<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" >

	<channel>
		<title>Mongabay India</title>
		<atom:link href="https://india.mongabay.com/feed/?byline=kumer-singh&#038;post_type=post" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
		<link>https://india.mongabay.com/by/kumer-singh/</link>
		<description>India&#039;s environmental science and conservation news</description>
		<lastBuildDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2026 09:06:00 +0000</lastBuildDate>
		<language>en-US</language>
		<sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod>
		<sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency>
		<generator>https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.4</generator>
				<item>
					<title>‘We cannot hold peace talks at gunpoint’: Security build-up deepens distrust over dam</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/11/we-cannot-hold-peace-talks-at-gunpoint-security-build-up-deepens-distrust-over-dam/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/11/we-cannot-hold-peace-talks-at-gunpoint-security-build-up-deepens-distrust-over-dam/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>06 Nov 2026 13:19:12 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Ranju Dodum]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Simrinsirur]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hydropower]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[river]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/11/06084117/20261023_120027-1-scaled-e1793934699708-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=42130</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Hewing The Regulatory Tree and The India Water Story]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Arunachal Pradesh and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Activism, Climate Change, Energy, and Rivers]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[On the morning of October 23, men and women sat outside the closed shops of Yingkiong’s main market in Upper Siang district, Arunachal Pradesh, talking about ordinary things, even though life in the Siang valley has been anything but. The market was deserted on account of a bandh, following weeks of unrest over the Siang [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[On the morning of October 23, men and women sat outside the closed shops of Yingkiong’s main market in Upper Siang district, Arunachal Pradesh, talking about ordinary things, even though life in the Siang valley has been anything but. The market was deserted on account of a bandh, following weeks of unrest over the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP). Armed personnel in fatigues roamed the streets, and by the afternoon, the internet had been shut down in the entire district. “It feels as if they are deploying armed forces against us by force; like fighting an enemy on the border,” said Katin Burang, 44, a paddy and orange farmer from Gosang, a village near Yingkiong, who was at the market that day. “That is the change.” Hundreds of police personnel and paramilitary forces were deployed to the region since September 14, when residents called for a halt to all pre-feasibility studies (PFR) towards the SUMP – a massive hydroelectric and flood-control dam projected to generate roughly 11,200 MW of power. In early October, tensions escalated when four protesters were detained under the Arunachal Pradesh Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 2014. After a protest march demanding their release turned violent on October 23 – ending in damages to two MLAs&#8217; homes and the office of the project developer, the NHPC, being set on fire – the crackdown intensified. The police has filed at least eight cases and arrested 26 people in connection to the violence. Search warrants were sought from the Chief&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/11/we-cannot-hold-peace-talks-at-gunpoint-security-build-up-deepens-distrust-over-dam/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/11/we-cannot-hold-peace-talks-at-gunpoint-security-build-up-deepens-distrust-over-dam/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>As wars reshape priorities, climate cooperation faces a test at the UN Climate Summit</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/11/as-wars-reshape-priorities-climate-cooperation-faces-a-test-at-the-un-climate-summit/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/11/as-wars-reshape-priorities-climate-cooperation-faces-a-test-at-the-un-climate-summit/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>06 Nov 2026 12:23:58 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Soumya Sarkar]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[adaptation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[adaptation finance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate change]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Climate mitigation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[COP31]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/11/06120734/signal-2026-11-06-12-03-39-562_002-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=42143</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Clean Energy and Climate Finance]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Global]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Clean Energy, Climate Change, Climate Change Adaptation, and Climate Change Mitigation]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[When delegates from around the world gather in the Mediterranean resort town of Antalya in the Turkish Riviera for the annual, two-week United Nations climate summit (COP31) that begins on November 9, they meet at a time when wars and geopolitical rivalries are pushing governments to protect their immediate national interests even as rising temperatures, [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[When delegates from around the world gather in the Mediterranean resort town of Antalya in the Turkish Riviera for the annual, two-week United Nations climate summit (COP31) that begins on November 9, they meet at a time when wars and geopolitical rivalries are pushing governments to protect their immediate national interests even as rising temperatures, warming oceans and melting ice are making the costs of delayed climate action harder to contain. Although the need for countries to work together has rarely been greater, their willingness to do so is far less certain. The formal negotiations at the UN climate conference in Antalya will address adaptation and resilience, emissions reduction, climate finance and a just transition. Alongside them, the Turkish host’s action agenda will pursue practical progress on clean energy, electrification, food security, oceans and resilient cities, bringing together businesses, investors and other groups. Türkiye’s 35-by-35 electrification pledge and previous host Brazil’s roadmap for moving away from fossil fuels offer grounds for progress. Renewable energy continues to expand despite political and economic uncertainty. But the gap between the climate crisis and the political response remains enormous. COP31 could advance the work, but it is unlikely to resolve the contradictions that hold it back. A planet under pressure The evidence is stark. The World Meteorological Organization’s State of the Global Climate 2025 confirms that 2015-25 were the 11 hottest years on record. The planet’s energy imbalance has reached its highest level in 65 years, while oceans have absorbed enormous amounts of excess&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/11/as-wars-reshape-priorities-climate-cooperation-faces-a-test-at-the-un-climate-summit/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/11/as-wars-reshape-priorities-climate-cooperation-faces-a-test-at-the-un-climate-summit/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Two losses this year, but authorities say great Indian bustard&#8217;s rewilding is on track</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/11/two-losses-this-year-but-authorities-say-great-indian-bustards-rewilding-is-on-track/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/11/two-losses-this-year-but-authorities-say-great-indian-bustards-rewilding-is-on-track/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>06 Nov 2026 11:56:30 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Arathi Menon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[captive