(October 29, 2024) The following content is collected from public information and does not represent the views of WCS-India.  We collected and collated 53 illegal wildlife trade-related data-points from various regions across India using open-source information. The highest number of wildlife seizure incidents were reported from Tamil Nadu (8), Maharashtra (6), and Odisha (6). Some of the reported wildlife species included Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles (Indian Flapshell Turtle, Indian Softshell Tur...

READ THE STORY

(October 28, 2024) Tigress’ 400-km journey from MP to Chhattisgarh reveals two safe corridors A tigress traveled approximately 400 km from Madhya Pradesh’s Pench Tiger Reserve to Chhattisgarh’s Achanakmar Tiger Reserve, demonstrating the functionality of critical tiger corridors. This movement, identified by the Wildlife Institute of India, suggests that conservation efforts, including anti-poaching patrols and the NH-44 mitigation plan—an elevated highway with wildlife underpasses&mdash...

READ THE STORY

(October 25, 2024) The Student Conference on Conservation Science (SCCS) - Bengaluru, held from October 21-24 at the J N Tata Auditorium, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, brought together students, post-docs, and early-career professionals in conservation from across the natural and social sciences. The event featured a range of conservation-focused workshops, plenary talks, student posters and oral presentations, and interactive activities. Members of the WCS-India team actively participated, en...

READ THE STORY

(October 18, 2024) Tamil Nadu’s Valparai tops Western Ghats villages for richness of threatened fauna | The Hindu A GIS-based study by the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) found Valparai, Tamil Nadu, to be the richest in threatened species among Western Ghats villages, with 98 species. Kerala topped the state-wise list with 354 species, followed by Tamil Nadu (274). The study mapped 512 species across 7,630 villages, highlighting the need for conservation efforts beyond protected areas, where many lesser-...

READ THE STORY

(October 11, 2024) State Board of Wildlife approves proposal to declare Bengaluru's Hesaraghatta grassland into conservation reserve The State Board of Wildlife (SBWL) has approved the proposal to declare the 5,000-acre Hesaraghatta grassland as a conservation reserve, safeguarding the area's ecology and catchment zones. This decision follows a 2021 rejection, which was overturned after a court order. The restrictions are focused on reducing disturbance from visitors while safeguarding the local village...

READ THE STORY

(October 10, 2024) Dr. Aaron Savio Lobo, Head of WCS-India's Marine Programme and Dr. Anant Pande, Senior Scientist and Senior Project Lead of the Ocean Giants project, attended the Bay of Bengal Strategy Meeting at Bangkok, Thailand from September 9th – 11th, 2024. The meeting was also attended by WCS’s Bay of Bengal country programme representatives from Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Thailand.  Several regional and transboundary issues pertaining to marine conservation such as bycatch re...

READ THE STORY