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		<title>Mongabay India</title>
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		<link>https://india.mongabay.com/list/endangered-species/</link>
		<description>India&#039;s environmental science and conservation news</description>
		<lastBuildDate>Mon, 31 Aug 2026 13:48:25 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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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>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/genetic-blueprint-of-four-asian-hornbills-offer-new-tool-for-hornbill-research/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<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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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Disappearing grasslands impact bird populations, study finds</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/disappearing-grasslands-impact-bird-populations-study-finds/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/disappearing-grasslands-impact-bird-populations-study-finds/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>14 Aug 2026 16:37:09 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Simrin Sirur]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[grassland ecology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nilgiri pipit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nilgiris]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/08/14123726/Nilgiri_Pipit_Anthus_nilghiriensis_from_Anaimalai_hills_IMG_2145-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=40133</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Tamil Nadu]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Biosphere reserves, Birds, Conservation, Ecology, Encroachment, Endangered species, Endemic species, Forests, Grasslands, Habitat Loss, Shola-grasslands, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Up in the Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu, the gradual disappearance of the region’s shola grasslands has changed how birds navigate the landscape, highlighting the importance of habitat connectivity in preserving endemic biodiversity. The shola sky islands are unique montane forests separated by rolling grasslands. They’re biologically significant because they host a large number species whose global [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Up in the Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu, the gradual disappearance of the region’s shola grasslands has changed how birds navigate the landscape, highlighting the importance of habitat connectivity in preserving endemic biodiversity. The shola sky islands are unique montane forests separated by rolling grasslands. They’re biologically significant because they host a large number species whose global distributions are concentrated here. But changes in land use dynamics have caused a steady decline in the populations of certain birds in the region. Colonial-era plantations of exotic tree species like Acacia, Eucalyptus and Pinus, which are not native to this region, have invaded several parts of the sky islands. Between 1973 and 2017, the islands lost 516 sq km of grasslands and 63 sq km of forests. These diminished habitats have also exposed the limits of adaptability for birds. “Highlighting how land-use change shapes species’ connectivity provides a window into how species specialised to high-elevation grassland habitat types respond to habitat alterations,” said Chiti Arvind, Postdoctoral Fellow, IISER Tirupati and a co-author of a research paper studying the impacts of land use change in the shola sky islands on bird movements. Shola forests and grasslands in the Nilgiris. Image by Davidvraju via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). Gains and losses The study covered approximately 2,900 sq km across the two largest sky islands — in the Nilgiris and Palani-Anamalais — at elevations higher than 1400 metres above sea level. The objective was to observe how habitat fragmentation impacted the movements of the seven most&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/disappearing-grasslands-impact-bird-populations-study-finds/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/disappearing-grasslands-impact-bird-populations-study-finds/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Sloth bears are unlikely seed dispersers shaping forests</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/sloth-bears-shape-forests-as-unlikely-seed-dispersers/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/sloth-bears-shape-forests-as-unlikely-seed-dispersers/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>06 Aug 2026 13:14:49 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sneha Mahale]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Aravallis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[invasive plants]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lantana]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sloth bear]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/08/06102357/Sloth-bears-may-contribute-to-the-spread-of-the-invasive-shrub-by-dispersing-its-seeds-over-long-distances.-Photo-Credit-Utkarsh-Prajapati-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39910</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Rajasthan]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Conservation, Ecology, Ecosystem services, Endangered species, Food, Forests, Mammals, Mountains, Positive Environmental, Research, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Sloth bears may be doing much more than foraging across Rajasthan&#8217;s semi-arid deciduous forests. A new study from the Aravalli hills suggests they may also help shape the forests by dispersing viable seeds. “A relatively small number of careful studies have been conducted on sloth bear diet ecology, and an even smaller number on their [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Sloth bears may be doing much more than foraging across Rajasthan&#8217;s semi-arid deciduous forests. A new study from the Aravalli hills suggests they may also help shape the forests by dispersing viable seeds. “A relatively small number of careful studies have been conducted on sloth bear diet ecology, and an even smaller number on their role in enabling seed dispersal,” says K.S. Gopi Sundar, independent scientist and co-author of the study. “Since we studied both of these aspects, we are able to show that bears are influencing a number of plant species in germinating more and faster than if they were left to germinate naturally. Clearly, dry deciduous forests’ plant compositions are a function of sloth bear presence, movement, and dietary habits,” he says. Studying bears in the Aravallis The research was conducted in the Kumbhalgarh and Todgarh-Raoli wildlife sanctuaries in Rajasthan&#8217;s south-central Aravalli range. Together, the protected areas cover about 1,100 square kilometres of dry deciduous forest, scrubland and grassland. “The two sanctuaries formed a unique ecotone between the drier western Aravalli slopes and the much greener eastern slopes,” says co-author Utkarsh Prajapati, a senior project associate at the Wildlife Institute of India. “This zone of transition, we thought, likely holds a greater diversity of resources for omnivores such as the sloth bear.” Prajapati conducted the research while at the Wildlife Research Laboratory at the Department of Zoology, University College of Science, Mohanlal Sukhadia University (MLSU), Udaipur. The Kumbhalgarh and Todgarh-Raoli wildlife sanctuaries in Rajasthan’s south-central Aravalli range. These&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/sloth-bears-shape-forests-as-unlikely-seed-dispersers/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Rare lynx photo puts spotlight on