Environmental Studies

At least 260 leopards were poached in the country between 2015 and 2018, with Uttarakhand accounting for 60 cases and Himachal Pradesh reporting another 49, according to information given to Parliament by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC). Of this, 64 cases of leopard poaching were recorded …

According to the National Tiger Conservation Authority’s (NTCA) records till December 15, 2018, there were 95 cases of tiger deaths in the country. Of this, 41 cases of tiger deaths outside tiger reserves have been reported. Of them, 14 occurred in Maharashtra, which accounted for over 34% of all deaths …

The Andhra Pradesh Weather Forecasting and Early Warning Research Centre (AWARE), a division of the RTGS, on Sunday said cyclone Phethai might make landfall by the evening of Monday between Kakinada and Tuni. It would be accompanied by winds blowing at 80-100 kmph. The RTGS sounded high alert in East …

A translocated tiger, the carcass of which was found in an Odisha sanctuary on November 14, died after falling into a trap laid by poachers, says the report of a joint inspection team of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and the Wildlife Institute of India. The report is at …

Discharge of drug-containing effluents can cause drug resistance By studying nine different pharmaceutical active compounds in Yamuna river, researchers have now pointed out that it can “possibly cause chronic toxicity” to aquatic life and to humans who use this water for drinking purposes. As our body does not use the …

The Andaman Islands are well-known for stunning beaches and now, the Sentinelese. Less-known are the colourful sea snakes – banded sea kraits – that also share these beaches. Now, a four-year study has helped shed more light on the mysterious terrestrial life of these amphibious snakes. Banded sea kraits hunt …

Translocated hyena dies in Guwahati zoo A male hyena, which was recently translocated from Jharkhand to Assam State Zoo, died here following brief illness caused by stress and infection, an official said Friday. The hyena, which arrived on November 26 from Bhagwan Birsa Biological Park in Ranchi, slipped into coma …

As many as 384 tigers have been killed by poachers in India in the last 10 years, according to the reply to a question under the Right to Information Act. Between 2008 and 2018 (till November), 961 persons have been arrested for allegedly poaching tigers. The information was given by …

NTCA panel slams planning, operation The committee constituted by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) to enquire into the death of tiger T-1 (the official name of the tigress known as Avni) in Pandharkawada on November 2, has concluded that the dart shot to immobilise the big cat had been …

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had suggested that efforts must first be made to clean the Ganga and then the question of ensuring environmental flows could be addressed, Nitin Gadkari, Union Water Resources Minister, said at the India Water Impact Summit here on Wednesday. This is a significant statement, as prioritising …