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(October 12, 2019) Debangini Ray wasn’t expecting any work call over a weekend, and certainly not one from a high-ranking officer in security forces. However, the urgency of the call became overt soon.  The officer was reaching out after his team had received intelligence about Tokay geckos in a house near a village in Assam. His team was at the spot and had discovered that the geckos were to be smuggled across the Bhutan border. However, none of the officers were experienced enough to handle the c...

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(October 12, 2019) ಪಶ್ಚಿಮ ಘಟ್ಟಗಳ ಮಾಯಾಲೋಕದಿಂದಃ ಪೂರ್ವ ಘಟ್ಟಗಳ ಬಂಡೆಗಾಡುಗಳವರೆಗೆ ನನ್ನ ಪಯಣ...ಗತಿಸಿಹೋದ ಘಟನೆಗಳನ್ನು ಮೆಲಕು ಹಾಕುತ್ತ...ಮುಂದುವರೆದ ಕೊನೆಯ ಭಾಗ....ಸತೀಶ ಗಣೇಶ ನಾಗಠಾಣಸೃಷ್ಟಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಗೋಚರಿಸುವ ನಿಸರ್ಗದ ಒಡನಾಟಗಳ ಮಧ್ಯೆ ನಾನು ಬಹಳಷ್ಟು ಕಲಿಯುತ್ತಾ ಮುಂದೆ ಸಾಗುತ್ತಿದೆ ಎಂಬುದರ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಅರಿವು ಮನದಲ್ಲಿ ಹರಿದಾಡಲು ಶುರುವಾಯಿತು. ಪ್ರತಿ ದಿನದ ಕಾಯಕಗಳನ್ನೇಲ್ಲ ಪ್ರಕೃತಿ ಮಡಲಲ್ಲಿ ಮೀಸಲಿಟ್ಟಿದ್ದೆ ಎಂಬುದರ ತಾತ್ಪರ್ಯ ನನ್ನನ್ನು ಹುಸಿಗೊಳಿಸಲಿಲ್ಲ. ಆಂಧ್ರ ಪ್ರದೇಶದ ಪ್ರಕಾಶಂ ಜಿಲ್ಲೆಯ ಅಂಚಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಬರುವ ಕಂಭಂ ಪ್ರದೇಶದಲ್ಲಿ ಕೊನೆಯ ದಿನದ ಕೆಲಸ ಮುಗಿಸುವ ಕಾತರದಲ್ಲಿ ನಮ್ಮ ಬಳಗದ ಸದಸ್ಯರೆಲ್ಲರು ಕೆಲ ದಿನ...

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(October 11, 2019) Our lives are implicitly intertwined with this shy, mostly nocturnal creature. The destruction of its riverine habitat could spell danger for an entire ecosystem.

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(September 24, 2019) Saviour of Mumbai’s mangroves and a passionate conservationist, N. Vasudevan is all for tackling new age marine conservation issues with multiple approaches.Written by Anisha Iyer People often tend to think of mangroves as “wastelands” as very few know how valuable these forests are to the planet. Mangroves are ecosystems that have a massive impact on the lives of coastal and marine species, and most importantly, people. They help greatly in times of cyclones, floods, and other...

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(September 19, 2019) Written by Sahila KudalkarWildlife trade in the Indian scenario can be divided into three categories as defined by the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act, 1992:Some notable aspects of India’s export-import policy for wildlife trade are as follows:Wildlife ExportsNo wildlife other than six birds is permitted to be exported. These include (L to R) Bengal Finch, Zebra Finch, Budgeriar, Albino Budgeriar, White Finch (not depicted) and Javan Sparrow (restricted export)Wildlife Impor...

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(September 16, 2019) Written by Sahila KudalkarAt the recently concluded CITES Conference of the Parties (CoP) 2019 held 17th – 28th August, 2019 in Geneva, Switzerland, countries voted to increase protection for otters, giraffes, reptiles such as the star tortoise and tokay gecko and several marine species including sea cucumbers, sharks and eels against excessive, unregulated trade. Many species were ‘uplisted’ from Appendix II to Appendix I, such as the Asian Small-clawed Otter (Amblonyx cinerea...

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(September 07, 2019) This invasive species is very hardy and survives under challenging conditions. Removing it is a big task and eradicating it from a landscape can take years.Written by Manish MachaiahAs the vehicle moved through the wildlife sanctuary, all that greeted the eye was long stretches of the Senna spectabilis, native species of America, introduced to India as ornamental plant. The plant has truly invaded the landscape here, far away from its homeland. No other vegetation could be seen anywhere around a...

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(September 03, 2019) BOOK REVIEW: Bird BusinessAuthor: Rohan ChakravarthyPublisher: BNHSBirds being birds, as they flit from branch to branch to tree to sky it is tough to pin them down or catch on lens their daily chores. That’s where birder Rohan Chakravarthy’s book Bird Business comes in handy. Combining information on the wooing, nesting and feeding ways of birds with colourful sketches, he prepares a witty and engaging journey through the lives of a 100-odd birds found on the sub-continent. The...

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(August 29, 2019) Whether it be the Green Army or his work at SGNP, Sunil Limaye has believed that effective conservation can happen only when all affected people are involved.  He has a spider and a lizard named after him – Jerzego sunillimaye and the day gecko respectively. Perhaps he is the only forest officer, or the first Indian even, to have such a distinction. The honour bestowed on him can be traced not only to his dedication at work but his efforts to support research work and engage with...

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(August 23, 2019) Written by Dhruv Gangadharan ArvindThe cruciality of communicating proper information cannot be understated while reporting biodiversity conservation to global audiences. With respect to our understanding of animals, the Indian Army’s announcement a few months ago of “Mysterious Footprints of mythical beast 'Yeti’” – with photographic evidence of footprints – reveals how the “discovery” of such a cryptic species is communicated. It is also an examp...

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