high-altitude rangelands</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/rare-lynx-photo-puts-spotlight-on-high-altitude-rangelands/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/rare-lynx-photo-puts-spotlight-on-high-altitude-rangelands/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>04 Aug 2026 15:20:02 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Manish Chandra Mishra]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Shailesh Shrivastava]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[carnivores]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[eastern himalayas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Eurasian lynx]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sikkim Himalayas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[snow leopard]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[snow leopards]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tibetan plateau]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wolf]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/08/04131014/Eurasian-lynx-1-Sikkim-Forest-Dept-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39845</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Sikkim]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Big Cats, Biodiversity, Camera traps, Cats, Conservation, Ecology, Endangered species, Himalayas, In-situ conservation, Mountains, Photos, Positive Environmental, Technology and Conservation, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[A Eurasian lynx has been recorded in a camera-trap image from the Tso Lhamo plateau in Sikkim. This encounter marks the first confirmed photographic evidence of the species in the state. It is also the second such record from the Eastern Himalayas. The image, captured in January 2026 at an altitude of 5,250 metres in [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[A Eurasian lynx has been recorded in a camera-trap image from the Tso Lhamo plateau in Sikkim. This encounter marks the first confirmed photographic evidence of the species in the state. It is also the second such record from the Eastern Himalayas. The image, captured in January 2026 at an altitude of 5,250 metres in Mangan district, shows the animal moving across a rocky, sparsely vegetated high-altitude slope. The sighting comes from a long-term snow leopard and rangeland monitoring programme led by the Sikkim forest department and WWF-India. The initiative tracks snow leopards and associated wildlife while studying the ecological condition of the trans-Himalayan rangelands. The Sikkim record follows a 2025 photographic documentation of a Eurasian lynx in Arunachal Pradesh during a joint survey by WWF-India and the Arunachal Pradesh forest department. “It highlights the ecological significance of our high-altitude rangelands and reinforces our commitment to protecting these fragile ecosystems. The cooperation of the Lachen Dzumsa (traditional local self-governance body) in facilitating access to these remote areas has been important to this work,” Sikkim’s Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), Udai Gurung, said in a press note. At the Tso Lhamo plateau in Sikkim, researchers captured camera-trap images of a Eurasian lynx, along with several other elusive species. High-altitude rangelands like this region have wrongly been dismissed as barren deserts of little ecological value. Image courtesy of Forest &amp; Environment Department, Sikkim, and WWF-India. The images are part of a long-term snow leopard and trans-Himalayan rangeland monitoring programme. Image courtesy of&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/rare-lynx-photo-puts-spotlight-on-high-altitude-rangelands/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Scrublands and ravines offer key habitat for the elusive caracal</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/caracal-prefer-ravines-open-natural-ecosystems-over-protected-areas/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/caracal-prefer-ravines-open-natural-ecosystems-over-protected-areas/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>09 Jul 2026 14:16:47 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sneha Mahale]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Shailesh Shrivastava]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[caracal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wildlife monitoring]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/09121119/Caracal-in-the-Ranthambhore-Kailadevi-Dholpur-landscape_Ranthambhore-Tiger-Reserve-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39121</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Rajasthan]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animal Behaviour, Big Cats, Biodiversity, Camera traps, Cats, Conservation, Endangered species, Grasslands, Protected Areas, Thar Desert, Wildlife, and Wildlife Sanctuary]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The caracal is one of India&#8217;s most elusive wild cats. With its sandy coat, lean frame and distinctive black ear tufts, it is instantly recognisable. Yet sightings are rare, and much of what researchers know about the species comes from scattered records rather than dedicated research. A recent study from southeastern Rajasthan on caracals and [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The caracal is one of India&#8217;s most elusive wild cats. With its sandy coat, lean frame and distinctive black ear tufts, it is instantly recognisable. Yet sightings are rare, and much of what researchers know about the species comes from scattered records rather than dedicated research. A recent study from southeastern Rajasthan on caracals and their habitats, is looking to change that. Using camera-trap records and habitat modelling, researchers have identified areas likely to support caracals across the Greater Ranthambhore landscape and the environmental features most strongly associated with the species&#8217; occurrence. “Very little was known about its current distribution, habitat requirements, or population status. Most available information came from scattered historical records, opportunistic sightings, and anecdotal observations, making it difficult to develop effective conservation strategies. Our study was motivated by the need to move beyond isolated records and develop a landscape-level understanding of where suitable habitats still exist for the species,” shares Ayan Sadhu, a research scientist at the National Tiger Conservation Authority and Wildlife Institute of India, and a corresponding author of the study. A landscape beyond the tiger reserve The study focused on the Kailadevi landscape, which forms the northern extension of Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve. Situated between Banas and Chambal rivers, the semi-arid region is a mosaic of scrub forests, rocky plateaus, ravines and villages. It supports a diverse carnivore community that includes tigers, leopards, wolves, striped hyenas and jungle cats. To understand how caracals use this landscape, researchers deployed camera traps at 177 locations between January&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/caracal-prefer-ravines-open-natural-ecosystems-over-protected-areas/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>New camera-trap record confirms caracal presence in Kuno</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/new-camera-trap-record-confirms-caracal-presence-in-kuno/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/new-camera-trap-record-confirms-caracal-presence-in-kuno/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>01 Jul 2026 14:55:11 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Manish Chandra Mishra]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Shailesh