breeding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[GIB]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Great Indian Bustard]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/11/06104730/The_Great_Indian_Bustard_Ardeotis_nigriceps-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=42146</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Rajasthan]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Birds, Conservation, Ecology, Endangered species, Extinction, Grasslands, National Parks, Protected Areas, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In what is being considered a milestone for Project Great Indian Bustard, four captive-bred great Indian bustards (GIBs) were released into the wild in early October at the Desert National Park in Rajasthan. On October 17, one of the four birds was found dead, apparently predated upon by a desert fox the day before. The [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In what is being considered a milestone for Project Great Indian Bustard, four captive-bred great Indian bustards (GIBs) were released into the wild in early October at the Desert National Park in Rajasthan. On October 17, one of the four birds was found dead, apparently predated upon by a desert fox the day before. The authorities, however, do not consider the loss a setback. Sutirtha Dutta, a lead scientist with the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), informs Mongabay-India that mortality due to predation and starvation, as well as threats posed by existing infrastructure, is expected during rewilding. Earlier this year, a GIB chick hatched in the wild in Kutch, Gujarat, in March after a fertilised egg was transported from the conservation breeding centre at Sam in Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer. It then went missing in April and could not be traced despite searches by forest officials. The egg had been transported as part of the Jumpstart Approach, an attempt to restore a breeding population of GIBs in Gujarat, another former range state of the bird. The approach uses eggs from Rajasthan&#8217;s captive-breeding programme and gets wild female bustards in Gujarat to incubate and rear the chicks. Forest department officials suspected that the chick had been predated upon, although no remains were recovered. Its disappearance prompted the state government to strengthen habitat protection, fencing and predator-management measures. A desert fox. Of the four captive-bred great Indian bustards released into Desert National Park in Rajasthan, one was found dead, apparently predated upon by a&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/11/two-losses-this-year-but-authorities-say-great-indian-bustards-rewilding-is-on-track/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/11/two-losses-this-year-but-authorities-say-great-indian-bustards-rewilding-is-on-track/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Mammals of India [Interview]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/video/2026/11/mammals-of-india-interview/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/video/2026/11/mammals-of-india-interview/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>05 Nov 2026 17:16:00 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[S. Gopikrishna Warrier]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[S. Gopikrishna Warrier]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[book]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/11/05164924/vertical-f-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?post_type=videos&#038;p=42116</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Biodiversity, Conservation, Ecology, Interviews, Mammals, Research, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) recently published, in collaboration with Harper Collins Publishers India, a book titled Mammals of India. The book is authored by two well-respected wildlife researchers — A.J.T. Johnsingh and P.O. Nameer. Johnsingh died in 2024, before he could see the book through to its publication. Mongabay-India spoke with Nameer, Dean [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) recently published, in collaboration with Harper Collins Publishers India, a book titled Mammals of India. The book is authored by two well-respected wildlife researchers — A.J.T. Johnsingh and P.O. Nameer. Johnsingh died in 2024, before he could see the book through to its publication. Mongabay-India spoke with Nameer, Dean at the College of Forestry at the Kerala Agrucultural University in Thrissur. In the conversation, Nameer recalls how the project on compiling a book on India’s mammalian biodiversity started in 2018. The idea was to publish a book that is equally of importance to the wildlife researchers and non-expert readers. India has a unique heritage of mammalian diversity, considering its geological and biogeographic history. Having broken off from the African landmass and drifted through the sea through millions of years, it collided with the Eurasian landmass around 50 million years ago. The Himalayas rose at the point of collision, folding and thrusting upwards as the Indian and Eurasian landmass moved closer to each other. However, this process of joining happened staggered over millions of years, leading to multiple stages of connections and disconnections for the spread of mammals. The world’s highest ridge — the Himalayas — resulted in change in the monsoon system, which is the annual movement and retreat of moisture-laden winds from the sea to the land. The height of the Himalayas ensured that no monsoonal winds crossed over to the northern side of the ridge. Much of the Indian peninsula was also&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/video/2026/11/mammals-of-india-interview/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/video/2026/11/mammals-of-india-interview/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>A native tarantula as a seasonal food</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/11/a-native-tarantula-as-a-seasonal-food/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/11/a-native-tarantula-as-a-seasonal-food/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>05 Nov 2026 13:18:17 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sabir Nishat]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Divya Kilikar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[arachnids]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spiders]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Traditional Knowledge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wild foods]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/11/05130838/Live-view-of-spider-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=42065</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Assam]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Ecology, Endemic species, Food, Forests, Indigenous Peoples, Natural Resources, Sustainability, Tribes, Villages, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In the forest-fringe villages of Kamrup (rural) district, Assam, the emergence of a large, endemic tarantula signals the arrival of a seasonal food for the Rabha community. The Rabhas, also known as Ravas, are an Indigenous community that predominantly reside in Goalpara and Kamrup districts in western Assam, along with smaller settlements in other parts [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In the forest-fringe villages of Kamrup (rural) district, Assam, the emergence of a large, endemic tarantula signals the arrival of a seasonal food for the Rabha community. The Rabhas, also known as Ravas, are an Indigenous community that predominantly reside in Goalpara and Kamrup districts in western Assam, along with smaller settlements in other parts of Assam, Meghalaya and West Bengal. A new study published in Proceedings of the Zoological Society documents the community&#8217;s consumption of the Indian black earth tiger spider (Lyrognathus crotalus). Locally known as bhaluk makara, it is collected from April to June every year, when they are observed by the Rabhas to be most abundant. Researchers Jyotiprakash Boro, Kuldeep Bora, Chandramita Boro and Samir Terdalkar conducted fieldwork between April and June 2025, interviewing 34 community members in and around Mouman village, including elders and spider collectors. Collecting spiders for a diverse diet The spiders are collected during three to four days a month during the pre-monsoon months and