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		<title>Mongabay India</title>
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		<link>https://india.mongabay.com/list/conservation/</link>
		<description>India&#039;s environmental science and conservation news</description>
		<lastBuildDate>Fri, 09 Oct 2026 08:03:33 +0000</lastBuildDate>
		<language>en-US</language>
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					<title>As El Niño strengthens, coral reefs face narrow windows for recovery</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/as-el-nino-strengthens-coral-reefs-face-narrow-windows-for-recovery/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/as-el-nino-strengthens-coral-reefs-face-narrow-windows-for-recovery/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>09 Oct 2026 13:33:33 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Max Martin]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[corals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[El Niño]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/10/09121449/AP26239555635896-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=41534</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Indian Ocean]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Coast, Conservation, Coral Reefs, Ecology, Environment, Extreme Weather Events, Fish, Global Warming, and Oceans]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[As UN Secretary-General António Guterres says, El Niño is being “supersized” by a warming climate. The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) warns that coral reefs are being hit by new bleaching events before they have had time to recover from earlier ones. UNEP likened reefs to “an overmatched boxer” taking repeated blows, citing findings from the [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[As UN Secretary-General António Guterres says, El Niño is being “supersized” by a warming climate. The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) warns that coral reefs are being hit by new bleaching events before they have had time to recover from earlier ones. UNEP likened reefs to “an overmatched boxer” taking repeated blows, citing findings from the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN) of the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI). The outlook is stark. “Multiple lines of evidence indicate that the majority (70-90%) of warm water (tropical) coral reefs that exist today will disappear even if global warming is constrained to 1.5°C,” as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns. The headline, however, is that marine heatwaves are narrowing the window for coral reef recovery. “Coral reefs once had decades to recover after major bleaching events. Today, they’re lucky to get five or six years,” said Manuel González Rivero, a reef expert at The Australian Institute of Marine Science and lead author of the GCRMN report. “And for many reefs affected by the unprecedented marine heatwaves in 2024, this year’s El Niño likely means they’ll have had little more than a year to begin recovering before being hit again.” “India’s own reefs show the same trend,” said marine biologist Amruth P., assistant professor in the Department of Life Sciences at CHRIST University, Bengaluru. “A 24-year study in Lakshadweep recorded coral cover falling from about 37% to under 20% since 1998 after repeated marine heatwaves.” The study by the Mysuru-based Nature Conservation Foundation&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/as-el-nino-strengthens-coral-reefs-face-narrow-windows-for-recovery/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/as-el-nino-strengthens-coral-reefs-face-narrow-windows-for-recovery/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Climate change may increase the ibisbill’s habitat range, but other pressures loom</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/climate-change-may-increase-the-ibisbills-habitat-range-but-other-pressures-loom/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/climate-change-may-increase-the-ibisbills-habitat-range-but-other-pressures-loom/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>05 Oct 2026 11:12:18 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Hirra Azmat]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[habitat degradation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urbanisation]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/10/02174717/Ibisbill-tagged-and-fitted-with-satellite-PTT-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=41360</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Himalayas and Jammu and Kashmir]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Birds, Climate Change, Conservation, Ecology, Forests, Himalayas, Impacts of Climate Change, Mountains, Rivers, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The ibisbill (Ibidorhyncha struthersii), an elusive bird confined to the boulder-strewn mountain rivers of the Himalayas, has long remained one of the region’s least-studied species. Researchers have now produced the first detailed climate-based assessment of the bird in North-Western Himalayas, identifying where its suitable climatic conditions exist today and how they may shift under future [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The ibisbill (Ibidorhyncha struthersii), an elusive bird confined to the boulder-strewn mountain rivers of the Himalayas, has long remained one of the region’s least-studied species. Researchers have now produced the first detailed climate-based assessment of the bird in North-Western Himalayas, identifying where its suitable climatic conditions exist today and how they may shift under future warming. Listed as least concern in the IUCN red list, the ibisbill occurs across the Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau. However, it  remains one of the most elusive riverine birds in the Himalayan region, restricted to specific habitats and with no conclusive population estimate from India, says Ankita Sinha, a wildlife biologist and researcher at Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Center, Frankfurt. “Because of their limited sightings and ranges restricted to remote uninhabited areas, knowledge on their ecology and behaviour is limited,” she says. The ibisbill is a high-altitude bird restricted to fast-flowing mountain rivers with gravel bars and often braided rivers. Image by Khursheed Ahmad. These specialist birds are restricted to fast-flowing high-altitude rivers, particularly ones with gravel bars and ones that are braided. Their long, curved bills are adapted to feeding between stones and under gravel, where they mainly feed on aquatic insects, larvae and other invertebrates. They also nest directly on gravel bars, making them highly dependent on intact river habitats. Its habitat, particularly near the towns and valleys, is also occupied by people, shares Asad Rahmani, an ornithologist and the former director of Bombay Natural History Society. As boulders are required&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/climate-change-may-increase-the-ibisbills-habitat-range-but-other-pressures-loom/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Isolated island tribes should choose their own destinies, says Manish Chandi [Interview]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/isolated-island-tribes-should-choose-their-own-destinies-says-manish-chandi-interview/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/isolated-island-tribes-should-choose-their-own-destinies-says-manish-chandi-interview/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>28 Sep 2026 13:12:47 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Latoya Abulu]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Mongabay Editor]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine Fisheries]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marine wildlife]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tribal communities]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/09/26224219/q.