Shrivastava]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Biodiversity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[caracal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cats]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[conservation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Environment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[forests]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[kuno]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Madhya Pradesh]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wildlife]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/30114032/IMG_0186-e1782883923178-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38850</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India and Madhya Pradesh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animal Behaviour, Animals, Camera traps, Cats, Conservation, Endangered species, Forests, Grasslands, Wildlife, Wildlife Protection Act, and Wildlife Sanctuary]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Deep inside Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park, two camera traps captured a lean wildcat at night. It had long legs, a tawny coat and black ear tufts. This wildcat was a caracal, one of India’s least-seen wild cats. Notably, this caracal was recorded from the same forest landscape where India’s cheetah reintroduction project is underway. [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Deep inside Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park, two camera traps captured a lean wildcat at night. It had long legs, a tawny coat and black ear tufts. This wildcat was a caracal, one of India’s least-seen wild cats. Notably, this caracal was recorded from the same forest landscape where India’s cheetah reintroduction project is underway. Kuno National Park’s field director Uttam Kumar Sharma noted that in the four years that he has been in the Park, this was the first record of the cat. The forest department is now going through older records to check if caracals had been recorded earlier in Kuno or adjoining areas. Sharma noted that this record may indicate the possibility of local presence. However, more monitoring is needed before drawing a conclusion, he added. Presence, not proof of population Shekhar Kolipaka, who has studied caracal distribution and suitable habitats in India, and is Senior Landscape Developer at Commonland Foundation said the Kuno record should be interpreted carefully. “A single camera-trap photograph confirms the presence of a caracal, but does not indicate the existence of a resident population,” Kolipaka said in a written response to Mongabay-India. However, he added that the record, most likely a dispersing male, is still significant. Continued monitoring, he said, will help determine whether more individuals occur in the landscape and whether the photographed animal establishes residency or continues dispersing. “Like most wild cats, young adults naturally disperse from their birth areas to establish their own territories. Males, in particular, often travel&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/new-camera-trap-record-confirms-caracal-presence-in-kuno/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/new-camera-trap-record-confirms-caracal-presence-in-kuno/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>A community leads protection of the pangolin in a critical illegal trade corridor</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/a-community-leads-protection-of-the-pangolin-in-a-critical-illegal-trade-corridor/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/a-community-leads-protection-of-the-pangolin-in-a-critical-illegal-trade-corridor/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>07 May 2026 15:19:52 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Kasturi Das]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pangolin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wildlife trafficking]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/05/07120441/Chinese-pangolin-rescue-and-released-by-WTI-in-Arunachal-Pradesh-_-Panjit-Basumatary-_-IMG_8627-1-copy-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38060</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Nagaland]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Community based conservation, Conservation, Endangered species, Hunting, Indigenous Peoples, Mammals, Tribes, Wildlife, Wildlife Protection Act, and Wildlife Trade]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In Nagaland’s Kiphire district, along the porous Indo-Myanmar border, pangolins have been hunted for decades — once due to cultural beliefs, and increasingly for trade, in a region identified as a key wildlife trafficking route. “Our forefathers would say that if a pangolin enters a house, it was considered a bad omen or curse,” says [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In Nagaland’s Kiphire district, along the porous Indo-Myanmar border, pangolins have been hunted for decades — once due to cultural beliefs, and increasingly for trade, in a region identified as a key wildlife trafficking route. “Our forefathers would say that if a pangolin enters a house, it was considered a bad omen or curse,” says L. Kipitong Sangtam, 61, a resident of Amahator village in Kiphire district. “In the past, if someone encountered a pangolin, they would try to catch and kill it, sometimes by digging it out of its burrow.” Now, conservationists in Nagaland are turning to village councils and customary courts, to protect the elusive mammal. Though pangolin hunting is banned under India’s Wildlife Protection Act, enforcement remains difficult. So, conservationists are working with local tribal bodies, that have a greater influence in the state, to push for a local ban and safeguard the species. Earlier this year, the United Sangtam Likhum Pumji (USLP), the apex tribal body of the Sangtam Naga community, passed a resolution for a community-led ban on pangolin hunting in 42 villages of Kiphire district. The Sangtam Naga community is a major ethnic group in Nagaland, primarily inhabiting the Kiphire and Tuensang districts. The move comes amid growing concerns over trafficking of the critically endangered Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) along the Indo-Myanmar border, as well as pangolins hunted for local consumption. &nbsp; The Sangtam Naga community is a major ethnic group in Nagaland, primarily inhabiting Tuensang and Kiphire districts next to the Indo-Myanmar border.&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/a-community-leads-protection-of-the-pangolin-in-a-critical-illegal-trade-corridor/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Rising illegal wildlife trade across Himalayan countries threatens the mountain ecosystem</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/rising-illegal-wildlife-trade-across-the-himalayan-countries-threatens-the-mountain-ecosystem/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/rising-illegal-wildlife-trade-across-the-himalayan-countries-threatens-the-mountain-ecosystem/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>29 Apr 2026 15:26:33 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Vandana K.]