occasionally at other times of the year, depending on availability. A collection trip can yield about 20 to 30 spiders. The Indian black earth tiger spider is collected and consumed by the Rabha community during the pre-monsoon months, when they are considered abundant. Image by Prasanna Bonyabondhu. Collectors locate the spiders by finding their burrows in near forests, particularly those associated with sal (Shorea robusta) trees. They either carefully dig them out or insert a wooden stick into the burrow to encourage the spider to emerge. Taxonomic research&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/11/a-native-tarantula-as-a-seasonal-food/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/11/a-native-tarantula-as-a-seasonal-food/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>New study examines effect of artificial light at night in protected areas</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/11/new-study-examines-effect-of-artificial-light-at-night-in-protected-areas/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/11/new-study-examines-effect-of-artificial-light-at-night-in-protected-areas/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>05 Nov 2026 12:00:43 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Arathi Menon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[light pollution]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/11/05105840/pexels-mayur-patel-8632-56743-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?post_type=short-article&#038;p=42069</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Kerala]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Pollution, Protected Areas, Western Ghats, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In protected areas, artificial light at night can affect wildlife in several ways, potentially changing where animals live and move, how they navigate, their reproductive behaviour and interactions between predators and prey. A new study examines how artificial light at night (ALAN), including the diffuse glow produced when artificial light scatters in the atmosphere, affects [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In protected areas, artificial light at night can affect wildlife in several ways, potentially changing where animals live and move, how they navigate, their reproductive behaviour and interactions between predators and prey. A new study examines how artificial light at night (ALAN), including the diffuse glow produced when artificial light scatters in the atmosphere, affects the night-time environments of protected areas in Kerala’s Western Ghats. The study not only investigates illumination within protected areas but also how surrounding human settlements, roads, places of worship, tourism facilities and other activity centres may contribute to light pollution. The researchers assessed 21 protected areas, using satellite-derived night-time light data from 2024 and infrastructure information from OpenStreetMap. The study mentions that these protected areas are close to human habitation, exposing them to ALAN. They examined light exposure within protected areas and in five surrounding distance zones: 0-2 km, 2-5 km, 5-10 km, 10-20 km and 20-30 km. Light levels varied considerably between reserves studied, with Periyar Tiger Reserve West recording the highest average and maximum light levels measured by satellite data. One of the main takeaways is that within protected areas, the density of places of worship was most strongly associated with light levels. “We found ALAN to be closely related to places of worship with high levels of artificial light and illumination at night,” informs Haripriya S., the lead author of the study. In the surrounding areas, however, road density and the density of places of interest, such as activity centres, were the&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/11/new-study-examines-effect-of-artificial-light-at-night-in-protected-areas/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/11/new-study-examines-effect-of-artificial-light-at-night-in-protected-areas/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>The world&#8217;s largest bovine</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/11/the-worlds-largest-bovine/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/11/the-worlds-largest-bovine/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>04 Nov 2026 16:57:25 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Team Mongabay-India]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Divya Kilikar]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/11/04150443/gaur-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?post_type=short-article&#038;p=42061</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Species File]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Biodiversity, Habitat Fragmentation, Habitat Loss, Mammals, National Parks, Wildlife, Wildlife Protection Act, and Wildlife Sanctuary]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Species File: Exploring India&#8217;s biodiversity, one species at a time. Decades after disappearing from Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, the gaur or Indian bison made a comeback following conservation efforts, according to media reports. In 2011-12, a herd of 40 gaur were reintroduced from Kanha Tiger Reserve, and today, Bandhavgarh&#8217;s gaur population stands at [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Species File: Exploring India&#8217;s biodiversity, one species at a time. Decades after disappearing from Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, the gaur or Indian bison made a comeback following conservation efforts, according to media reports. In 2011-12, a herd of 40 gaur were reintroduced from Kanha Tiger Reserve, and today, Bandhavgarh&#8217;s gaur population stands at over 220. The gaur (Bos gaurus) is the world&#8217;s largest wild bovine. Bulls can grow up to two metres in height, and weigh about 1,500 kg — as much as a car! Males have dark, almost black coats, while females are a lighter reddish-brown. Both have upward-curving horns and a shoulder hump, most prominent in adult males. Despite their size, gaur are shy animals, living in small herds often led by a matriarch. They graze and browse on grasses, bamboo, and leaves, thus dispersing seeds, tilling the soil and maintaining ecosystem balance. They are also prey for animals like tigers, leopards, and the dholes. Gaur inhabit evergreen and deciduous forests across the Western Ghats and central and northeastern India, and are the state animals of Goa and Bihar. They also occur in Nepal, Bhutan, China and parts of Southeast Asia. Their estimated global population is between 13,000 and 30,000, with about 85% in India. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Species categorises the gaur as &#8216;vulnerable&#8217;. In India, it receives the highest legal protection under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Habitat fragmentation and loss, mainly due to&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/11/the-worlds-largest-bovine/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/11/the-worlds-largest-bovine/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>El Niño link offers early warning of humid heat</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/11/el-nino-link-offers-early-warning-of-humid-heat/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/11/el-nino-link-offers-early-warning-of-humid-heat/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>04 Nov 2026 16:32:47 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Archita Bhatta]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[extreme heat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[heat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Heat impacts]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/11/04131558/AP26200486474284-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=42049</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections and Decoding Heat]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Climate Change, Environment, Extreme Weather Events, Global Warming, Health impacts, Human Rights, and Impacts of Climate Change]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Manoj Borah is a welfare officer at a tea garden in Kamrup district in Assam. He says working outdoors in tea gardens and agricultural fields is becoming increasingly difficult. “While workers are used to daytime