[Commentary] Antelopes in my backyard
We had walked only a few hundred meters from our house when a four-horned antelope broke cover from a tiny bush and darted toward the distant thicket of trees. Its…
Mongabay series: Beyond Protected Areas
Protected areas only cover about 5.02 percent of India’s total area. Consequently, a large percentage of India’s wildlife live outside protected boundaries. This gives rise to situations spanning between coexistence and conflict, which requires acknowledgement and awareness.
Environmental films that turn the lens on wildlife beyond national parks
A wolf standing at the edge of a grassy hill gazes at a mosaic of buildings and farms on the sprawling Pune city's outskirts. This visual is the last frame…
Ignored Barak Valley grappling with wildlife conservation issues
On a winter morning this past December, a person sat on the roadside outside the court compound in Hailakandi town in Assam’s Barak Valley with several animal body parts, intending…
Will the latest sloth bear corridor in Mount Abu serve its purpose?
On November 11, 2020, the Union Ministry of Environment Forests and Climate Change notified the limits of an Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) around the Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary in Rajasthan, bordering…
Two gaurs in Pune and a lesson in urban wildlife management
On December 9, a young Indian bison, wandered into a quiet bungalow society in Pune city, located at the foothills of an offshoot of the Western Ghats. About ten hours…
Mapping snakes in Uttarakhand for safer coexistence with humans
A mapping exercise for snakes in Uttarakhand, including a component on king cobras, is underway in the Himalayan-foothill state to enable a safer snake-human co-existence. The Uttarakhand forest department is…
Biodiversity threats from ghost fishing gear in the Ganga
The endangered Ganges river dolphin and species of threatened freshwater turtle and otter are wildlife “most at risk” from getting tangled up in waste fishing gear adrift in the transboundary…
[Commentary] Conflicts – historical perspectives and present day dilemma
The past few years have witnessed an upswing of human-wildlife conflicts throughout the country. India is never complete without her complement of animals – domestic, wild, and mythical. From time…
Oh My Gaur! Living alongside the Indian bison that’s moving out of forests
It’s not uncommon in India to see cattle grazing in farms and backyards, ruminating by the road, or even causing a minor inconvenience to vehicles. Replace cattle with herds of…
Bringing biodiversity and conservation to the forefront in India
From addressing biodiversity knowledge gaps, restoring biodiversity in a range of habitats to developing an early warning system for zoonoses, the National Mission on Biodiversity and Human Well-Being, seeks to…