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hindu Kush Himalaya]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[poaching]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wildlife crime]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/04/28120331/Jiten_170719_MG_6031-scaled-e1777358299720-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=37911</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Himachal Pradesh and Himalayas]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Conservation, Endangered species, Environmental Crime, Himalayas, Pet Trade, Wildlife, Wildlife Trade, and Wildlife Trafficking]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In February this year, 45 people headed towards jewellery shops in Rohru, a town in Himachal Pradesh. But shopping was not their agenda. The group was a squad of forest rangers, guards and van mitras, on a mission, Operation Clawing Back, to raid shops to seize jewellery allegedly made from claws and teeth of leopards [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In February this year, 45 people headed towards jewellery shops in Rohru, a town in Himachal Pradesh. But shopping was not their agenda. The group was a squad of forest rangers, guards and van mitras, on a mission, Operation Clawing Back, to raid shops to seize jewellery allegedly made from claws and teeth of leopards and feathers of protected birds. This raid illustrates a wider phenomenon in the Himalayas. Illegal wildlife trade is happening across eight countries in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region and has doubled from 2019 onwards compared to 2018 and previous years, found a study published in January 2026. The research was conducted by Babar Khan and Kesang Wangchuk at the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) in Kathmandu, Nepal. India and China recorded thousands of seizure incidents, with carnivores, elephants, pangolins, and various endangered animals trafficked for live trade, body parts, and traditional medicine, according to the research. Illegal wildlife trade is the fourth largest illicit transnational activity in the world. It remains an attractive business for poachers and smugglers, with Southeast Asia at the epicentre of much of this crime. Over 12,000 species of animals and plants have been traded internationally in recent years. A threat to biodiversity and the mountain ecosystem The HKH stretches over 3,500 kilometres from west to east, spanning either all or part of these eight countries — Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan. The region hosts four global biodiversity hotspots — Himalaya, Indo-Burma, and the&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/rising-illegal-wildlife-trade-across-the-himalayan-countries-threatens-the-mountain-ecosystem/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Experts divided over reintroducing captive-bred gharials in rivers</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/experts-divided-over-reintroducing-captive-bred-gharials-in-rivers/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/experts-divided-over-reintroducing-captive-bred-gharials-in-rivers/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>04 Feb 2026 17:16:21 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Rajeev Tyagi]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Aquatic life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[captive animals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[captive breeding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crocodiles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ganga]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gharials]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/02/04152632/Gharial-release-scaled-e1770199257557-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36736</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[West Bengal]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Conservation, Endangered species, Extinction, Fishing, Mining, Reptiles, Rivers, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In February 2024, 37 juvenile gharials (Gavialis gangeticus) were transported 550 kilometres from the Rasikbeel Mini Zoo to the banks of the Ganga River in Murshidabad, West Bengal. The gharials, which were born out of a captive breeding programme in late 2021, were sheltered individually in ventilated PVC pipes. During the 15-hour overnight trip, forest [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In February 2024, 37 juvenile gharials (Gavialis gangeticus) were transported 550 kilometres from the Rasikbeel Mini Zoo to the banks of the Ganga River in Murshidabad, West Bengal. The gharials, which were born out of a captive breeding programme in late 2021, were sheltered individually in ventilated PVC pipes. During the 15-hour overnight trip, forest staff sprinkled the animals with water every one to two hours to maintain hydration. For the species, it was a return to a historic home. For the conservationists present, it was a moment of &#8220;quiet satisfaction&#8221;, Shahnawaz Khan, the Lead for Aquatic Habitats at WWF-India, said in an email response to Mongabay-India. Khan recalls that there was concern about the animals&#8217; condition after the long journey and the team watched with relief as the gharials, “observed to be alert, responsive, and in good health”, paused briefly before crawling into the river. The reintroduction project was a coordinated effort between the West Bengal Forest Directorate and WWF-India. A recent report, published in the journal Reptiles &amp; Amphibians, outlines the project aimed at enhancing the likelihood of long-term survival of the gharials in the lower Ganga Basin. The gharial’s population has significantly declined over the years due to loss from water impoundment, sand mining, hunting, and intensive fishing. Only about 650 adult gharials remain in the wild. A gharial spotted in the Chambal river, where 77-80% of the global adult gharial population is found. Its population has significantly declined over the years due to loss from water&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/experts-divided-over-reintroducing-captive-bred-gharials-in-rivers/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/experts-divided-over-reintroducing-captive-bred-gharials-in-rivers/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Photo tourism threatens rare galaxy frog population</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/photo-tourism-threatens-rare-galaxy-frog-population/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/photo-tourism-threatens-rare-galaxy-frog-population/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>02 Jan 2026 12:27:35 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Liz Kimbrough]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[human encroachment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[photography]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/02111149/Galaxy-frog-in-the-Western-Ghats-India-with-photo-taken-by-conservationist-Rajkumar-K-P-as-part-of-conservation-project-2-c-Rajkumar-K-P-ZSL-.jpg-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36319</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Kerala]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Amphibians, Endangered species, Extinction, Frogs, Photos, Protected Areas, Tourism, Western Ghats, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Seven threatened galaxy frogs (Melanobatrachus indicus) are gone from a research site in the Western Ghats in Kerala after photographers seeking images of the rare, star-patterned amphibians destroyed their delicate forest floor habitat, according to a short article published in Herpetology Notes. Researchers found the seven tiny frogs beneath rotting logs at the site in [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Seven threatened galaxy frogs (Melanobatrachus indicus) are gone from a research site in the Western Ghats in Kerala after photographers seeking images of the rare, star-patterned amphibians destroyed their delicate forest floor habitat, according to a short article published in Herpetology Notes. Researchers found the seven tiny frogs beneath rotting logs at the site in March 2020. Upon returning in August 2021, the team discovered that the 25 logs had been overturned, the surrounding vegetation was trampled, and all seven frogs were gone. An anonymous informant reported that multiple photographer groups had visited the site between June 2020 and April 2021. According to the informant’s account, photographers turned over logs to find the