Sneha Mahale

Sneha Mahale

About

Sneha Mahale is a Mumbai-based journalist and editor who covers climate change, wildlife, health, technology, and culture. Her work has been published in Hindustan Times, Moneycontrol, New Indian Express, Scroll, Firstpost, and other publications. She specialises in long-form features, reported essays, and deeply researched stories that connect policy, people, and place. You can follow her on X at @randomcards.

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56 stories
A red fox with a prey. Red foxes were common in areas used by other carnivores, likely because they offered scavenging opportunities. Image by WII Camera Trap.

Carnivores alter behaviour to coexist in a high-altitude Himalayan valley

Sneha Mahale 12 Feb 2026
A tiger in Ranthambore. Image by Anupal31 via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).

New DNA analysis reveals tigers feeding on more diverse prey

Sneha Mahale 2 Feb 2026
Himalayan brown bears are elusive, largely nocturnal and occur at very low densities, making direct sightings rare. Image by WII camera-trap.

Study identifies prime brown bear habitats beyond protected areas

Sneha Mahale 9 Jan 2026
Dholes in Bandipur, Karnataka. Image by Mike Prince via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0).

Where the wild dog can roam

Sneha Mahale 4 Dec 2025
Vulture nest numbers have sharply declined in recent years, from 23 occupied nests in 2019 to just one in both 2022 and 2023, across two cliff-nesting colonies in the Kaghaznagar Forest Division and adjoining parts of the Deccan Plateau, at the junction of Telangana, Maharashtra, and Chhattisgarh. Image by Ravikanth Manchiryala.

Deccan’s vultures in decline

Sneha Mahale 4 Nov 2025
Even in fragmented areas, leopards managed to disperse, reflecting their ability to live close to humans and in varied habitats. Image by Shrushti Modi.

Large carnivores share the same forests but respond differently to fragmentation

Sneha Mahale 14 Oct 2025
A tigress and her cub in Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve. In their earliest phase prior to dispersal, young tigers stayed within their natal ranges, close to their mothers’ territories. Image by Rohit Sharma via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Tracking tigers as they move from comfort zones to independence

Sneha Mahale 6 Oct 2025
Representative image of elephant herd by Nissan Sharma via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Expanding elephant range fuels human-wildlife conflict

Sneha Mahale 18 Sep 2025

Tracking India’s elusive grassland nomad

Sneha Mahale 29 Aug 2025
Montagu’s harriers alternate between flapping and soaring flight, and rarely fly above 4,000 m. Image by Thalavaipandi.

The long way might just be the right way for Montagu’s harriers

Sneha Mahale 16 Jul 2025
A gharial and its offspring. At temperatures of around 32°C, a majority of hatchlings may develop into males, while temperatures below 31.5°C and above 33.5°C will see female production dominate. Image by Surya P Sharma.

Rising temperatures could change the future for India’s gharials

Sneha Mahale 11 Jul 2025
A camera trap image of a snow leopard marking a rock with its scent. Image by Pankaj Raina et al.

Snow leopard survey finds the elusive cat thriving

Sneha Mahale 3 Jul 2025
A study found that among all observed behaviours of Gir lions, sniffing was the most common, accounting for nearly 40% of the recorded actions. Image by Mohan Ram.

How Gir lions are using scent to communicate

Sneha Mahale 1 Jul 2025
Female tigers avoid the risks of long-distance dispersal, and benefit from knowing the location of water, prey, and shelter. Image by Supratim Dutta.

How tiger relationships evolve in a reintroduced population

Sneha Mahale 9 Jun 2025
Saplings of the genus Beilschmiedia. As many nurseries still struggle to supply adequate stocks of native plants, this database can help plan large-scale ecological restoration. Image by Vaishnavi Suresh.

Native plant germination database sows seeds of change

Sneha Mahale 21 May 2025
A shepherd from the Bakarwal community of Jammu and Kashmir with her livestock. Image by Amitkanwar919 via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).

The costs of coexisting with predators

Sneha Mahale 6 May 2025

Indigenous traditions shape wolf survival

Sneha Mahale 16 Apr 2025

Declining waders indicate deterioration of wetlands

Sneha Mahale 3 Apr 2025
Protecting core areas ensures tiger populations remain at sustainable levels. Photo Credit David V Raju via Wikimedia Commons

The rise, fall, and return of India’s tigers

Sneha Mahale 27 Feb 2025

Leopards are adapting to central India’s urban jungle

Sneha Mahale 18 Feb 2025

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A white-bellied sea eagle nesting on an electric pylon along Odisha’s coast. Such pylons expose raptors to several risks, including nest removal by maintenance crew and possible electrocution. Image by Sakti Prasad Pattnayak.
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