heat, the high temperature during the night is burning them out. It is difficult to rest at night, and this [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Manoj Borah is a welfare officer at a tea garden in Kamrup district in Assam. He says working outdoors in tea gardens and agricultural fields is becoming increasingly difficult. “While workers are used to daytime heat, the high temperature during the night is burning them out. It is difficult to rest at night, and this is taking a toll on their health. Without proper rest, it is difficult to go out and work in the fields the next day. In the last few years, we have had to shift the outdoor working hours so that they start at 5 AM and do not have to stretch beyond noon,” he said. India accounts for more than half of the global rise in potential productivity loss from extreme humid heat since the mid-1980s, according to a new study published in Journal of Geophysical Research (JGR) Atmospheres, a journal of the American Geophysical Union. “Outdoor workers in agriculture or industry, as well as those involved in exercise and sports, are advised to stop their vocation during extreme humid heat, as continued exposure can lead to severe medical conditions like heat stroke and even death,” said Subodh Kumar Saha, a scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune and also the paper&#8217;s corresponding author. The study also offers some hope. Humid heat stress is closely linked to the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), a natural cycle of warming and cooling in the tropical Pacific Ocean that shifts weather patterns worldwide. Because ENSO can&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/11/el-nino-link-offers-early-warning-of-humid-heat/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/11/el-nino-link-offers-early-warning-of-humid-heat/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>New draft rules could dilute regulations for animal testing</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/11/new-draft-rules-could-ease-approvals-for-animal-testing-in-india/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/11/new-draft-rules-could-ease-approvals-for-animal-testing-in-india/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>03 Nov 2026 14:48:47 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Simrin Sirur]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Arathimenon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[animal health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[animal welfare]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lab]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stray animal]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/11/03115037/pexels-pixabay-159483-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=42029</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Activism, Animals, Environmental Law, Industry, Research, and Technology]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The draft Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Control and Supervision of Experiment, Breeding and Trading of Laboratory Animals) Rules, 2026 issued by the government on September 30, 2026 has drawn sharp criticism from animal rights groups across the country, including PETA, which said they could “significantly weaken existing animal protections.” The draft rules are open [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The draft Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Control and Supervision of Experiment, Breeding and Trading of Laboratory Animals) Rules, 2026 issued by the government on September 30, 2026 has drawn sharp criticism from animal rights groups across the country, including PETA, which said they could “significantly weaken existing animal protections.” The draft rules are open to public comments till November 5, 2026. The draft rules propose basing approvals for experiments on the expected severity of harm to the animal, departing from existing regulations — the Experiments on Animals (Control and Supervision) Rules, 1968, and the Breeding of and Experiments on Animals (Control and Supervision) Rules, 1998 — which take a more centralised approach to which animals can be used for experimentation. The draft rules allow institutional-level ethics committees to approve experiments of a “mild” and “moderate” nature, while deferring those of a “severe” nature or those from which the animal will not recover, to the central Committee for the Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CCSEA). Prevailing regulations require approvals from the CCSEA for any experiments on animals above the phylogenetic level of rodents and other small animals, such as birds and rabbits. “The draft rules list certain examples of experimentation — such as inducing tumours or solitary isolation — as being of a moderate nature. But these categorisations appear to be based on our perceptions of severity, and may not necessarily reflect whether it is mild, moderate, or severe on the animal per se,” says Surat Parvatam, Senior Program&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/11/new-draft-rules-could-ease-approvals-for-animal-testing-in-india/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/11/new-draft-rules-could-ease-approvals-for-animal-testing-in-india/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>When livelihoods adapt to a changing wetland</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/11/when-livelihoods-adapt-to-a-changing-wetland/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/11/when-livelihoods-adapt-to-a-changing-wetland/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>03 Nov 2026 14:19:29 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Debarun Choudhury]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[artisanal fishing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farmers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farming]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rainfall]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/11/03101613/IMG202308151709312-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=42017</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Assam]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Fishing, Floods, Lakes, Monsoons, Tourism, Water, Water Pollution, and Wetlands]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Each year, as winter begins around mid November, Arup Das looks out across the marsh surrounding his home in Dargarbond, one of the many villages around Son Beel, a seasonal wetland in Assam. The land around him was submerged under water just a couple of months ago. Now, as the water recedes, he releases his [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Each year, as winter begins around mid November, Arup Das looks out across the marsh surrounding his home in Dargarbond, one of the many villages around Son Beel, a seasonal wetland in Assam. The land around him was submerged under water just a couple of months ago. Now, as the water recedes, he releases his ducks to forage for snails, aquatic plants, insects, and whatever else the retreating waters leave behind. Son Beel is the largest wetland in Assam with a fluctuating size since it expands during the monsoon and contracts during the dry season. More than 50,000 people depend directly on this wetland for their livelihoods. “A wetland is not simply a body of water,” says Tapati Das, an ecologist heading the Department of Ecology and Environmental Science at Assam University. “It is a system of inundation and retreat, of channels and marshes, which naturally replenishes a landscape in cycles.” Tapati describes Son Beel as a freshwater wetland with pronounced seasonal changes in water coverage. “During the monsoon, water spreads across the surrounding lowlands. Flooding expands aquatic habitat; recession concentrates organisms in remaining pools and exposes substrates for terrestrial plants and cultivation,” she elaborates. The seasonal shift is not a temporary interruption to Son Beel’s ecology. “It is part of how the wetland functions.” This cycle shapes fish habitats and determines when land will become available for crop cultivation, and also creates feeding grounds for Arup&#8217;s ducks. Back on his farm, ducks of Nageshwari breed are part of an&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/11/when-livelihoods-adapt-to-a-changing-wetland/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/11/when-livelihoods-adapt-to-a-changing-wetland/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Study