frogs, used high-intensity flash photography and handled multiple individuals without gloves — practices that can cause dehydration and stress to the frogs as well as risk disease transmission. Groups of four to six photographers would each photograph the same individuals, with sessions lasting approximately four hours. The informant reported that two small frogs died during photography sessions, though researchers could not verify this claim. The galaxy frog measures just 2-3.5 centimetres and lives only in the southern Western Ghats, where it nestles under logs and stones on the forest floor at elevations above 900 metres. Galaxy frog in the Western Ghats, India. Image by conservationist Rajkumar K.P./ZSL. “Named after their stunning resemblance to images of space, these beautiful yet rare frogs are unlike anything else on our tiny corner of the universe,” said K.P. Rajkumar, lead author&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/photo-tourism-threatens-rare-galaxy-frog-population/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/photo-tourism-threatens-rare-galaxy-frog-population/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>A proposed night safari threatens the ecosystem of an urban forest [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/12/a-proposed-night-safari-threatens-the-ecosystem-of-an-urban-forestcommentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/12/a-proposed-night-safari-threatens-the-ecosystem-of-an-urban-forestcommentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>29 Dec 2025 10:00:30 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Shravya Shruti]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[policy]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/12/26133118/IMG_5436-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36263</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Uttar Pradesh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Conservation, Endangered species, Environmental Law, Forests, Protected Areas, Wildlife, and Zoos]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The Uttar Pradesh government has proposed a night safari in the Kukrail Reserve Forest. While it is being planned as an eco-tourism project, artificial lighting, noise, and constant human presence threaten the very species it aims to protect. Located on the capital city — Lucknow’s northern edge, Kukrail is more than a patch of green; [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The Uttar Pradesh government has proposed a night safari in the Kukrail Reserve Forest. While it is being planned as an eco-tourism project, artificial lighting, noise, and constant human presence threaten the very species it aims to protect. Located on the capital city — Lucknow’s northern edge, Kukrail is more than a patch of green; it is the city’s green lung, home to owls, reptiles, migratory birds, and the nation’s most prominent gharial rehabilitation centre. Several studies describe light pollution as an “ecological pollutant” that alters animal behaviour, navigation, and reproduction, breaking the natural rhythm that species like owls, bats, and jackals depend on. Dilution of environmental laws The first phase of the project, covering 6.5 hectares (about the size of two to three cricket grounds) will include enclosures, walking trails, a 7D theatre, an art gallery, and other visitor facilities. What might have required a comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) under the 2006 notification could now, in practice, bypass rigorous scrutiny because the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act, 2023, redefines what counts as “non-forest use” for certain government projects like safaris and zoos. This reclassification can allow such projects to proceed without triggering the EIA process, even if their ecological footprint remains significant. However, the exemption given to safaris under Section 5(a) of the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act, 2023 is itself under challenge in the Supreme Court. Moreover, in its February 2024 order in the Corbett Tiger Reserve case, the Supreme Court further restricted the construction of safaris in forest&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/12/a-proposed-night-safari-threatens-the-ecosystem-of-an-urban-forestcommentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Vivek Menon becomes the first Asian chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission [Interview]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/12/vivek-menon-becomes-the-first-asian-chair-of-the-iucn-species-survival-commission-interview/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/12/vivek-menon-becomes-the-first-asian-chair-of-the-iucn-species-survival-commission-interview/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>18 Dec 2025 11:08:46 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Nikhil Sreekandan]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Divya Kilikar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[COP]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[endemic species]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[global south]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[IUCN]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[species]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[species loss]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Threatened species]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UNEP]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/12/17213531/Vivek-Menon-_-Birding-_-Seinthuk-Arunachal-Pradesh-_-Photo-by-MadhumayIMG_1355-e1765990743352-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36116</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Eco Hope]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Global and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Climate Change, Conservation, Endangered species, Environment, Interviews, People, United Nations, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[By the late 1970s, rapid urbanisation and government construction plans for the national capital had put parts of the Delhi Ridge under threat. The northern extension of the Aravalli range, the Delhi Ridge, was the last reserve forest in the city. However, the Delhi Development Authority sought to develop it in the blueprint of Hyde [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[By the late 1970s, rapid urbanisation and government construction plans for the national capital had put parts of the Delhi Ridge under threat. The northern extension of the Aravalli range, the Delhi Ridge, was the last reserve forest in the city. However, the Delhi Development Authority sought to develop it in the blueprint of Hyde Park in London and Central Park in New York. “I remember leading a group of students from Delhi University and picketing the Delhi Development Authority building,” said Vivek Menon, co-founder of the Wildlife Trust of India, who was 20 years old when he, along with activists, students, and conservation groups mobilised to oppose deforestation of the ridge in 1987. Menon founded the NGO Shrishti in the same year, which helped formalise and sustain advocacy for the Delhi Ridge, and contributed to the notification of some sections of the ridge as protected forests. In the years that followed, over a career spanning nearly four decades, Menon earned the reputation of being one of India’s foremost wildlife conservationists. On October 15, 2025, at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi, U.A.E., Menon was elected as the new Chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission for 2025-2029, becoming the first Asian person to lead the commission in its 75-year history. On October 15, at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi, U.A.E., Vivek Menon was elected as the new Chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission for 2025-2029, becoming the first Asian person to lead the&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/12/vivek-menon-becomes-the-first-asian-chair-of-the-iucn-species-survival-commission-interview/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>The elusive Mishmi takin faces new challenges in its changing habitat</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/11/the-elusive-mishmi-takin-faces-new-challenges-in-its-changing-habitat/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/11/the-elusive-mishmi-takin-faces-new-challenges-in-its-changing-habitat/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>28 Nov 2025 12:43:24 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Bikash Kumar Bhattacharya]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[deforestation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[habitat loss]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Roads]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Traditional Knowledge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urbanisation]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/11/28094904/10906231603_0edd4c685a_o-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=35807</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Arunachal Pradesh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Ecology, Endangered species, Environment, Himalayas, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, Mountains, Tourism, Tribes, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[High in the mist-shrouded mountains of Arunachal Pradesh, where India meets Tibet and Myanmar, lives one of the most elusive creatures of the Himalayas — the Mishmi takin (Budorcas taxicolor). The species is so unusual that early naturalists struggled to classify it. This robust, shaggy ungulate, often described as a cross between a goat and [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[High in the mist-shrouded mountains of Arunachal Pradesh, where India meets Tibet and Myanmar, lives one of the most elusive creatures of the Himalayas — the Mishmi takin (Budorcas taxicolor). The species is so unusual that early naturalists struggled to classify it. This robust, shaggy ungulate, often described as a cross between a goat and an ox, has roamed these slopes for millennia, perfectly adapted to the harsh, remote terrain. Bhutanese and Tibetan folklore says the 15th century Buddhist monk Drukpa Kunley, created the takin by joining a cow’s body with a goat’s head, explaining its peculiar appearance. In the early twentieth century, Captain F. M. Bailey, in Journey through a Portion of South-Eastern Tibet and the Mishmi Hills, reported spotting Mishmi takin herds of up to three hundred animals. The Mishmi takin is one of four subspecies of the takin, a rare goat-antelope native to the eastern Himalayas. With powerful limbs, a large head, and a golden-yellow to dark brown coat, it stands up to 1.3 metres at the shoulder and weighs over 300 kilograms. Its arched nose and large sinus cavities warm icy mountain air before it reaches the lungs, an ideal adaptation for high-altitude life. Chi Ma, an associate professor of mammal behaviour and diversity at Dali University in Yunnan, China, who has studied the Mishmi takin, explains that the species is an important large herbivore in the eastern Himalayas. “It helps shape vegetation and may contribute to seed dispersal, and it also forms part of the&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/11/the-elusive-mishmi-takin-faces-new-challenges-in-its-changing-habitat/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/11/the-elusive-mishmi-takin-faces-new-challenges-in-its-changing-habitat/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Scientists correct a century-old misidentified scorpion and describe a new species</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/11/scientists-correct-a-century-old-misidentified-scorpion-and-describe-a-new-species/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/11/scientists-correct-a-century-old-misidentified-scorpion-and-describe-a-new-species/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>17 Nov 2025 12:28:18 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Vandana K.]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[arachnids]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[scorpions]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/11/17105040/live-1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=35589</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Tamil Nadu]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Endangered species, Environment, Evolution, and New species]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In 1915, when India was under British colonial rule, English arachnologist Stanley Hirst described a new scorpion species from Coimbatore — Charmus indicus. It was based on a single immature specimen he had found. The yellowing pages of a report by the British Museum in 1916 also include a notable mention of this species under [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In 1915, when India was under British colonial rule, English arachnologist Stanley Hirst described a new scorpion species from Coimbatore — Charmus indicus. It was based on a single immature specimen he had found. The yellowing pages of a report by the British Museum in 1916 also include a notable mention of this species under the section Arachnida, which was presented to the museum, alongside parasitic mites from Calcutta and Colombo. For over a century, scientists assumed C. indicus is widespread across peninsular India, said Shauri Sulakhe, a naturalist who heads the Scorpion Systematics Laboratory (SSL) at InSearch Environmental Society in Pune. But through fieldwork and DNA analysis, Indian researchers have now revealed that C. indicus was a case of mistaken identity — it is actually the same species as Charmus laneus, first described from Sri Lanka in 1879 by German arachnologist Ferdinand Karsch. The researchers were able to establish this based on the lack of physical differences in the appearances and low genetic divergence between the two species. This finding is part of a research paper published in the journal Diversity in May 2025. The researchers include Shauri Sulakhe, Deshabushan Bastawade, a senior retired scientist from Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), Shubhankar Deshpande and eight others. The research was a result of collaboration between SSL, the Natural History Museum of Geneva in Switzerland and Charles University in the Czech Republic. Both India and Sri Lanka are major biodiversity hotspots but many of their endemic species are poorly studied. The&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/11/scientists-correct-a-century-old-misidentified-scorpion-and-describe-a-new-species/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Golden jackals are a growing threat to endangered crowned river turtles</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/11/growing-threat-gold-jackals-preying-on-endangered-crowned-river-turtles/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/11/growing-threat-gold-jackals-preying-on-endangered-crowned-river-turtles/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>06 Nov 2025 13:17:34 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Shweta Yogi]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[breeding grounds]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[extinction]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[golden jackal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Keoladeo National Park]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[turtle]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/11/06104514/2-1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=35387</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Rajasthan]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Ecology, Endangered