-Shompen-2-of-the-27th-Km-EW-road-1997-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=41246</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Community based conservation, Conservation, Fish, Fishing, Forests, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, Islands, Mangroves, Oceans, and Tribes]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[From above, the North Sentinel Island tribal reserve in India’s Andaman and Nicobar archipelago is a thick, unbroken patch of dark green — starkly surrounded by the shimmering coastal blue waters of its buffer zone. On these shores, Sentinelese people, who live in voluntary isolation protected by a strict government no-contact policy, spear fish, hunt [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[From above, the North Sentinel Island tribal reserve in India’s Andaman and Nicobar archipelago is a thick, unbroken patch of dark green — starkly surrounded by the shimmering coastal blue waters of its buffer zone. On these shores, Sentinelese people, who live in voluntary isolation protected by a strict government no-contact policy, spear fish, hunt turtles and collect mollusks in shallow reefs surrounded by mangroves. The coastal reefs are intact ecosystems rich in fish life, say biologists. “I have seen them [groups of men, women and children] foraging and collecting these food resources during low tide on several occasions,” says Manish Chandi, a tribal expert who has watched the island from afar. “The Sentinelese are aware of these as nutritious and sparsely available resources in such [mangrove] habitats, which are very few on and around the island.” Like other tribal reserves on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, in the southeast of mainland India, North Sentinel Island is a biodiversity hotspot; and, like other tribal reserves, the isolated people who live there have attracted influencers and misunderstandings, says Chandi. “Curiosity and ignorance regarding the islanders is quite high and understandably so amongst outsiders and [government] bureaucrats who have little association with the islands,” he tells Mongabay in an interview. The giant trees along the North Sentinel Island coastline are its first natural defence against storms and hold its coastal soil together. The shore is lined with sandy beaches and rocky shores, while the foreshore is dotted with coral reefs and mangroves&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/isolated-island-tribes-should-choose-their-own-destinies-says-manish-chandi-interview/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/isolated-island-tribes-should-choose-their-own-destinies-says-manish-chandi-interview/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>NGOs call for permanent moratorium on animal imports to Vantara</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/ngos-call-for-permanent-moratorium-on-animal-imports-to-vantara/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/ngos-call-for-permanent-moratorium-on-animal-imports-to-vantara/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>25 Sep 2026 17:14:27 +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/30/2026/09/25151638/13353495075_e4b2bdfa0d_4k-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=41206</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Global and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Biodiversity, Conservation, Endangered species, Environmental Crime, Environmental Law, Law Enforcement, Wildlife, Wildlife Protection Act, Wildlife Trade, and Wildlife Trafficking]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[A group of 27 global conservation organisations have written to Vantara calling for a permanent halt on wild animal imports to the facility. The letter was written in response to Vantara’s own statement announcing a temporary moratorium on animal imports till June 2027.  Vantara is a private zoo and animal rescue centre owned by India&#8217;s Ambani [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[A group of 27 global conservation organisations have written to Vantara calling for a permanent halt on wild animal imports to the facility. The letter was written in response to Vantara’s own statement announcing a temporary moratorium on animal imports till June 2027.  Vantara is a private zoo and animal rescue centre owned by India&#8217;s Ambani family. If Vantara seeks to establish itself as a leading institution, it should “adopt the most rigorous and precautionary criteria for wildlife transfers,” the conservation groups say. A one year moratorium “may signal to exporters that imports will resume thereafter. It risks creating further demand, leading to the stockpiling of animals by wildlife traders and traffickers in anticipation of its expiration.” On August 19, Vantara announced it would pause all animal imports till its own internal due diligence systems were in place. A 2025 report by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Secretariat had raised serious concerns about the origin and scale of wild animal imports approved by India, for transfer to Vantara. Many of these animals did not have a history of being captively bred, the CITES report found. Vantara has said in a statement that it would shift its focus to in-situ conservation within range states, and set up a three-tiered mechanism to vet future animal acquisitions. Each import proposal will be passed through an internal Due Diligence Committee, an Advisory Board, and a Governing Council, chaired by former secretary general of the CITES, John&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/ngos-call-for-permanent-moratorium-on-animal-imports-to-vantara/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/ngos-call-for-permanent-moratorium-on-animal-imports-to-vantara/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Abandoning exotic pets raises ecological concerns</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/hard-to-resist-harder-to-keep/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/hard-to-resist-harder-to-keep/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>25 Sep 2026 14:22:57 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Arathi Menon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Animals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[exotic species]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[invasives]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pets]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/09/23190133/PHOTO-2026-09-11-16-17-19-2-1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=41172</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[From the Wild, For Trade]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Biodiversity, Conservation, Endangered species, Environmental Law, Pet Trade, Wildlife, Wildlife Trade, and Wildlife Trafficking]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[This is Part 3 of a series on exotic pet trade. The series looks at the health impacts, legal challenges and the ecological consequences of keeping exotic wild animals as pets. Part 1 explores how the trade enables zoonoses, while Part 2 observes how India is emerging as a link in the global primate trade. [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[This is Part 3 of a series on exotic pet trade. The series looks at the health impacts, legal challenges and the ecological consequences of keeping exotic wild animals as pets. Part 1 explores how the trade enables zoonoses, while Part 2 observes how India is emerging as a link in the global primate trade. India’s exotic pet trade has grown from a niche pursuit into a significant industry. Over 40,000 people across 30 states and union territories declared their exotic pets in the government’s 2020 Voluntary Disclosure Scheme, making the scale of ownership hard to ignore, according to a Humane World for Animals report published this year. Even that, the report cautions, could represent only a fraction of actual ownership. So, what draws people to animals that are often unfamiliar, expensive and difficult to keep? Conservation researcher working on illegal wildlife hunting and trade Uttara Mendiratta identifies several motives: the desire to own something others do not, the appeal of animals perceived as unusual or “cool”, and the belief that some exotic species are easy to maintain. Research into exotic pet buyers in Japan points to another dimension. A consumer study found that people were drawn to the “mental healing” (Iyashi in Japanese) they associated with animals, as well as their cuteness (Kawaii). Social media can amplify these attractions, creating a ready marketplace where people can see what is trending, find sellers and learn how to care for unfamiliar species. But the impulse to own an unusual animal