maps foot-and-mouth disease risk zones where livestock and wildlife overlap</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/11/study-maps-foot-and-mouth-disease-risk-zones-where-livestock-and-wildlife-overlap/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/11/study-maps-foot-and-mouth-disease-risk-zones-where-livestock-and-wildlife-overlap/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>02 Nov 2026 16:01:24 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Hirra Azmat]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cattle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livestock]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/11/02135852/Markhor-1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=41997</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Jammu and Kashmir]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Animals, Environment, Grazing, Health impacts, Human Wildlife Conflict, Migration, Protected Areas, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Every summer, Gujjar and Bakarwal pastoralists in Jammu and Kashmir move their livestock to the mountains in search of pastures. These routes bring the cattle closer to habitats of rare wild ungulates such as the endangered hangul (Kashmir red deer) and the markhor (wild goat). This is risky, as foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreaks have been [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Every summer, Gujjar and Bakarwal pastoralists in Jammu and Kashmir move their livestock to the mountains in search of pastures. These routes bring the cattle closer to habitats of rare wild ungulates such as the endangered hangul (Kashmir red deer) and the markhor (wild goat). This is risky, as foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreaks have been reported among livestock in the region with suspected FMD-like outbreaks occurring in July 2024 (in Kargil&#8217;s highland pastures) and May 2024 (in Bandipora and Pulwama districts). Widespread outbreaks were also recorded in 2021 across Budgam, Pulwama, and Srinagar. The pastoral routes could create opportunities for diseases such as FMD to spread from livestock to wildlife, although transmission in these areas has not been confirmed. A new study has mapped potential FMD risk zones in Jammu and Kashmir where livestock migration routes overlap with or lie close to protected areas. The study authors say that the findings can support veterinarians, conservationists, and policymakers in managing the deadly FMD transmission and aid in achieving One Health targets. Where livestock routes meet wildlife habitats Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a highly contagious viral disease that affects cloven-hoofed animals, including cattle, buffaloes, sheep and goats. It is endemic among livestock in India, including Jammu and Kashmir. “While systematic mass vaccination under the National Animal Disease Control Programme (NADCP) by Animal Husbandry Department has helped dampen large-scale epidemics in Jammu and Kashmir, seasonal movement of Gujjar and Bakarwal pastoralists with their livestock and pockets of unvaccinated or partially immunised livestock continue&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/11/study-maps-foot-and-mouth-disease-risk-zones-where-livestock-and-wildlife-overlap/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/11/study-maps-foot-and-mouth-disease-risk-zones-where-livestock-and-wildlife-overlap/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>India&#8217;s emissions growth slows as renewable energy begins replacing coal, UNEP report finds</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/11/indias-emissions-growth-slows-as-renewable-energy-begins-replacing-coal-unep-report-finds/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/11/indias-emissions-growth-slows-as-renewable-energy-begins-replacing-coal-unep-report-finds/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>02 Nov 2026 15:28:46 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Manish Chandra Mishra]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Shailesh Shrivastava]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[electricity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[weather]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/11/02114510/AP23269090407095-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=41987</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Carbon emissions, Energy, Green Energy, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Renewable Energy, and United Nations]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The upward trend of greenhouse gas emissions in India showed a significant change in 2025. The trend, which was indicating a longer period of rapid growth, has pivoted from this path and is now showing a slight decline in India’s emissions. This has been reported in the United Nations Environment Programme&#8217;s (UNEP) new report Emissions [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The upward trend of greenhouse gas emissions in India showed a significant change in 2025. The trend, which was indicating a longer period of rapid growth, has pivoted from this path and is now showing a slight decline in India’s emissions. This has been reported in the United Nations Environment Programme&#8217;s (UNEP) new report Emissions Gap Report 2026: The Point of Return, released on October 21. The report finds that the Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) and the International Energy Agency (IEA) indicate a slight decline in India&#8217;s emissions, while the Energy Institute estimates a marginal increase. However, all three indicate a departure from the country&#8217;s earlier pattern of rapid emissions growth, partly because of weather effects and structural shifts towards renewable energy. &#8220;The data this year is very encouraging,&#8221; said Minal Pathak, a researcher at Ahmedabad University and a lead author of the UNEP report&#8217;s chapter on global emissions trends, in a written response to Mongabay-India. She said the change was partly attributable to weather effects and structural shifts towards renewable energy, as highlighted in Chapter 2 of the report. India remains the world&#8217;s third-largest greenhouse gas emitter after China and the United States. Its emissions reached approximately 4.5 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e) in 2025, excluding land use and forestry. However, its per capita emissions of 3.1 tonnes were less than half the global average of 6.4 tonnes. A separate analysis by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), published by&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/11/indias-emissions-growth-slows-as-renewable-energy-begins-replacing-coal-unep-report-finds/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/11/indias-emissions-growth-slows-as-renewable-energy-begins-replacing-coal-unep-report-finds/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Scientists explore whether Himalayan disasters can be anticipated</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/scientists-explore-whether-himalayan-disasters-can-be-anticipated/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/scientists-explore-whether-himalayan-disasters-can-be-anticipated/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>30 Oct 2026 15:34:23 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Max Martin]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Climate disaster]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[disaster]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Disaster management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[natural disaster]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/10/30122931/AP26249582364362-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=41968</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Himalayas]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Climate Change, Climate Change Adaptation, Climate Science, Environment, Extreme Weather Events, Floods, Glacial Lake Outburst Flood, Global Warming, Himalayas, Impacts of Climate Change, Mountains, and Research]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[On October 11, 2026, a flash flood tore through Nepal’s Budhi Gandaki river basin in Gorkha district, hurling sediment and debris downstream, destroying homes and roads, and leaving many others homeless. The disaster struck less than seven weeks after a catastrophic collapse of rock and glacier ice on Langtang Lirung on August 26, which unleashed [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[On October 11, 2026, a flash flood tore through Nepal’s Budhi Gandaki river basin in Gorkha district, hurling sediment and debris downstream, destroying homes and roads, and leaving many others homeless. The disaster struck less than seven weeks after a catastrophic collapse of rock and glacier ice on Langtang Lirung on August 26, which unleashed a destructive surge of ice and debris through the Gyirong-Rasuwa corridor along the Nepal-China border. As Nepal tried to cope with the second disaster, a group of scientists was about to release a synthesis report. They reported that satellite signals indicated the mountain slope involved in the August Langtang Lirung collapse had moved measurably before it collapsed. Scientists are now exploring whether such satellite observations could be translated into reliable early warnings of catastrophic slope failures and save lives. The Budhi Gandaki river in Nepal. Image by Gaurav Dhwaj Khadka via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). Clairvoyance from space ICIMOD scientists highlighted two sets of satellite observations in their synthesis report. The first, from Sentinel-1 radar, revealed that ground shifted by up to 40 cm along the satellite’s line of sight on the slopes of Langtang Lirung between July 7 and August 24, and that the slopes subsequently collapsed. Similarly, NISAR satellite radar recorded up to 30 cm of displacement in the same area between July 26 and August 19, they added. Both satellites use radar to detect changes in Earth’s surface and can see through clouds and darkness, which matters in the monsoon-bound Himalayas.&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/scientists-explore-whether-himalayan-disasters-can-be-anticipated/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/scientists-explore-whether-himalayan-disasters-can-be-anticipated/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Another cheetah dies, this time from firearm pellet wounds</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/10/another-cheetah-dies-this-time-from-firearm-pellet-wounds/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/10/another-cheetah-dies-this-time-from-firearm-pellet-wounds/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>30 Oct 2026 14:16:20 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Arathi Menon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[cheetah]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cheetahs]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/10/30133055/Male_cheetah_facing_left_in_South_Africa-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?post_type=short-article&#038;p=41981</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Madhya Pradesh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Big Cats, Biodiversity, Cats, Mammals, National Parks, Poaching, Protected Areas, Wildlife, Wildlife Sanctuary, and Wildlife Trafficking]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[A 19-month cheetah died from pellet wounds on October 27 at a veterinary facility in Jabalpur. The male cub was the offspring of Nirva, a South African cheetah brought to India under Project Cheetah, India’s effort to reintroduce the species decades after it was declared extinct in the country. Following the death of the cheetah, [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[A 19-month cheetah died from pellet wounds on October 27 at a veterinary facility in Jabalpur. The male cub was the offspring of Nirva, a South African cheetah brought to India under Project Cheetah, India’s effort to reintroduce the species decades after it was declared extinct in the country. Following the death of the cheetah, KNG22, the Union government has deputed a team comprising the Inspector General of Forests, National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), the Additional Director of the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) and the Regional Deputy Director of WCCB to investigate the incident on the ground. The Madhya Pradesh government has also constituted a Special Task Force (STF) with forest and police officers, to investigate the death. KNG22, born in India to six-year-old Nirva, was found injured on October 25 in the territorial forests of Morena, outside the protected area of Kuno National Park. The Madhya Pradesh Forest Department found the cheetah in Compartment No. 748 in the Sheopur Territorial Forest Division and provided intensive veterinary care and emergency surgery at the veterinary facility in Jabalpur. An initial X-ray and a subsequent CT scan at the Department of Veterinary Surgery and Radiology, NDVSU, Jabalpur, revealed multiple foreign bodies that had damaged the cheetah&#8217;s internal organs, musculoskeletal system and nervous system. During emergency surgery, five firearm pellets were recovered from his body. “Despite the medical intervention, the cheetah succumbed to its injuries on 27 October 2026,” read a press note from Sameeta Rajora, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/10/another-cheetah-dies-this-time-from-firearm-pellet-wounds/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/10/another-cheetah-dies-this-time-from-firearm-pellet-wounds/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Snow trout needs more than reintroduction to survive</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/snow-trout-needs-more-than-reintroduction-to-survive/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/snow-trout-needs-more-than-reintroduction-to-survive/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>29 Oct 2026 16:04:10 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sameeksha Sharma]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rehabilitation]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/10/29132555/Kashmir-Pahalgam-Valley-trout-Apr-2004-00-scaled-e1793261686788-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=41948</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Himalayas and Uttarakhand]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change Adaptation, Conservation, Extinction, Fish, Fishing, Himalayas, Impacts of Climate Change, Lakes, Mountains, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[On April 27, 2026, scientists from Kumaun University&#8217;s Department of Zoology released the first batch of snow trout fingerlings into a cage in Naini lake, Nainital, Uttarakhand. The fingerlings were part of a captive-breeding programme to revive the snow trout (Schizothorax richardsonii). Locally called Asela, the native cold-water Himalayan fish has been listed as Vulnerable [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[On April 27, 2026, scientists from Kumaun University&#8217;s Department of Zoology released the first batch of snow trout fingerlings into a cage in Naini lake, Nainital, Uttarakhand. The fingerlings were part of a captive-breeding programme to revive the snow trout (Schizothorax richardsonii). Locally called Asela, the native cold-water Himalayan fish has been listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 2010. Considered locally extinct for thirty years, its populations have declined steeply in other lakes of the region. Using Biofloc and recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) technology, scientists lab-bred the fish over two phases before releasing roughly 350 fingerlings into a cage in Naini lake. In June, the initiative expanded to the three other lakes, Bhimtal, Sattal and Naukuchiatal, with smaller cages. However, more than half of the fingerlings died in Naini lake, with similar reports from Bhimtal and other lakes, report the programme staff. The causes remain unknown, but the high mortality raises a larger question: can a reintroduction programme sustain fish in the very lakes that pushed them towards extinction through pollution, habitat destruction and climate change impacts? A dead snow trout fingerling retrieved from the Kumaon University experimental cage installed in Bhimtal Lake on June 24. Image by Sameeksha Sharma. A lake on life support Snow trout once thrived across Kumaon lakes through the 1980s before their populations collapsed due to sewage pollution, dropping oxygen levels and increased competition with exotic species such as the common carp. According to the Directorate of Coldwater Fisheries Research (DCFR), snow&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/snow-trout-needs-more-than-reintroduction-to-survive/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/snow-trout-needs-more-than-reintroduction-to-survive/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Citizens push back infrastructure projects that threaten green cover</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/citizens-push-back-infrastructure-projects-that-threaten-green-cover/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/citizens-push-back-infrastructure-projects-that-threaten-green-cover/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>29 Oct 2026 13:04:16 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sohel Sarkar]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Arathimenon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[city planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Infrastructure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urban areas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urban biodiversity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urban trees]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urbanisation]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/10/29100614/Volunteers-mapping-avenue-trees-as-part-of-I-Change-Induranagar_s-tree-mapping-exercise_Photy-by-Kannan-AS-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=41935</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Karnataka]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Activism, Cities and Towns, Ecology, Ecosystem services, Plants, and Trees]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Bengaluru, a city rapidly losing its green cover to infrastructure projects, had an important job to do: count its trees. In August 2019, the Karnataka High Court mandated the exercise under the Karnataka Preservation of Trees Act, 1976, setting a three-year deadline which wasn&#8217;t completed even seven years later. Residents in some neighbourhoods decided to [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Bengaluru, a city rapidly losing its green cover to infrastructure projects, had an important job to do: count its trees. In August 2019, the Karnataka High Court mandated the exercise under the Karnataka Preservation of Trees Act, 1976, setting a three-year deadline which wasn&#8217;t completed even seven years later. Residents in some neighbourhoods decided to then take the task into their own hands, driven by the apprehension of losing trees to several large-scale infrastructure projects announced for the city, including flyovers and tunnel roads. What they found has prompted them to push back against some of these impending projects. In east Bengaluru’s Indiranagar, a group of residents mapped the trees along the alignment of a proposed 13-km flyover from Swami Vivekananda Metro Station in the east to Silk Board Junction in the south, via Indiranagar. The flyover’s detailed project report (DPR) estimates that 89 trees will be felled for the proposed elevated corridor, while 235 trees fall within its construction width. The latter figure indicates the number of trees within the designated construction area, not necessarily the number that will be cut. Unconvinced that these figures reflected the trees on the ground, I Change Indiranagar, a network of resident welfare associations in the area, decided to conduct an independent survey, starting with a roughly 3.5-km stretch of the route. The group counted 1,001 trees. There is, however, a caveat. The DPR’s count of 235 trees covers the entire 13-km flyover alignment, while the residents surveyed only one section of it.&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/citizens-push-back-infrastructure-projects-that-threaten-green-cover/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/citizens-push-back-infrastructure-projects-that-threaten-green-cover/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Chromium in water upends life in an industrial neighbourhood</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/chromium-in-water-upends-life-in-an-industrial-neighbourhood/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/chromium-in-water-upends-life-in-an-industrial-neighbourhood/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>28 Oct 2026 17:39:04 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Esha Lohia]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/10/28125001/Screenshot-2026-10-28-124531-768x512.png" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=41914</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Maharashtra]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Cities and Towns, Groundwater, Health impacts, Human Rights, Industry, Water, and Water Pollution]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[For the past two months, 55-year-old Gangubai Laxmigan Shivale has been feeding her family on food bought from outside. “There is constant itching, and blood pours out if I scratch the rashes on my hand, so I can&#8217;t cook,” says Shivale, a resident of Dattanagar, a residential area next to the Ambad industrial estate on [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[For the past two months, 55-year-old Gangubai Laxmigan Shivale has been feeding her family on food bought from outside. “There is constant itching, and blood pours out if I scratch the rashes on my hand, so I can&#8217;t cook,” says Shivale, a resident of Dattanagar, a residential area next to the Ambad industrial estate on the outskirts of Nashik city in Maharashtra. “We are a family of four, and we all sustain on samosas, vada pav and other food from outside.” She is one of around 400 residents of Dattanagar who have reported severe rashes, chemical ulcers, swollen lymph nodes, black lesions and other skin problems, which they attribute to contaminated groundwater. When residents draw water from their borewells, it runs bright yellow into their buckets. A laboratory test of water from a borewell adjoining stream of Nandini river near the city’s Ambad industrial area validated their concern. It found chromium at more than 1,000 times the permissible limit for drinking water. The test was commissioned by the South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People (SANDRP), a non-governmental organisation and carried out by Ashwamedh Engineers and Consultants, an independent laboratory. The sample showed total chromium of 50.5 milligrams per litre (mg/L), of which 50.3 mg/L was hexavalent chromium. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) allows only 0.05 mg/L of chromium in drinking water. A separate analysis by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) found chromium at 45 mg/L in two groundwater samples from borewells and dug wells, about 900&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/chromium-in-water-upends-life-in-an-industrial-neighbourhood/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/chromium-in-water-upends-life-in-an-industrial-neighbourhood/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Winged wayfarers of the ocean</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/10/winged-wayfarers-of-the-ocean/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/10/winged-wayfarers-of-the-ocean/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>28 Oct 2026 13:06:34 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Team Mongabay-India]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[marine wildlife]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/10/28120346/ray-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?post_type=short-article&#038;p=41911</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Species File]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Indian Ocean]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Biodiversity, Coast, Conservation, Ecology, Oceans, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Species File: Exploring India&#8217;s biodiversity, one species at a time. With their flattened bodies and wing-like fins, rays are a striking sight when they glide in ocean waters. But many rays face an uncertain future: a recent study found that most Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRAs) in Indian waters along the Bay of Bengal [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Species File: Exploring India&#8217;s biodiversity, one species at a time. With their flattened bodies and wing-like fins, rays are a striking sight when they glide in ocean waters. But many rays face an uncertain future: a recent study found that most Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRAs) in Indian waters along the Bay of Bengal fall outside marine protected areas, leaving critical breeding and nursery habitats vulnerable. Rays are cartilaginous fish closely related to sharks. Found worldwide, they are mostly marine, though a few species live in freshwater lakes and rivers. Most ray species are benthic (dwelling on the ocean floor), while a few live in the open ocean. Depending on the species, they feed on zooplankton, krill, fish, molluscs, worms, crustaceans, and marine mammals, thereby shaping seabed communities and cycling nutrients. There are diverse groups of rays, ranging from manta rays (the largest type, with some growing as wide as a minibus) to stingrays, which have whip-like venomous tails. Nearly all rays have flattened, disc-shaped bodies with wing-like pectoral fins. A unique lineage is the rhino rays (order Rhinopristiformes), which have flattened, ray-like bodies but shark-like tails and pointed snouts. These comprise 68 species of saw-fishes, wedgefishes, giant guitar-fishes, guitarfishes and banjo rays. According to the IUCN Red List, rhino rays are the world&#8217;s most threatened marine fish, with over 70% of assessed species considered threatened, and nearly half critically endangered. About 23 rhino ray species are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) under&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/10/winged-wayfarers-of-the-ocean/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/10/winged-wayfarers-of-the-ocean/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Centre says tribal leaders are not ‘necessary’ parties to Great Nicobar forest rights dispute</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/centre-says-tribal-leaders-are-not-necessary-parties-to-great-nicobar-forest-rights-dispute/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/centre-says-tribal-leaders-are-not-necessary-parties-to-great-nicobar-forest-rights-dispute/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>27 Oct 2026 17:03:23 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Simrin Sirur]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/10/27160248/pexels-nabilnaidu-10671403-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=41895</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Forest Rights Act, Forests, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, Islands, Land Rights, and Tribes]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The Union Tribal Affairs Ministry has said that Nicobarese leaders seeking to join a petition challenging the settlement of forest rights on Great Nicobar Island are “neither necessary nor proper parties,” in the case, court documents show. The Nicobarese are one of two major tribes affected by the development of the Island, and primary claimants [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The Union Tribal Affairs Ministry has said that Nicobarese leaders seeking to join a petition challenging the settlement of forest rights on Great Nicobar Island are “neither necessary nor proper parties,” in the case, court documents show. The Nicobarese are one of two major tribes affected by the development of the Island, and primary claimants to forest rights in the area. An ongoing petition in the Calcutta High Court, filed by former IAS officer Meena Gupta, has challenged the Union government’s claim that rights under the Forest Rights Act (2005) (FRA) were settled on the Island. The FRA recognises the historical rights of tribal and other forest dwelling communities over forest resources, and makes compliance with its statutes necessary in clearing forest land for diversion. On July 9, 2026, four Nicobarese residents sought to join Gupta’s plea, arguing that government certifications claiming the settlement of forest rights was based on gram sabha consent from non-tribal settler communities. Apart from the Nicobarese and Shompen — a particularly vulnerable and largely uncontacted tribe — the Island is inhabited by families of ex-servicemen from the mainland who were settled on the remote Island from 1969 onwards as part of a state-sponsored scheme. “This certificate falsely states that the concerned Gram Sabhas have consented to the diversion of forest lands and cites meetings of the Gram Sabhas of the settler community in which no Nicobarese were present,” the impleadment document submitted to the court, seen by Mongabay-India, says. “No Gram Sabha meeting of the&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/centre-says-tribal-leaders-are-not-necessary-parties-to-great-nicobar-forest-rights-dispute/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/centre-says-tribal-leaders-are-not-necessary-parties-to-great-nicobar-forest-rights-dispute/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Farmers prepare for low rain but get floods instead</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/farmers-prepare-for-low-rain-but-get-floods-instead-leading-to-crop-loss/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/farmers-prepare-for-low-rain-but-get-floods-instead-leading-to-crop-loss/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>27 Oct 2026 12:27:47 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sameeksha Sharma]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Crop loss]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[El Niño]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farmers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farming]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[heavy rainfall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rainfall]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/10/27101630/Waterlogged-Mahoba-Fields-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=41873</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Uttar Pradesh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Climate Change, Climate Change Adaptation, Extreme Weather Events, Food, Impacts of Climate Change, Monsoons, and Villages]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[“At the Krishi Vigyan Kendra in July, we were told to plant more sesame, groundnut and urad. These are crops expected to withstand less rain. But God decided to flood our fields instead,” shares Jaidevi, a farmer in Chandpura, a village in Mahoba, Uttar Pradesh, pointing to her withered sesame crop. Jaidevi and her husband [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[“At the Krishi Vigyan Kendra in July, we were told to plant more sesame, groundnut and urad. These are crops expected to withstand less rain. But God decided to flood our fields instead,” shares Jaidevi, a farmer in Chandpura, a village in Mahoba, Uttar Pradesh, pointing to her withered sesame crop. Jaidevi and her husband own three bighas of farmland and have struggled to make a living from it. Chandpura is among the worst hit villages by intense rainfall in Mahoba during this southwest monsoon. Ahead of the 2026 southwest monsoon, Mahoba’s Krishi Vigyan Kendra advised farmers to sow low-water crops, anticipating low rainfall because of the effects of El Niño this year. The monsoon arrived nearly 20 days late, with deficient rainfall for much of the season that typically starts mid-June. But the pattern reversed in late August, when heavy rain lashed the region, leaving much of farmland waterlogged by September 15. This year&#8217;s El Niño forecast is expected to be one of the strongest on record. Its impact in India is in the form of a weaker monsoon and warmer temperatures. In June, the agriculture ministry classified Mahoba as one of 111 high-priority districts based on irrigation coverage and vulnerability to rainfall deficits. Irrigation coverage in these districts is expected to be below 25 percent. Part of the drought-prone Bundelkhand region, Mahoba has long faced rainfall deficits, falling groundwater levels and limited irrigation. This monsoon though, Mahoba received 1,127 mm of rainfall between June 1 and September 30,&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/farmers-prepare-for-low-rain-but-get-floods-instead-leading-to-crop-loss/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/farmers-prepare-for-low-rain-but-get-floods-instead-leading-to-crop-loss/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
			</channel>
</rss>