Home to India’s second highest tiger population, Uttarakhand has recorded a massive jump in the tiger numbers with the Corbett Tiger Reserve becoming home to 45 more tigers since 2015 and the Rajaji Tiger Reserve having 18 more big cats than were recorded in the 2014 tiger census. According to the results of the phase … Read more Big increase in tiger population in Uttrakhand
Manguben Makwana will never forget the night of June 29 (2017). The 32-year-old delivered a baby in the vicinity of the Gir forest in an ambulance after midnight surrounded by 12 lions. Even as she gave birth to a boy, a group of 12 lions emerged from the adjacent forests and surrounded the vehicle near … Read more Woman delivers baby midst 12 Lions
In the first survey of its kind on population density of wild animals in five districts of Haryana, the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) has found leopards occupy a 200 square km area in these parts of the Aravali Hills. And the terrain in Gurgaon and Faridabad districts happens to be their core area. “Total … Read more Leopard population has increased in Aravalis around Delhi
If the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), the apex body formulating policies for the conservation of big cats, is to be believed, then the next tiger census due in 2018 is set to show a “significant rise”. The last census done in 2014 put the tiger number at 2,226 and this is set to touch … Read more Rise in tiger population expected in India
A survey by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, has a piece of good news for animal lovers. The survey report shows a significant surge in the population of leopards and other animals in the Aravallis. The population of leopards, in particular, has risen four-fold as per the survey. The last survey of wildlife … Read more Leopard numbers in Aravallis rose four-fold in last four years : Study
Earth is now on the brink of its sixth mass extinction and human activity is to blame, experts have warned. They say over 360 species of large mammals in Africa, Asia and South America—most biodiverse regions of the world—at highest risk. A quarter of mammal species and 13% of birds are highly threatened. In the … Read more Earth is on brink of sixth mass extinction, human activity is to blame
Tejika, an Asiatic lioness at Nahargarh Biological Park in Rajasthan, India, that recently gave birth to five cubs, was shown documentaries of cats bringing up their cubs in forests of South Africa and Gujarat’s Gir National Park to teach her about motherhood. This was done after her sister, RT, littered two cubs in Jodhpur’s Machia … Read more Rajasthan lioness gets parenting tips from BBC, Nat Geo
The rising human population and shrinking habitat of animals has led to a conflict between the two. In the last decade, leopards have strayed into human habitation and killed 34 people in different parts of the hill state. The prowling leopards in Himachal have certainly raised concerns for the forest department, which has now ordered … Read more Man-animal conflict in HP: 34 killed, 350 injured by leopards in last decade
The Indian state of Rajasthan is setting up an advanced surveillance mechanism to ensure effective monitoring and conservation of endangered wild animals, especially tigers and leopards. The state information technology (IT) department aims to install a hi-tech mechanism comprising drones, thermal-imaging cameras, high-resolution optical and dome cameras, data centers and radio sets by March 2018. … Read more Drones, thermal-imaging cameras to monitor big cats in Rajasthan soon
High alert has been sounded in Rajaji Tiger Reserve. This was done after reports of presence of nomadic Bavariya gang were received by Rajaji authorities. Bavariya Gang has been into poaching activities in wildlife areas for long. Apart from wildlife areas, checking are also being conducted in Railway stations and bus stands in close vicinity … Read more Rajaji Tiger Reserve on alert over suspected poachers
In a massive crackdown on illegal poaching, wildlife hunting and weapons racket, raids carried out by officials in Uttar Pradesh’s town Meerut has exposed an organised racket run by an ex-armyman. As per information, a team of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officials reached the Civil Lines residence of Colonel (retd) Devindra Kumar yesterday (30-04-2017) in the … Read more Raids at ex-colonel’s residence reveal animal poaching & organised arms racket
In India while state of Maharastra proudly advertises increase in its tiger population, it’s neighbour Telangana’s Amrabad tiger reserve will soon be part of uranium survey and exploration. Uranium exploration in the tiger reserve has been a contentious issue for quite some time with tribals and environmentalists protesting against it. A strike last week underscored growing … Read more Uranium survey in Amrabad tiger reserve gets nod, public anger growing
The endangered and reclusive snow leopard has found a safe habitat for breeding in the cold desert of Spiti in India’s hill state of Himachal Pradesh (HP) going by the spurt in its sightings here in recent years. But a resident of Langza village and some tourists got the biggest surprise when they sighted and … Read more Elusive snow leopards are common sight here
Pugmarks of a female leopard and her two cubs have been found by the wildlife department in Mangar, a village 45km from New Delhi in the Aravalis hills, after local residents reported sighting of the trio at least twice on Tuesday (28 March 2017). The department has asked officials to immediately make drinking water arrangements in … Read more Big cat sightings around India’s capital city increasing
The recent decision by the Trivendra Singh Rawat government to build a highway right through the Corbett National Park, for better connectivity between Kumaon and Garhwal regions of Uttarakhand (India), is being met with a lot of resistance on social media. An online petition started by Dehradun-based Ashish Garg on Thursday (23-03-2017) has been signed … Read more Does Uttarakhand Government really care for it’s wildlife ?