can&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/hard-to-resist-harder-to-keep/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Odours offer new clues in monitoring big cats</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/odours-offer-new-clues-in-monitoring-big-cats/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/odours-offer-new-clues-in-monitoring-big-cats/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>24 Sep 2026 10:17:35 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sneha Mahale]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[leopard]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[leopards]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wildlife monitoring]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/09/23180257/Tiger_spray_marking._DavidRaju_1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=41161</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animal Behaviour, Animals, Big Cats, Biodiversity, Camera traps, Cats, Conservation, Ecology, Environment, Forests, Mammals, Research, Technology and Conservation, Tigers, Wildlife, and Zoos]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Camera trapping and genetic sampling are big cat monitoring techniques that can estimate population size, density and identify individuals. But they often provide limited information about an animal’s age, sex, reproductive status or health. A new study now suggests that the animal’s urine and scat could reveal more than its presence in a forest. Researchers [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Camera trapping and genetic sampling are big cat monitoring techniques that can estimate population size, density and identify individuals. But they often provide limited information about an animal’s age, sex, reproductive status or health. A new study now suggests that the animal’s urine and scat could reveal more than its presence in a forest. Researchers from the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Ahmedabad University and the Danish Academy of Technical Sciences tested whether volatile organic compounds (VOCs) present in urine and scat could provide a non-invasive way of collecting information about Bengal tigers and Indian leopards. “The goal was to see whether you could ‘read’ biologically meaningful information — species, age, sex, even reproductive state — directly from the odours the animals leave behind, without ever having to catch, dart, or physically handle the animal,” says B.V. Aditi Prasad, the corresponding author of the study and currently a postdoctoral fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Germany. Testing the method The researchers collected urine and scat from nine captive tigers and 15 captive leopards at three zoos — Bannerghatta Biological Park in Bengaluru, Kamala Nehru Zoological Park in Ahmedabad and Sayajibaug Zoo in Vadodara. The ages and sexes of the animals were known, allowing researchers to compare their chemical profiles with these characteristics. A new study of tiger and leopard samples in India suggests that a big cat&#8217;s urine and scat could reveal more about its ecology than camera traps and genetic samples. Image by Prasenjeet Yadav.&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/odours-offer-new-clues-in-monitoring-big-cats/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Five orangutans found in Odisha forest face long road back home to Indonesia</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/five-orangutans-found-in-odisha-forest-face-long-road-back-home-to-indonesia/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/five-orangutans-found-in-odisha-forest-face-long-road-back-home-to-indonesia/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>24 Sep 2026 10:11:47 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Junaidi Hanafiah]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Mongabay Editor]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[exotic species]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pets]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/09/23144141/Orangutan-Sumatera-di-SRA-7-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=41150</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[From the Wild, For Trade]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Mizoram and Odisha]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Biodiversity, Conservation, Endangered species, Environmental Crime, Environmental Law, Human Wildlife Conflict, Law Enforcement, Monkeys, Pet Trade, Primates, Wildlife, Wildlife Protection Act, Wildlife Trade, and Wildlife Trafficking]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The five infant orangutans found roaming a woodland in Odisha earlier this month may have been trafficked across several international borders — and now face a long journey home through the different legal and bureaucratic systems of India and Indonesia, conservationists say. “This starts with hunting in the wild, separating babies from their mothers, and [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The five infant orangutans found roaming a woodland in Odisha earlier this month may have been trafficked across several international borders — and now face a long journey home through the different legal and bureaucratic systems of India and Indonesia, conservationists say. “This starts with hunting in the wild, separating babies from their mothers, and transporting them across various regions, then selling them or keeping them as exotic pets,” said M. Indra Kurnia, director of conservation at the Sumatran Orangutan Lestari Foundation-Orangutan Information Center (YOSL-OIC). The five infants were found on September 8 by locals near the Bichitrapur forest area in Balasore district, Odisha. Authorities are investigating how the animals came to be there, and the possible involvement of an international wildlife trafficking network. Only Indonesia and Malaysia have native orangutan populations, with the Indonesian island of Sumatra around 2,000 kilometres across the Indian Ocean from Odisha. The Bornean species lives in Indonesia and Malaysia, while the Sumatran and Tapanuli species are found only in Indonesia. “We mustn’t just see this as a local case in the country where the animals were found,” Indra said. This infant Sumatran orangutan in Indonesia was separated from its mother when it was forcibly taken from the wild by hunters. Image by Junaidi Hanafiah/Mongabay Indonesia. Questions over wildlife smuggling route This isn’t the first time stolen orangutans have been discovered in India, thousands of kilometres from their mothers. In 2022, authorities in India recovered two stolen juvenile Sumatran orangutans in the north of Mizoram.&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/five-orangutans-found-in-odisha-forest-face-long-road-back-home-to-indonesia/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/five-orangutans-found-in-odisha-forest-face-long-road-back-home-to-indonesia/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Community-based mangrove monitoring should compliment satellite data [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/community-based-mangrove-monitoring-should-compliment-satellite-data-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/community-based-mangrove-monitoring-should-compliment-satellite-data-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>22 Sep 2026 10:56:45 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Utchimahali Mariappan]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate resilience]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[restoration]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/09/22101938/02_Kudikadu_UM-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=41118</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Tamil Nadu]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Coast, Commentary, Community based conservation, Conservation, Ecology, Ecosystem services, Environment, Forests, Mangroves, Nature-based Climate Solutions, Plantations, Plants, Positive Environmental, Reforestation, Satellite Imagery, and Villages]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Early one morning at Kudikadu, a small fishing hamlet on the Uppanar river in Cuddalore district, a forester and their team members walked the mangrove nursery before the tide turned. They carried no satellite receiver or drones; only notebooks and pencils. They counted saplings, noted which ones survived the last