species, Mammals, Protected Areas, and Reptiles]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Endangered crowned river turtles, Hardella thurjii (H. thurjii), are facing a rising and unexpected threat from golden jackals in the Keoladeo National Park (KNP) in Bharatpur, Rajasthan. A recent study by researchers from Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON) documented 48 predation events, where the jackals captured and killed the turtles, over [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Endangered crowned river turtles, Hardella thurjii (H. thurjii), are facing a rising and unexpected threat from golden jackals in the Keoladeo National Park (KNP) in Bharatpur, Rajasthan. A recent study by researchers from Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON) documented 48 predation events, where the jackals captured and killed the turtles, over just five months, from August to December 2023, raising fresh concerns about the turtle population&#8217;s long-term survival. The findings challenge long-held assumptions about predator-prey dynamics in protected areas, where native predators like jackals are typically seen as part of a balanced ecosystem. However, in this case, unchecked predation — especially targeting nesting females — could contribute to the local extinction of an already vulnerable species. According to Aditi Mukherjee, a scientist and the corresponding author of the study, the range of H. thurjii is largely confined to the upper Gangetic basin, and Bharatpur marks the western limit of its known distribution. “There’s still a major gap in our understanding of the species’ natural history, habitat use, and nesting patterns in this region,” she explains. Already threatened by habitat loss, poaching, and the pet trade, H. thurjii has been classified as endangered in the IUCN Red List. “H. thurjii has historically been hunted for its meat due to its large size and also faces habitat loss from dam construction, which may further be restricting its distribution,” says Ramya Roopa, a researcher with Wildlife Conservation Trust, who is not associated with the SACON study. Although earlier reports&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/11/growing-threat-gold-jackals-preying-on-endangered-crowned-river-turtles/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>World&#8217;s smallest wild cat recorded in West Bengal</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/08/worlds-smallest-wild-cat-recorded-in-west-bengal/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/08/worlds-smallest-wild-cat-recorded-in-west-bengal/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>19 Aug 2025 10:35:01 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Nabarun Guha]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[camera traps]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rusty spotted cat]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/08/18212533/2560px-Rusty_spotted_cat_2-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=34191</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India and West Bengal]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Big Cats, Biodiversity, Camera traps, Cats, Endangered species, Forests, Mammals, Research, and Technology]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The sighting of rusty-spotted cats (Prionailurus rubiginosus), considered one of the world&#8217;s smallest wild cat species, in the Purulia district of West Bengal earlier this year has excited both forest officials and environmentalists alike. It is the ninth wild cat species identified in the state. In January 2025, the cats were photographed by camera traps [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The sighting of rusty-spotted cats (Prionailurus rubiginosus), considered one of the world&#8217;s smallest wild cat species, in the Purulia district of West Bengal earlier this year has excited both forest officials and environmentalists alike. It is the ninth wild cat species identified in the state. In January 2025, the cats were photographed by camera traps set up by the Kolkata-based NGO Human and Environment Alliance League (HEAL) as part of another project, supported by the Duleep Matthai Nature Conservation Trust. “The project, initiated in June last year (2024), is an exploratory study to understand the conservation status and threats faced by pangolins in Purulia district. Initially, we installed six camera traps but now we have 17-18 camera traps which we are trying to deploy phase wise in different forest patches of the district,” ecologist Vasudha Mishra of HEAL told Mongabay India. HEAL shared on social media that the presence of the rusty-spotted cat had not been detected in previous surveys or in British archival data from the region. “The forests of Purulia, where this remarkable sighting took place, fall within the Chotanagpur Plateau ecoregion, which shares ecological characteristics with Jharkhand and Odisha — both states where the rusty-spotted cat has been previously recorded,” stated the post. Speaking to Mongabay India, Anjan Guha, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Purulia said, “An entire family, including kittens, was spotted by the camera traps which is a very good indicator. We believe that there may be more such cats present in the forests of&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/08/worlds-smallest-wild-cat-recorded-in-west-bengal/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Caracal sighting offers a clue, not a sign of recovery, say conservation biologists</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/08/caracal-sighting-offers-a-clue-not-a-sign-of-recovery-say-conservation-biologists/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/08/caracal-sighting-offers-a-clue-not-a-sign-of-recovery-say-conservation-biologists/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>04 Aug 2025 13:01:21 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Manish Chandra Mishra]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Shailesh Shrivastava]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Biodiversity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[caracal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[conservation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dryland conservation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Environment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Madhya Pradesh wildlife]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MP Forest Department]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wildlife]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/08/02113230/signal-2025-08-01-125350-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=33928</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Madhya Pradesh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Biodiversity, Conservation, Endangered species, Environment, Forests, Habitat Loss, Human Wildlife Conflict, Protected Areas, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[An adult male caracal (Caracal caracal schmitzi) was recorded in a trap camera in Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh’s Mandsaur district on July 1. According to an official release from the Madhya Pradesh government, the animal was photographed on three occasions at 2:35 am, 10:05 pm, and again between 11:38 and 11:39 pm, [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[An adult male caracal (Caracal caracal schmitzi) was recorded in a trap camera in Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh’s Mandsaur district on July 1. According to an official release from the Madhya Pradesh government, the animal was photographed on three occasions at 2:35 am, 10:05 pm, and again between 11:38 and 11:39 pm, all at the exact location. The caracal, locally known as siyah gosh (black ear), is considered a critically endangered species in India, though categorised as a species of least concern in the IUCN Red List for its global population. The discovery has renewed interest in the status of the caracal in central India. Subharanjan Sen, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), Madhya Pradesh, called the sighting an important development, saying, “This is a matter of great pride for the state and an important milestone in India’s conservation landscape,” he said. Sen noted that the caracal is a solitary carnivore typically found in dry grasslands, scrublands, rocky areas, and open woodland. “The presence of this rare predator reflects the ecological richness and habitat integrity of Gandhi Sagar, a landscape that still supports lesser-known, threatened species,” he said. Not a resident population Wildlife scientist Shekhar Kolipaka, who has studied small wild cats and dryland ecosystems in India for over two decades, said the caracal recorded in Gandhi Sagar is likely a lone individual passing through. “The caracal spotted in Gandhi Sagar is most likely a young, dispersing male. This is evident from its physical development, particularly the&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/08/caracal-sighting-offers-a-clue-not-a-sign-of-recovery-say-conservation-biologists/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>The return of the dholes</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/07/the-return-of-the-dholes/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/07/the-return-of-the-dholes/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>21 Jul 2025 10:00:17 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Nabarun Guha]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dhole]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kaziranga]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kaziranga National Park]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Northeast India]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wild dog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wildlife conservation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wildlife monitoring]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/07/18232200/Dhole_at_kabini-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=33693</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Assam]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Endangered species, Mammals, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In a breakthrough for wildlife conservation in Assam, a study by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) has confirmed the presence of dholes, or Asiatic wild dogs, in the Kaziranga Karbi Anglong Landscape (KKAL), a region where they were believed to be locally extinct since the 1990s. “A total of six photos were captured of [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In a breakthrough for wildlife conservation in Assam, a study by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) has confirmed the presence of dholes, or Asiatic wild dogs, in the Kaziranga Karbi Anglong Landscape (KKAL), a region where they were believed to be locally extinct since the 1990s. “A total of six photos were captured of a single individual on October 31, 2022,” said Ruchi Badola, Dean, WII and one of the authors of the June 2025 paper that documents the first photographic evidence of dholes in the landscape in decades. The individual dhole was captured multiple times on the same route, located within the Amguri corridor, around 375 metres from the National Highway 37. The nearest human settlement is about 270 metres away. The camera record highlights the critical role of wildlife corridors in supporting the movement and survival of elusive carnivores like dholes in fragmented, non-protected landscapes, said the study. “This was the only instance where we captured a dhole on camera in the landscape during the study period,” said Badola who conducted the study with co-authors Mujahid Ahamad, Jyotish Ranjan Deka, Priyanka Borah, Umar Saeed and Syed Ainul Hussain. The study, published in the Journal of Threatened Taxa, was funded by National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. A dhole in Bandipur. The dhole is listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List and a Schedule II species in India. Its distribution is confined to parts of Asia. Image by UdayKiran28 via Wikimedia&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/07/the-return-of-the-dholes/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Local participation key in solving turtle nesting riddle</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/02/local-participation-key-in-solving-turtle-nesting-riddle/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/02/local-participation-key-in-solving-turtle-nesting-riddle/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>26 Feb 2025 12:02:45 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Max Martin]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Arathimenon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[olive ridleys]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[turtles]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/02/26110722/Turtle_Olive_Ridley-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=31636</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Hewing The Regulatory Tree]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Kerala]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Coast, Community based conservation, Endangered species, Fishing, and Oceans]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The Arabian Sea often remains calm on the cool nights following Christmas in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of the southernmost state of Kerala. The sandy shores glimmer under the starlit sky. It’s during these nights that sea turtles come ashore to nest. On February 8, as if in response to the prayers of nature lovers, a [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The Arabian Sea often remains calm on the cool nights following Christmas in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of the southernmost state of Kerala. The sandy shores glimmer under the starlit sky. It’s during these nights that sea turtles come ashore to nest. On February 8, as if in response to the prayers of nature lovers, a single olive ridley turtle made its way onto the shores of Veli, a village near the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station, and laid 126 eggs. “Three local boys discovered the turtle and the eggs,” says Ajith Shanghumukham, a fisherman-turned-conservationist. “After a brief disagreement between those who wanted to take the eggs as a delicacy and the others who wanted to take it to the police station, the boys managed to conserve them on the beach. They are now protecting them as they hatch, in a secure location, away from stray dogs and the threat of high waves,” he informs Mongabay India. Last year, Ajith, who works with the conservation group Wildlife Trust of India, tried to save 81 olive ridley turtle eggs in a makeshift hatchery on the severely eroded shores of his native village, Shanghumukham, near the domestic airport. Unfortunately, he failed. “The eggs were exposed to the rains because they came late in the season,” explains Ajith. The turtle arrived on April 7, and the monsoon rains began before the 60-day hatching period had passed. Thiruvananthapuram&#8217;s coast, home to over 50,000 seagoing fishers, is gaining attention from conservationists. The youth have taken up&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/02/local-participation-key-in-solving-turtle-nesting-riddle/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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