The Gujarat Forest Department has admitted that more than 160 Asiatic lions, found only in India, have died in the Gir forest in the last two years since the 2015 census put their population at record 523. This included death of 95 lions from April 2015 to March 2016, and another 67 from April last … Read more 160 Asiatic lions died in Gir in two years
An extremely endangered species, snow leopard (Uncia uncia or Panthera uncia) has apparently found a safe haven in Lahaul-Spiti, a district in India’s state of Himachal Pradesh. The frequent sightings of the cat in the snow-bound region suggest that the animal is breeding and thriving safely here. After a snow leopard was captured on a camera trap … Read more Snow leopards ‘spotted’ frequently in Lahaul
Western Ghats has the largest tiger population outside Sunderbans After several years of discussions, the government has finally notified nearly 57,000 square km area in the Western Ghats region of India as ecologically sensitive area (ESA) where all kinds of mining activities, large constructions, thermal power plants and highly polluting industries would no longer be … Read more Western Ghats: 57,000 sq km notified as ecologically sensitive
Two more leopard sightings were reported in Mandawar, the village in Sohna (district Gurgaon, India) where residents thrashed a two-and-a-half-year-old big cat to death on November 24 Last year. Fear stalked the village on Wednesday (1 March 2017) even though the wildlife department confirmed that its officials could not trace any pugmarks. “With a few … Read more More Leopard sightings in Sohna
The Ministry of Environment and Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has urged the Ministry of External Affairs to revoke the visas of BBC’s South Asia correspondent Justin Rowlatt and his crew, and prevent “their further entry into India, for a period not less than five years.” An office memorandum issued by Vaibhav C. Mathur, Assistant … Read more NTCA recomends ban on BBC filming in India’s protected forests
In a stringent anti-poaching measure, authorities at Corbett Tiger Reserve (CTR) have issued shoot-at-sight orders “to prevent killing of big cats in the reserve”. The orders were passed after movement of suspected poachers was reported near the southern boundary of the park. Officiating in-charge of CTR, Parag Madhukar Dhakate, said that the step has been … Read more Shoot-at-sight orders in Corbett tiger reserve
A leopard has been sighted in Mulund, suburb of Mumbai (India), around 2 am on 21 January 2017 by residents living in the area. They immediately alerted the forest department officials who reached the spot along with their team to inspect the situation. Residents near Redwood Society garden in Mulund West alerted the forest officials when one … Read more Leopard sighted in Mumbai
India seized the highest numbers of tigers and tiger products between 2000 and 2015, indicating that the country’s national animal is the most vulnerable to poaching for international trade. With 540 tiger seizures, India accounted for 30% of the world’s 1,755 tiger seizures – an average of more than two animals per week – followed … Read more Tiger poaching: 30% of illegal trade export from India
Belgian Malinois dogs which guard the White House and formed part of the SEAL team that eliminated Osama bin Laden, will now be used for wildlife protection and anti-poaching operations in Kanha and Pench tiger reserves in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh (MP). MP lost 30 tigers in 2016, the highest in the … Read more Dogs that guard White House will now track tiger poachers
India lost 117 tigers in 2016, says the official website of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), with ninety-five deaths so far and the seizure of 22 skins. There has been a 24% increase in fatalities as compared to last year’s figures, which has left wildlife activists concerned. In 2015, the country lost 70 tigers … Read more 95 tigers died, 22 skins seized in 2016