spring tide and which did [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Early one morning at Kudikadu, a small fishing hamlet on the Uppanar river in Cuddalore district, a forester and their team members walked the mangrove nursery before the tide turned. They carried no satellite receiver or drones; only notebooks and pencils. They counted saplings, noted which ones survived the last spring tide and which did not. By now, hundreds of villagers are enrolled in Tamil Nadu&#8217;s Village Mangrove Councils, walking their own stretches of coast on their own schedules to observe the mangroves. The result? Something remote sensing alone cannot give you: ground truth, gathered frequently, at fine scale, with enough sampling points across enough seasons to mean something. This matters because Tamil Nadu&#8217;s mangrove restoration story is still being told mainly through area figures. A recent assessment by the Centre for Climate Change and Disaster Management (CCCDM) at Anna University, part of its &#8216;Blue Carbon Monitoring for Mangroves of Tamil Nadu&#8217; report, found that the state&#8217;s mangrove area roughly doubled, from about 4,500 ha to 9,039 ha, between 2021 and 2024, an increase linked to plantation drives and protection measures carried out over the same period. New plantations account for 40.1% (3,625 ha) of this total, with existing mangrove forests making up the remaining 59.9% (5,414 ha). Area-based estimates alone cannot tell us whether new mangrove cover is surviving, diverse, and functioning, or whether it is a thin, even-aged stand, a bad monsoon away from dying back. The stakes are high because Tamil Nadu is now one of India&#8217;s&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/community-based-mangrove-monitoring-should-compliment-satellite-data-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/community-based-mangrove-monitoring-should-compliment-satellite-data-commentary/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>As tigers spill beyond reserves, India rethinks conservation</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/as-tigers-spill-beyond-reserves-india-rethinks-conservation/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/as-tigers-spill-beyond-reserves-india-rethinks-conservation/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>18 Sep 2026 12:04:46 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Arathi Menon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Mongabay Editor]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[big cats]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cats]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tiger]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wild Cats]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/09/18110753/Copy-of-2-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=40999</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Big Cats, Biodiversity, Cats, Conservation, Ecology, Environment, Forests, Grazing, Human Wildlife Conflict, Mammals, National Parks, People, Protected Areas, Tigers, Wildlife, and Wildlife Sanctuary]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Forty-five-year-old Mahadeva Gowda was tending to his cotton farm in the village of Badagalapura in the southern Indian state of Karnataka when a tiger lunged at him from behind. He was caught unaware: He says he wasn’t aware that the forest department was trying to capture a tiger roaming through the areas. Before he realised [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Forty-five-year-old Mahadeva Gowda was tending to his cotton farm in the village of Badagalapura in the southern Indian state of Karnataka when a tiger lunged at him from behind. He was caught unaware: He says he wasn’t aware that the forest department was trying to capture a tiger roaming through the areas. Before he realised what was happening, the tiger swiped at his face, severely injuring his eyes and part of his face. After multiple reconstructive surgeries, Gowda has been left to live the rest of his life blinded, without eyes, his mouth only able to open partially, and his speech slurred. His wife, Indrani, says survival is extremely difficult for the family; Gowda was the household’s breadwinner, and now, he can’t work. He’s now become fully dependent on his wife for even his most basic needs. The incident occurred in mid-October 2025. Two weeks later, another farmer, 55-year-old Rajashekarappa, was grazing his cattle in a field when he encountered a tiger. It was fatal. Badagalapura and other villages that regularly report tiger encounters sit on the edge of the forest, placing them within what the forest department considers a “tiger landscape.” “Tigers have been present in this landscape for centuries and they constantly move here,” says S. Prabhakaran, who served as conservator of forests and oversaw operations at Karnataka’s Bandipur Tiger Reserve until earlier this year. The 1,456-square-kilometre park is home to between 154 and 175 tigers, according to a 2024 estimate by India’s National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/as-tigers-spill-beyond-reserves-india-rethinks-conservation/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/as-tigers-spill-beyond-reserves-india-rethinks-conservation/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>High-altitude bird hotspots remain outside protected areas</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/high-altitude-bird-hotspots-remain-outside-protected-areas/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/high-altitude-bird-hotspots-remain-outside-protected-areas/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>17 Sep 2026 14:15:03 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Kasturi Das]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Birds]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[protected areas]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/09/17130909/RCNX0076-e1789630907282-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=40967</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Himachal Pradesh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Big Cats, Biodiversity, Birds, Cats, Conservation, Ecology, Environment, Himalayas, Mountains, Protected Areas, Wildlife, and Wildlife Protection Act]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In the high-altitude landscapes of Himachal Pradesh, conservation efforts have long revolved around the charismatic snow leopard (Panthera uncia). But a new study suggests this focus may be leaving a host of other ecologically vital species outside the conservation umbrella. The study, led by scientists from the Nature Conservation Foundation and partner institutions, mapped the [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In the high-altitude landscapes of Himachal Pradesh, conservation efforts have long revolved around the charismatic snow leopard (Panthera uncia). But a new study suggests this focus may be leaving a host of other ecologically vital species outside the conservation umbrella. The study, led by scientists from the Nature Conservation Foundation and partner institutions, mapped the distribution of Galliformes — a group of heavy-bodied, ground-dwelling birds that includes pheasants and partridges — across 26,000 square kilometres. It found that only 12.5% of areas with high Galliformes species richness and 8.8% of areas with high concentrations of endemic species fall within existing protected areas (PA), designated zones for conservation of wildlife and habitats. The findings indicate that important bird habitats lie outside the designated protected areas. They point to the need for conservation planning that considers multiple species and the landscapes they share, rather than focusing mainly on flagship species such as the snow leopard. Snow leopard cameras reveal bird conservation gap The study, however, did not begin with birds at all. It grew out of a snow leopard survey conducted between 2016 and 2019. “We deployed close to 300 camera traps to estimate snow leopard populations,” said Kulbhushansingh Suryawanshi, a scientist with the Nature Conservation Foundation, and senior author of the paper. “We completed that work and published those results. That is when we realised that while studying these charismatic species, our camera traps had detected many other animals.” Suryawanshi and his team revisited the data to identify species that