The great Indian bustard stands on the brink of extinction
Once in the running to become India’s national bird, the great Indian bustard (GIB) is now fluttering for survival. Earlier found across several states of India, it is now on…
Climate change impacting fish reproduction in the Sundarbans: Study
Some of West Bengal’s most-loved fish may go off the menu, thanks to climate change in the Sundarbans. A team of researchers that is mapping biological sensitivity of certain fish…
Getting to know the Nilgiri Marten, a rare small mammal from the Western Ghats
In Idukki district in Kerala, inside the Munnar Wildlife Division is the Pampadum Shola National Park. Its undulating terrain, filled with the shola grasslands and temperate forests trees, forms the…
Geographic isolation nurtures 1032 endemic species in Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Far removed from the mainland, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal support and nurture over a thousand species of animals that are exclusive to this part…
Two new ants described from the Andamans using 3D imaging
Adding to the over 13,000 species of ants that are known so far across the world, a team of researchers has discovered and documented two new endemic ant species Tetramorium…
Fan-throated lizards fanned out when the monsoons took hold
Fan-throated lizards are small, colourful reptiles found in the dry shrublands and coastal areas of South Asia. Males have a loose patch of skin drooping from their throats – it…
A new species of blind cave-dwelling fish in Meghalaya
A new species of eyeless fish has been discovered from deep within an extensive cave system in Meghalaya. The small, slender freshwater loach has been described from Krem Khung, a…
The first official record of animal diversity of the Great Nicobar
The Great Nicobar Island is located further south than Kanyakumari and is closer to Myanmar and Sumatra than to the Indian mainland. Over millennia of evolution and isolation, the island…
Three rattan species in the Western Ghats are endangered
If there is one material that finds immense use in our indoor and outdoor furnishings, besides wood, it is the cane. Sourced from a tall, climbing palm called the rattan,…
The Eastern Ghats yield two new species of large geckos
It was a cold December day in Kanger Valley National Park in Chhattisgarh, India, and Zeeshan Mirza was not happy. He was on a faunal survey for the state government,…
Enthusiasts and experts document biodiversity on a digital platform
There is an increasing interest in exploring natural habitats in India in the recent years. Encouraged by better connectivity and more conservation-related discussions in the public domain, many amateur enthusiasts…
Extremely rare cobra lily rediscovered within the Nilgiri mountains
Naturalists in India have rediscovered a rare flowering plant — Arisaema translucens — after nearly 80 years. Botanist Edward Barnes first collected this plant in 1932 from the Nilgiri mountains in southern India. The plant,…
Special series
Wetland Champions
- [Commentary] India establishes the largest network of Ramsar Sites in South Asia
- [Commentary] Wetland champions: Promise from the grassroots
- The story of Jakkur lake sets an example for inclusive rejuvenation projects
- Welcome to Tsomgo lake: Please don’t litter
Environment And Health
- As heatwaves projected to worsen across India, do vulnerability assessments and heat action plans suffice?
- Assam’s North Lakhimpur treats 40 years of legacy waste in just nine months
- Varying levels of microplastics detected in sea salt produced across India
- Decline in pollinators linked to half a million premature human deaths every year, shows study
Almost Famous Species
- Understanding the role of local communities in the conservation of critically endangered rhino rays
- Citizen scientists help discover a blind catfish species hidden inside Kerala’s aquifers
- Flying is riskier for female katydids, finds India’s first insect radio telemetry study
- Why the dancing frog may no longer be able to shake a leg
Eco Hope
- [Interview] Conservation scientist Joli Rumi Borah on integrating traditional knowledge in research
- [Interview] Scientist Ruth DeFries on deforestation: There isn’t one driver, there’s a different context in different places
- India budgets for mangroves and wetlands
- Working with biomaterials to add to the sustainable energy mix
India's Iconic Landscapes
- Experts call for coexistence, sustainable development as tiger population is close to saturation
- Ain’t no mountain high enough: alien invasive plants increasing in higher elevations
- Unplanned, faulty buildings tremble under weather events in the fragile Himalayan regions
- Nourishing soils of Kashmir’s karewas crumble under infrastructure
Beyond Protected Areas
- Small cats in big trouble: Why we need to save these elusive endangered species
- Rising tiger population is said to aggravate human-tiger conflict in Chandrapur, Gadchiroli
- Questions arise about Project Cheetah as three cheetahs die in 45 days
- Nepal comes next in line to Sri Lanka to debate exporting ‘problematic’ monkeys
Conserving Agro-biodiversity
- How a drought-prone village in Maharashtra attained agricultural success with millets
- Thirunelly’s seed festival celebrates traditional climate-resilient seeds and farm produce
- [Explainer] Why is 2023 the International Year of Millets? What do we achieve by celebrating such years?
- Nations adopt Global Biodiversity Framework amid concerns over watered-down targets
Just Transitions
- Bauxite mining in Jharkhand is impacting soil fertility, people’s health
- Incentives to boost demand, increase in e-buses in Tamil Nadu’s latest EV policy
- Electricity transition in India’s renewable-rich states needs to accelerate, says study
- [Interview] Ajay Kumar Rastogi on leading India’s first just transition task force
