The invisible victims of drought-hit Kutch
Nature does not discriminate. In the drought-hit Kutch, all living beings — man, animal, plants — are struggling to cope with its merciless onslaught. A large population of this semi-arid…
As fall armyworm invades northeast India, scientists scratch the surface of a tree-killing beetle
As India battles invasion of the cereal-eating moth, fall armyworm (FAW), which is now chomping its way into northeastern states, scientists have turned their attention to another incursion, from the…
[Commentary] Biodiversity heritage sites could turn out to be a lifeline for India’s conservation efforts
There are many varied spaces -- sacred groves, industrial complexes, national level institutes, village commons, universities, defence lands, temple premises, urban parks -- that have one thread in common. They…
[Book Review] Exploring alternate governance models for sacred natural sites
John Studley is forthright in his approach to governance models and is obviously frustrated with the anthropocentric approach to the variants propagated by conservation organisations. In his book, Indigenous Sacred…
Gollum surfaces in India: Scientists document the first underground snakehead fish
The first snakehead fish with an underground lifestyle was hiding in the aquifers of Kerala until a chance encounter, social media and the historic floods of Kerala in 2018 thrust…
Creatures from Mumbai’s shore and their housing stories
For a city that is fixated with its housing, real estate opportunities and acquiring homes with a view, finding a space to call your own in Mumbai carries its own…
Marine plastic pollution has increased tenfold since 1980, says biodiversity report
Around one million animal and plant species are now threatened with extinction, many within decades and more than ever before in human history, according to a recent report. The unsustainable…
The barking deer enigma
Most forests in India are home to the Indian muntjac, also called barking deer. Found across southern India, including the Western Ghats, in the dry forests of central India, the…
Global team unlocks chickpea’s genetic diversity for climate resilience
A global team of scientists, including from India, has unlocked the genetic diversity of chickpea (Cicer arietinum), world’s second most widely grown legume, pinpointing crucial genes for heat and drought…
Film puts Karnataka’s biodiversity on the global map
A jungle cat has been raising her kittens on a tiny hillock, surrounded by villages on all sides, in the rugged Koppal town of northern Karnataka. The family competes for…