warranted&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/high-altitude-bird-hotspots-remain-outside-protected-areas/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/high-altitude-bird-hotspots-remain-outside-protected-areas/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Researchers rediscover an endemic plant after 180 years</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/researchers-rediscover-an-endemic-plant-in-assam-after-180-years/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/researchers-rediscover-an-endemic-plant-in-assam-after-180-years/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>14 Sep 2026 12:51:36 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Nabarun Guha]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[endemic species]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[plant]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/09/14103922/rungia-mastersii-pic-2-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=40895</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Assam]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Conservation, Ecology, Endemic species, Environment, New species, Plants, and Research]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[An endemic plant species Rungia mastersii was rediscovered in Assam, 180 years after its first discovery. The plant was not seen anywhere during this period. Kangkan Kumar Das, a doctoral researcher, and professor Debjyoti Bhattacharyya from the Department of Life Science and Bioinformatics at Assam University, Silchar, identified the species from Jatinga Hills in the [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[An endemic plant species Rungia mastersii was rediscovered in Assam, 180 years after its first discovery. The plant was not seen anywhere during this period. Kangkan Kumar Das, a doctoral researcher, and professor Debjyoti Bhattacharyya from the Department of Life Science and Bioinformatics at Assam University, Silchar, identified the species from Jatinga Hills in the Dima Hasao district of Assam. In 1845, British botanist J.W. Masters first discovered the plant from an unidentified location along Assam&#8217;s Sundar river and the plant was named after Masters. Speaking to Mongabay-India, Das said, “I was pursuing my doctoral research on the Acanthaceae family of plants and was travelling through Assam for my research. In Jatinga hills in Dima Hasao, I found this plant Rungia mastersii which is also a member of the family Acanthaceae. After I discovered this plant, I consulted with the renowned Chinese botanist Prof. Yunfei Deng from South China Botanical Garden who confirmed it.” He informed that for almost two centuries, there was no trace of this plant anywhere in the world. “Only one herbarium sheet has been kept at Central National Herbarium (CNH), Howrah,” he said. The endemic plant species Rungia mastersii was rediscovered in Assam after 180 years in Jatinga Hills, Dima Hasao district. Image by Kangkan Kumar Das. Characteristics of the plant The study published by Das and Bhattacharyya in July, 2026 describes Rungia mastersii as 60 to 110 cm tall, thriving in moist forests at elevations of 900 to 1,250 metres, and featuring pale green to&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/researchers-rediscover-an-endemic-plant-in-assam-after-180-years/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Red-naped ibises carry antibiotic-resistant bacteria, study finds</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/red-naped-ibises-carry-antibiotic-resistant-bacteria-study-finds/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/red-naped-ibises-carry-antibiotic-resistant-bacteria-study-finds/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>09 Sep 2026 15:47:16 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sneha Mahale]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[birding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urban biodiversity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urban birds]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urban lakes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[waterbirds]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/09/09132118/The-red-naped-ibis-Vijay-Kumar-Koli-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=40801</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Rajasthan]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Birds, Cities and Towns, Conservation, Ecology, Environment, Marshlands, Research, Waste management, Water Pollution, Wetlands, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Antibiotic resistance is not confined to people alone. Wildlife can also encounter and carry resistant bacteria, with birds picking them up from contaminated water, food, waste and other human-associated environments. As they move between habitats, they may spread these bacteria through their faeces, making them useful candidates in tracking the movement of antibiotic resistance in [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Antibiotic resistance is not confined to people alone. Wildlife can also encounter and carry resistant bacteria, with birds picking them up from contaminated water, food, waste and other human-associated environments. As they move between habitats, they may spread these bacteria through their faeces, making them useful candidates in tracking the movement of antibiotic resistance in the environment. A new study of red-naped ibises in Udaipur, Rajasthan, has now found diverse bacteria in their faeces, including multidrug-resistant strains. The red-naped ibis is a common, resident, non-migratory wading bird that occurs across a range of habitats in and around Udaipur. It is also an opportunistic omnivore, consuming insects, amphibians, reptiles, small fish, livestock carcasses and occasionally plant material. The ibises have also been observed foraging at garbage disposal sites and on carrion. “It was not simply a matter of choosing a common and easily observable bird,” elaborates Vijay Kumar Koli, an assistant professor and in-charge head of the Wildlife Research Laboratory at Mohanlal Sukhadia University, Udaipur, and a co-author of the study. “Its year-round presence, broad habitat use, feeding behaviour and frequent contact with human-influenced environments make it a useful species for investigating how environmental bacteria and antibiotic resistance may circulate at the wildlife-human-environment interface.” Nesting trees of the red-naped ibis in Udaipur, Rajasthan. The bird is a common non-migratory wader that is found across the city. Image by Kanishka Mehta. Sampling the ibises The researchers collected 45 faecal samples between July 2022 and June 2023, with 15 samples collected during each&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/red-naped-ibises-carry-antibiotic-resistant-bacteria-study-finds/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/red-naped-ibises-carry-antibiotic-resistant-bacteria-study-finds/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Snow leopards and their survival in changing times [Book Review]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/snow-leopards-and-their-survival-in-changing-times-book-review/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/snow-leopards-and-their-survival-in-changing-times-book-review/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>08 Sep 2026 16:06:17 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Usha Rai]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Renuka Kulkarni]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[book review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[snow leopard]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/09/08142945/DSC_0942-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=40779</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Himalayas and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Big Cats, Biodiversity, Cats, Conservation, Ecology, Endangered species, Environment, Himalayas, In-situ conservation, Mammals, Mountains, Wildlife, and Wildlife Sanctuary]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[If you want to know all about snow leopards, their range, food, love life, fight for survival in the fast changing high mountain landscape, impact of climate change and the struggle of scientists to get accurate figures on their population and spread, Kulbhushansingh Suryawanshi’s The Ghost of the Mountains is a must