Captivating carnivores: Saving India’s only pitcher plant
High up in the majestic hills of India’s northeastern state of Meghalaya lies an elusive and unusual carnivore: a pitcher plant. The species is known popularly as ‘monkey cups’ because…
[Commentary] Making communities central to conservation
Wildlife conflict is the flavour of the season. Almost everyday, we are exposed to scenes of the forest department struggling to handle jeering, stone-throwing, and hooting mobs while managing an…
Locals brace to fight for their Oran in Rajasthan
For centuries, the trees in Oran, or sacred grove, near the Samvata village in Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer, have stood tall and untouched. Not a branch was cut, “not even for datoon (twig to clean…
Rare Gunther’s toad sighting highlights farms as biodiversity hotspots
“Forests are protected areas in name only. Sometimes we see better protection of biodiversity in the adjacent agricultural lands,” said C.S. Saneesh, a research fellow at Spatial Interaction Ecology Research…
Lessons on coexistence with the environment from two tribal districts in Odisha
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic caused by a zoonotic virus SARS-CoV-2, experts warn that more such situations are imminent in the future, unless humans coexist with the environment, and…
Ecosystems-based adaptation keeps water running in Bhojdari even in dry months
Bhojdari, in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra, is a village in the rain-shadow region of the Western Ghats; it is in the upper catchment and has no river, dam or canal…
Community conservation strengthens biodiversity in Similipal Tiger Reserve
Protecting natural forests and wildlife has been a way of life for indigenous communities inside Similipal Biosphere in Odisha. Their efforts have been recognised a few years ago under the…
Nest guardians to keep the Indian skimmer’s eggs safe
A thick, orange-yellow bill with a slightly longer lower mandible (jaw) is one of the most striking features of the Indian skimmer (Rynchops albicollis). This bird with pointed black wings…
The great Indian bustard has a new ally: its human neighbours
Twenty-three-year-old Radheshyam Pemani Bishnoi in western Rajasthan is one of the fortunate few who has seen the critically endangered great Indian bustard (GIB) in the wild. But it was not…
Ganjam fisherwomen unite to get back fish trade from monopolistic traders
As the sun moved above the horizon dividing the sky and sea, five boats approached the coast at Sana Nolia Nuagaon, a fishing village in Ganjam district of eastern Indian…
