Rajasthan uncovers chinkara poaching racket
During the first week of April 2020, the Rajasthan forest department nabbed four people suspected to have killed hundreds of chinkara (the Indian gazelle) and other protected species over the…
Deforestation and disease: How natural habitat destruction can fuel zoonotic diseases
The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-2019) pandemic, believed to have been triggered by the transmission of the virus from animals to humans, has brought into sharp focus zoonotic diseases that are…
Slim pickings for strays and pets during COVID-19 lockdown
As India is well into week two of a 21-day lockdown to curb the spread of novel coronavirus disease, animal rights activists continue highlighting the impact of the lockdown on…
COVID-19 may be the watershed to spur action on wildlife trafficking
The World Health Organization has categorised the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) as a pandemic in light of its spread around the world. Ever since the first cases emerged in the…
Orangutans go into starvation mode with forest fires in Indonesia, study finds
What's the link between India's palm oil consumption and Indonesia's orangutans? Forest fires in Indonesia, which in nearly all cases are started to clear land for plantations, such as oil…
Who’s looking after the animals of India?
More than a decade since the Supreme Court directive for states to have an Animal Welfare Board was issued, states across India are still either yet to form a State…
Most Indian birds declining, finds new report using citizen science data
For millennia, birds have been inherently intertwined in Indian culture, playing prominent roles in mythology, religion, art, and other aspects of human life. A new comprehensive report on the state of India’s…
Can the Bengal florican make its case at the Convention for Migratory Species CoP?
[This article has been updated after the CMS accepted the proposal about the Bengal Florican. Scroll to the end to read more.] Starting late last week on the 15th of…
Looking beyond protected areas to conserve species in tea-garden terrains
Governments are gearing up to determine biodiversity targets for the next decade in 2020, a year dubbed as the make or break year for biodiversity. Meanwhile, disquiet prevails in a…
Third train track in Palamu reserve could derail seasonal elephant movement
In the eastern state of Jharkhand, elephant raids are common, especially during the paddy harvest season. The state is experimenting with mitigation measures like sending warnings to villagers about elephant…
