When the grass was green: Todas of the Nilgiris long for their lost grasslands
Standing in the middle of a grassy hill, Thorthey Gooden looked around. The grass was short, just an inch long – like a lawn drying out in the summer. In…
Forests News
A new species of venomous pit viper from Arunachal
The new-to-science Arunachal pit viper was perfectly camouflaged among dry leaf litter when Rohan Pandit and Wangchu Phiang accidentally stumbled upon it when out on a march through a forest…
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…
Indo-Nepal Border Road rides roughshod on Uttar Pradesh wildlife habitat
Development projects across the country continue to disturb natural habitats, ecosystems and wildlife, leaving areas vulnerable. Tiger reserves and wildlife sanctuaries are under threat along the upcoming 1,715-kilometres long Indo-Nepal…
Increasing dry season fires in Kerala spotlight debate around man-made fires
When summer strengthens, it brings with it dry spells and the season of forest fires. Since January 2019, a number of fire incidents have been reported from Kerala. In the…
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…
Forest fires impact typical Himalayan trees
The western Indian Himalayas, spread across Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, have always been known for their pines, cedars and oaks. These trees are so typical to the…
Nature and tribal welfare takes a back seat during the elections in the Nilgiris
One of the most biodiverse regions of the Western Ghats, the Nilgiris (the blue mountains) comprise a range of ecosystems including dry deciduous forests at its base, dense evergreen forests…
Tracing boundaries of Kangchenjunga landscape in sync with cross-border human-wildlife conflicts
Elephant herds migrating across boundaries from Assam in India to Nepal are increasingly coming in contact with humans in their natural habitat, causing a rise in conflict situations. A three-country…
Environment gets voted into party manifestos
Who will win India’s parliamentary elections, will be known only on May 23 when the results are announced. But for now, there is a small win for the people of…
