method has taken off in the five tiger reserves of Karnataka.This time, camera traps have doubled and each grid will be of two square kilometres with a pair of camera traps

Indian swimmer Rohan More created history after becoming the youngest individual in the world to complete the Ocean Seven challenge. Incidentally, he is also the first Asian and the first Indian to swim across the Ocean Seven.

Living in harmony with the land is no easy task as a farmer. Especially with pests as tiny as red spider mites and as huge as elephants to contend with. But in Assam, India’s largest tea producing region, one man has found a way live in harmony with both.

India has launched a fresh tiger counting exercise, the world’s largest wildlife estimation effort,amid lingering concerns about poaching and the challenges of creating and protecting 32 corridors to help tigers move safely between protected areas.

The sign survey carried out extensively in the Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve (NSTR),the largest in the country, last week, has indicated in an increase in the number of the big cats.

Wildlife SOS, a non-profit organisation (NGO), that works for conservation of forests and wildlife, rescued an injured Indian rock python and a crocodile on Sunday afternoon in Agra.

India’s growing network of roads and railway lines, often crisscrossing forests and wild lands, has turned deadly for wildlife. In December last year, for example, an eight-year-old tiger died in an accident

Jamshedpur Jan 24: The Tata Steel Adventure Foundation (TSAF) is making continuous efforts to provide opportunities to women, especially those who are underprivileged, to empower them to be bold, resilient and self confident. In line with this, two women , one from...

Indian Navy's sailing boat INSV Tarini with an all women crew, on its maiden voyage circumnavigating the world has entered Port Stanley in Falkland islands.  It is likely to depart Port Stanley on February 4. Meanwhile the indigenous built INSV Tarini is a 56 foot...

Jalpaiguri: Photos of the golden cat, a species rarely sighted in recent years in north Bengal, have been captured at the Neora Valley National Park, foresters said on Friday. Since last week, foresters have been examining photos clicked by cameras in the park. The...

New Delhi, Jan 11: Air warriors fly high, but some of them prefer to kiss the sky without being in the relative comfort of a cockpit. The Indian Air Force adventure team has achieved the goal of climbing the highest mountains in all the seven continents of the world....

Kolkata, Jan 8 (IBNS): A week-long  Winter Adventure Camp organized by Air Force Station Bagdogra under the aegis of Air Force Wives Welfare Association (Regional), Eastern Air Command of the Indian Air Force concluded at Bagdogra today. The aim of the camp was to...

GUWAHATI: Quarmy, the third member of the sniffer dog team deployed at the Kaziranga National Park, has cracked her first wildlife crime case by foiling a poaching attempt. A one-and-half-year-old German shepherd, Quarmy is the latest addition to the canine squad...

The field data collection for tiger enumeration or  "Tiger Census" goes digital in the country in order to reduce human error and provide more reliable estimates. In the All-India Tiger Estimation, already in progress, in Karnataka as the authorities plan to eliminate...

Wildlife ecologist Vidya Athreya will elaborate on the complexities of the man– animal conflict and the way forward, at her talk this week Wildlife enthusiasts in Pune have an opportunity this Saturday to appease their curiosity about the co-existence of man in nature...

“The festival is an attempt to unite adventurers and slackliners from different countries to create a global community,” – Samar Farooqui, India’s slacklining champion

A RECENT study by the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI), has concluded that elephant poaching in the country has greatly reduced.Scientists from international institutes and TAWIRI recently published a paper on patterns in wildlife distribution and elephant carcasses seen in the Ruaha-Rungwa ecosystem in southern Tanzania.

MELBOURNE: Scientists have discovered a water-adapted species of spiders and named it after Jamaican reggae legend Bob Marley.

KATHMANDU: Nepali authorities have rescued the country’s last known “dancing bears”, officials said on Sunday, ending the medieval tradition of abuse of the beasts for entertainment.

The Kolkata International Wildlife and Environment Film Festival (KIWEFF) authorities conferred its “Golden Tiger Best Green Administrator Award” jointly to two government officials working in the Sundarns.

Two young men from the city will receive awards for conserving and improving the understanding of wildlife from the Sanctuary Nature Foundation on Friday night. Hailing from the western suburbs, both Shashank Dalvi (34) and Nikit Surve (25) grew up exploring the wilderness of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP).