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(November 24, 2020) By Anil Kumar Nair The critically endangered great Indian bustard (GIB) in Jaisalmer is distributed along the Pokhran Field Firing Range (PFFR) and the Desert National Park (DNP). While DNP is a protected area, the PFFR, though being a restricted area, does not have the protection for wildlife like DNP. In the entire country today, these are the only two breeding populations of the GIB remaining in the wild, a species believed to be fewer than 100 individuals now.The GIB population in the P...

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(November 18, 2020) It was late in the night, and I was busy comparing pictures of leopards on my laptop. Leopards have rosette patterns which are unique to each individual and can help identify them. It was tough to concentrate, though, as I kept hearing the eerie call of a barn owl.  Just as I leaned out of my window to photograph the owl with my smart phone, it rang. Off went the owl into the night!The caller was my friend, Jadhav. “Nikit, hurry! There is a leopard sitting in front of me!” he sa...

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(October 27, 2020) “But of all the Pack of two hundred fighting dholes, whose boast was that all jungles were their jungle,…..,not one returned to the Dekkan to carry that word.”And thus the bloody story of the Red Dog in Kipling’s Jungle Book ended, with every last one of them slaughtered. Unfortunately, the story is not unlike the grim reality that this vanishing species currently faces. Due to both, their historical reputation, and the seemingly ‘ruthless’ behavior...

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(October 21, 2020) ವಿಸ್ಮಯಲೋಕದ ನಾವಿಕರು...(ಭಯ, ಕುತೂಹಲ, ಹಾಸ್ಯ)ದಂಡಕಾರಣ್ಯದ ಸುತ್ತ ಚಲಿಸುವ ಹೆಜ್ಜೆಗಳು...ಲೇಖಕರು – ಸತೀಶ ಗ. ನಾಗಠಾಣಮುಂದುವರೆದ ಭಾಗ… ಅಂತು ಇಂತು ಕೆಸರು ತುಂಬಿದ ಮಣ್ಣಿನ ದಾರಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಕಾಲುಗಳು ತಡವರಿಸದೇ ಜಾರುತ್ತಿದ್ದರೂ ಸಹ ಬೀಳುತ್ತಾ, ಏಳುತ್ತಾ, ಒಬ್ಬರಿಗೊಬ್ಬರು ಸಹಾಯ ಹಸ್ತ ಚಾಚುತ್ತಾ ನಿಧಾನಗತಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ನಡೆದು ಬಂದು ಶಿಬಿರಕ್ಕೆ ತಲುಪಿದೆವು. ಶಿಬಿರದಲ್ಲಿ ಗುಸುಗುಸು ಚರ್ಚೆ ‘’ಹುಯ್ಯೋ ಹುಯ್ಯೋ ಮಳೆರಾಯ’ ಅನ್ನೋತರಹ ಒಬ್ಬರಿಗೊಬ್ಬರು ಚಟಪಟ ಅಂತ ಮಾತನಾಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತಿದ್ದರು. ಅಲ್ಲಿ ನೆರೆದ ಗುಂಪುಗಳು ನಮ್ಮತ್ತ ನೋಡಿ ಗುಮ್ಮನ ಗುಸುಕು ತರಹ ಒಳಗೊಳಗೇ ನಗುತ್ತ, ಮುಗು...

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(October 20, 2020) We are delighted to bring you the interview of K. S. Shashidhar, former Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Chief Wildlife Warden, Nagaland. Retired and based in Bengaluru, he now educates people about the significance of orchids in their ecosystems, and calls for their conservation and propagation. He is a founder-member of the Orchid Society of Karnataka, which was established in 2005-06 to create awareness about orchid cultivation and conservation. In this conversation, Mr. ...

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(October 15, 2020) The Lesser Known Khaki: IFS Officer Piyusha Jagtap illustrates answers to the most frequently asked question to her – "What exactly is the work done by foresters?"During the COVID-19 lockdown, IFS Officer, Piyusha Pramod Jagtap, has been consistently trying to bring us positivity in these challenging times in the form of her series, Corona Times, sharing inspiring messages on wildlife conservation, tributes to frontline health-workers as well as a myriad of social issues. “Cheer...

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(October 08, 2020) By Aristo Mendis Illegal wildlife trade (IWT) has been around for a while. Considered as one of the top five illegal transnational trades, alongside drugs and arms, IWT is a threat to biodiversity and the environment. But dialogue concerning IWT became a global talking point only after it emerged as a human health hazard with the outbreak of COVID-19, that is speculated to have linkages of spreading from a wet market in Wuhan city, China. The same market has also reportedly been documented ...

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(October 05, 2020) Her work in spatial ecology and conservation of Mahseer fish with the Jenu Kuruba, a forest-dwelling tribe in the Western Ghats has earned her immense appreciation, and even recognition as a ‘Conservation Hero’. Our newest member, Neethi Mahesh, now a Conservation Consultant at WCS-India, sheds light on her relentless work in riparian conservation in the Coorg District, the biggest threats faced by Mahseer fish, her experience working with communities in the region to secure the...

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(September 30, 2020) By Giridhar Malla Godavari River, which is also popularly known as ‘Ganges of South India’ or ‘Dakshin Ganga’, is the second-longest river in India. In addition to entailing immense cultural and historical significance, nearly 60 million people depend on this river basin for survival and livelihood. The Godavari river traverses eastwards for over 1450 km, originating in the Western Ghats in Maharashtra and finally emptying into the Bay of Bengal in the East Coast of Indi...

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(September 25, 2020) Forest fragmentation is the breaking of large, contiguous forested areas into smaller forest patches, separated by roads, agriculture, utility corridors or other anthropological developments. It is a gradual process which starts with smaller, discontinuous patches in an otherwise unbroken forest or grassland. When the forests are highly fragmented, the size, integrity and connectivity of the remnants deteriorate beyond, making the area no longer an adequate home for the native plants and wi...

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