read. It is [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[If you want to know all about snow leopards, their range, food, love life, fight for survival in the fast changing high mountain landscape, impact of climate change and the struggle of scientists to get accurate figures on their population and spread, Kulbhushansingh Suryawanshi’s The Ghost of the Mountains is a must read. It is a fascinating, extremely well written book that blends research with graphic description of the landscape and allows us to witness a creature few have been privileged to see. “A flagship species of Himalayan conservation, snow leopards are key to preserving an austere, delicate ecosystem,” the book says. It has taken Suryawanshi 20 years to study the ‘ghost of the mountains,’ distributed in mountainous terrain of 12 countries that straddle the Himalayas and Central Asia. Despite the fast changing pace of development, the story of the snow leopard is one of hope. Snow leopards “are shy and their silvery-brown and white coats, marked with dark rosettes, work like magic cloaks offering good camouflage that enable them to disappear like smoke. They have furry tails, the longest of any cats, which they wrap around their bodies like mufflers on cold nights. The tails also work like the balancing pole of a tight rope walker as they manoeuvre around exposed cliffs. Their thick, wide paws, lined with fur, act like snow shoes and their unusually large nostrils help them warm the cold air they breathe and their small rounded ears minimise heat loss”. The author, who travelled across&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/snow-leopards-and-their-survival-in-changing-times-book-review/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Little is known about this flycatcher that migrates across the country every year</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/little-is-known-about-this-flycatcher-that-migrates-across-the-country-every-year/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/little-is-known-about-this-flycatcher-that-migrates-across-the-country-every-year/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>07 Sep 2026 11:19:42 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Hirra Azmat]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[birding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Birds]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[endemic species]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[migration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[migratory birds]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[research]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/09/07085505/Kashmir-flycatcher-faizan-1-scaled-e1788751537804-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=40727</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India and Jammu and Kashmir]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Birds, Conservation, Ecosystem services, Migration, and Research]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Every spring, as new leaves emerge on Parrotia, walnut and other trees across the temperate forests of Kashmir, a small traveller returns from thousands of kilometres away. Barely larger than a sparrow, the Kashmir flycatcher (Ficedula subrubra) undertakes a long journey from the hills of southern India and Sri Lanka to breed in the mountains [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Every spring, as new leaves emerge on Parrotia, walnut and other trees across the temperate forests of Kashmir, a small traveller returns from thousands of kilometres away. Barely larger than a sparrow, the Kashmir flycatcher (Ficedula subrubra) undertakes a long journey from the hills of southern India and Sri Lanka to breed in the mountains of the western Himalaya. But its migration route, stopover locations and winter ecology are still a mystery to scientists. The males of the species are easily recognised by their rich orange throat and breast that contrast with a dark head and upperparts, while females are more subdued in colour. The migratory songbird typically arrives in Kashmir during late April and early May, when the forests become rich in insect prey. “They are closely associated with mature, temperate broad-leaved forests of the western Himalaya,” shares Khursheed Ahmad, a professor and senior scientist at the Division of Wildlife Sciences, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology-Kashmir. Ahmad is supervising an ongoing research project on the Kashmir flycatcher in North-Western Himalayas. During the breeding season, the flycatcher prefers relatively undisturbed forests dominated by horse chestnut, black locust, Parrotia (Parrotiopsis jacquemontiana), walnut, elm and other broadleaf species, often with a well-developed understorey and dense canopy. The flycatcher is also found on forest edges and in clearings and streamside woodlands where insect abundance is high. Endemic to the Indian subcontinent, its restricted breeding range, small population and ongoing habitat loss make the species vulnerable according to the IUCN Red List,&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/little-is-known-about-this-flycatcher-that-migrates-across-the-country-every-year/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>A world of bristles beneath the waves</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/a-world-of-bristles-beneath-the-waves/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/a-world-of-bristles-beneath-the-waves/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>01 Sep 2026 17:06:45 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Nikhil Sreekandan]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Renuka Kulkarni]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fisheries]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine ecosystem]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine Fisheries]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marine wildlife]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[shrimp]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Shrimp farming]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/09/01143225/Amphinomids-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=40603</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Indian Ocean]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Coast, Conservation, Ecology, Ecosystem services, Environment, Fish, Fishing, Oceans, Overfishing, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Polychaete worms are among the most diverse groups of marine invertebrates on Earth. According to the World Register of Marine Species, approximately 13,148 valid polychaete species are currently recognised. Some researchers even estimate that this number could rise to 16,700 by the end of the century. “They (polychaete worms) occur in almost all marine habitats, [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Polychaete worms are among the most diverse groups of marine invertebrates on Earth. According to the World Register of Marine Species, approximately 13,148 valid polychaete species are currently recognised. Some researchers even estimate that this number could rise to 16,700 by the end of the century. “They (polychaete worms) occur in almost all marine habitats, from estuaries, mangroves, sandy shores, coral reefs, and seagrass beds to the continental shelf and deeper waters,” said Sanitha Sivadas, a marine benthic ecology expert and Scientist E at the National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR), Visakhapatnam. “A small percentage of polychaete species have even adapted to low-salinity and inland water environments,” Sivadas added. Polychaeta, Greek for “having much hair”, refers to the bristles on the fleshy, leg-like protrusions on their body, which also lends them their other name, bristle worms. These worms range in size from a few millimetres to more than a metre long and come in colours ranging from dull brown to neon yellow and orange-red. In India, despite their vast diversity, polychaete worms remain understudied. Mongabay-India spoke to polychaete experts and taxonomists to learn more about the bright, bristly worms of our seas. India’s underexplored diversity With its extensive coastline and diverse coastal and marine habitats, India is home to a huge diversity of polychaete worms, said Sivadas. “[But] the current recorded [polychaete] diversity represents only a part of the actual diversity in Indian waters,” she added. Pierre Fauvel laid the foundation for documenting India’s polychaete fauna. The well-known French polychaetologist’s&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/a-world-of-bristles-beneath-the-waves/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Sacred groves show that size isn’t everything when it comes to ecological benefits</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/sacred-groves-show-that-size-isnt-everything-when-it-comes-to-ecological-benefits/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/sacred-groves-show-that-size-isnt-everything-when-it-comes-to-ecological-benefits/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>01 Sep 2026 13:00:56 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sneha Mahale]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sacred groves]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/09/01113806/sacred-grove-collage-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=40586</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Kerala]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animal Behaviour, Biodiversity, Conservation, Ecology, Ecosystem services, Encroachment, Environment, Forests, Habitat Fragmentation, and Insects]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Scattered across India, sacred groves are often celebrated as relics of ancient forests. Protected for generations through cultural and religious traditions, these patches of native vegetation often serve as refuges for native plants, birds and insects. Now, a new study finds that instances of predators eating caterpillars was consistently higher in Kerala’s sacred groves than [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Scattered across India, sacred groves are often celebrated as relics of ancient forests. Protected for generations through cultural and religious traditions, these patches of native vegetation often serve as refuges for native plants, birds and insects. Now, a new study finds that instances of predators eating caterpillars was consistently higher in Kerala’s sacred groves than in nearby multi-storied home gardens, indicating that this ecological process that helps regulate populations of herbivorous insects, was stronger in sacred groves. “Predation is a fundamental ecological process that shapes community structure and ecosystem functioning,&#8221; says Gopika Viswan, a researcher at the Ecology Lab, Central University of Kerala and the study’s co-author, adding that &#8220;Changes in predation can trigger strong ecological consequences, including trophic cascades and altered ecosystem stability.” “Species richness or abundance studies capture only the structure of ecosystems, not how they function. Ecosystems are sustained not merely by the presence of species, but by interactions among them, such as prey-predator interactions,” she explains. Testing fragmentation The study was conducted in the northern Malabar region of Kerala’s Kasaragod district, where at least 117 sacred groves are scattered across a mosaic of agricultural areas and home gardens, stretching from the Western Ghats to the Arabian Sea. Researchers selected 12 sites located between 8 kilometres and 44 km from the Western Ghats. At each site, they paired one sacred grove with one multi-storied home garden close by, located 1-2 km apart, to compare predator-prey interactions across habitats and varying levels of isolation from the biodiversity hotspot.&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/sacred-groves-show-that-size-isnt-everything-when-it-comes-to-ecological-benefits/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Genetic blueprint of four Asian hornbills offers new tool for hornbill research</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/genetic-blueprint-of-four-asian-hornbills-offer-new-tool-for-hornbill-research/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/genetic-blueprint-of-four-asian-hornbills-offer-new-tool-for-hornbill-research/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>31 Aug 2026 11:40:36 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Nikhil Sreekandan]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gene]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[genetics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[genome]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/08/31102922/Great_Hornbill_Flock_Valparai_Tamil_Nadu_Western_Ghats_DSCN3369-scaled-e1788152726315-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=40557</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Birds, Conservation, Endangered species, Evolution, Technology, Technology and Conservation, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Scientists have generated a reference genome, a genetic structure model, for four threatened Asian hornbill species. The high-quality genome assemblies were generated for the great hornbill, rufous-necked hornbill, Malabar-pied hornbill and wreathed hornbill by researchers from the Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysore and CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad. “My research interest is [in] [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Scientists have generated a reference genome, a genetic structure model, for four threatened Asian hornbill species. The high-quality genome assemblies were generated for the great hornbill, rufous-necked hornbill, Malabar-pied hornbill and wreathed hornbill by researchers from the Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysore and CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad. “My research interest is [in] understanding how wildlife responds to their changing environment,” says corresponding author of the research paper Pooja Pawar, who has studied great hornbills (Buceros bicornis) in both protected areas and in coffee plantations. For her master’s dissertation, Pawar compared the behaviour and breeding biology of these large, majestic birds in protected areas in the Anamalai Hills and the human-modified landscape of Valparai, Tamil Nadu. Then, for her Ph.D. at the Nature Conservation Foundation and Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Pawar expanded the scope of her research to investigate how climatic, geographic, and anthropogenic factors have influenced hornbill populations across regions and geological epochs. To help answer these questions, the behavioural biologist turned to genomics, the study of an organism’s complete genetic structure. “Genomics allowed me to ask these questions at much larger temporal and geographic scales,” Pawar says. “I could go back in time, to when the species originated or diverged from its sister species, and not restrict [my research] to the Western Ghats or northeast India.” But before she could do that, Pawar first had to create baseline genomic data for Asian hornbill species, which was largely missing despite their flagship conservation status. Whole-genome information&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/genetic-blueprint-of-four-asian-hornbills-offer-new-tool-for-hornbill-research/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>Crime content on social media threatens wildlife safety</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/crime-content-on-social-media-threatens-wildlife-safety/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/crime-content-on-social-media-threatens-wildlife-safety/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>27 Aug 2026 17:58:48 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Vandana K.]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Arathimenon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pets]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wildlife crime]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/08/27174553/crime-reels-collage-Edited-1-scaled-e1787832976456-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=40507</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Archives, Biodiversity, Conservation, Endangered species, Environmental Crime, Poaching, Wildlife, Wildlife Protection Act, Wildlife Trade, and Wildlife Trafficking]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In 2025, P.M. Muthanna came across an Instagram reel that showed someone demonstrating how to capture wild animals. This was an activity that could not only harm wildlife but also violate wildlife protection laws. Muthanna, who heads field conservation at Centre for Wildlife Studies (CWS), a wildlife organisation based in Karnataka, couldn’t ignore the reel [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In 2025, P.M. Muthanna came across an Instagram reel that showed someone demonstrating how to capture wild animals. This was an activity that could not only harm wildlife but also violate wildlife protection laws. Muthanna, who heads field conservation at Centre for Wildlife Studies (CWS), a wildlife organisation based in Karnataka, couldn’t ignore the reel that seemed to normalise illegal handling of animals. “My co-workers and I started checking and compiling such videos being circulated on social media, particularly Instagram,” he says. Among the reels he stumbled upon were those showing a civet cat stuck in a jaw trap, which had over 25,000 likes; people hunting monitor lizards; a jaw trap manufacturing workshop, and more. In February 2026, he sent a letter to the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), a government body that combats organised wildlife crime, urging it to take action against eight Instagram accounts that show and sell jaw traps, devices that injure or harm animals, and demonstrate the illegal hunting of monitor lizards, which are protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. These kinds of reels are playing on phone screens across India. Showcased as ordinary moments from the creators’ lives, the content ranges from what an illegally-kept pet Indian star tortoise eats to going on a hunting trip. Cyber-enabled wildlife crime in India is a rapidly emerging threat which is subtle, sophisticated, and sometimes hard to identify, says Pradipty Bhardwaj, a Ph.D. scholar researching the adequacy of Indian law to combat such crimes.&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/crime-content-on-social-media-threatens-wildlife-safety/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Study from India&#8217;s first wolf sanctuary reveals when livestock are most at risk</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/study-from-indias-first-wolf-sanctuary-reveals-when-livestock-are-most-at-risk/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/study-from-indias-first-wolf-sanctuary-reveals-when-livestock-are-most-at-risk/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>25 Aug 2026 14:33:16 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sneha Mahale]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[attacks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[grey wolf]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livestock]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wildlife conflict]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wolf]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/08/25005651/7-Forest-Department-Camera-Trap-scaled-e1787599639679-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=40425</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Jharkhand]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Animal Behaviour, Biodiversity, Conservation, Human Wildlife Conflict, Mammals, Protected Areas, Villages, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[India&#8217;s first wolf sanctuary is an important breeding and denning landscape for the Indian grey wolf. But for the tribal communities living around Mahuadanr Wolf Sanctuary (MWS) in Jharkhand, sharing space with wolves often comes at a cost. A new study has now identified when, where and why wolves are most likely to attack livestock, [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[India&#8217;s first wolf sanctuary is an important breeding and denning landscape for the Indian grey wolf. But for the tribal communities living around Mahuadanr Wolf Sanctuary (MWS) in Jharkhand, sharing space with wolves often comes at a cost. A new study has now identified when, where and why wolves are most likely to attack livestock, providing insights that could help reduce conflict while also supporting conservation. Although Mahuadanr is India’s first designated wolf sanctuary, little scientific research has been conducted there because of limited access to the sanctuary and made sustained fieldwork difficult, says Shahzada Iqbal, member of the Jharkhand State Board for Wildlife, PhD scholar at the Department of Wildlife Sciences, Aligarh Muslim University, and co-author of the study. “It is unique because it is both a protected area for wolves and a lived-in landscape where tribal communities have shared space with the animals for generations. Livestock depredation is a reality here, yet wolves continue to persist,” Iqbal shares. That makes it an ideal landscape for understanding not only the ecological drivers of conflict but also the human dimensions that determine whether coexistence is possible, he says. Tribal communities and wolves around India’s first wolf sanctuary in Jharkhand share space, often at the cost of livestock. A new study has now identified when, where and why wolves are most likely to attack. Image by Shahzada Iqbal. Studying conflict in a shared landscape Established in 1976, MWS spans more than 63 square kilometres within the southern division of Palamau Tiger&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/study-from-indias-first-wolf-sanctuary-reveals-when-livestock-are-most-at-risk/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Audit exposes fundamental flaws in Green India Mission&#8217;s execution</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/audit-exposes-fundamental-flaws-in-green-india-missions-execution/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/audit-exposes-fundamental-flaws-in-green-india-missions-execution/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>24 Aug 2026 19:47:08 +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/30/2026/08/24190647/AP26208520244982-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=40378</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Carbon emissions, Carbon Offset, Carbon Sequestration, Climate Change, Conservation, Ecology, Ecosystem services, Environment, Forestry, Forests, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Habitat Loss, Plantations, Reforestation, and Trees]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[An audit report of the Green India Mission, one of the eight missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change, found that funds were consistently underutilised and that progress under the mission “remains negligible.” The Green India Mission aims to enhance forest cover, improve the quality of forest cover and ecosystem services, and scale [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[An audit report of the Green India Mission, one of the eight missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change, found that funds were consistently underutilised and that progress under the mission “remains negligible.” The Green India Mission aims to enhance forest cover, improve the quality of forest cover and ecosystem services, and scale carbon sequestration in India. In 2011, the mission aimed to fulfil these goals in 10 million hectares (mha) of land over a period of 10 years. In 2014, the Mission included afforestation on 2.8 mha of land by 2018 as a goal. But the mission’s performance has been set back by “fundamental weaknesses in planning and design as well as deficiencies in execution and monitoring,” says an audit report by the Comptroller Auditor General of India (CAG), submitted to Parliament on August 12. According to the audit, out of the targeted 2.8 million hectares, afforestation interventions were made in approximately 0.15 million hectares, which is just about 5% of the goal area. Pooja Choksi, an ecologist and founder of Ficus Research Consulting said the CAG&#8217;s report was a timely &#8220;wake up call.&#8221; &#8220;It is an indication that we need to do things radically differently if we want to achieve our land use and forestry related targets, especially in a ecologically and socially meaningful way that ensures the longevity of these plantation efforts,&#8221; she said. Apart from poor implementation, the CAG found that activities carried out eroded the mission’s core objectives of restoring ecosystems at a&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/audit-exposes-fundamental-flaws-in-green-india-missions-execution/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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