Amazon Rainforest Will Collapse by 2064, New Study Predicts

The future of the world’s largest rainforest looks bleak. A new report for Environment: Science and Policy for Sustainable Development concluded that the Amazon rainforest will collapse and largely become a dry, shrubby plain by 2064. Development, deforestation and the climate crisis are to blame, study author and University of Florida geologist Robert Toovey Walker found, UPI reported. … Read more Amazon Rainforest Will Collapse by 2064, New Study Predicts

Leopards grew from 8000 to 13000 in just four years in India

The leopard population in India recorded an encouraging increase of 62% in four years – from 7,910 in 2014 to 12,852 in 2018 – according to the latest estimates of the big cat numbers released on 21 December 2020. … Read more Leopards grew from 8000 to 13000 in just four years in India

New genetic study of lions may prevent them from becoming extinct

A large international team of researchers has conducted an extensive genetic analysis of lions, and in so doing, has learned about their evolutionary history. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the group describes how they confirmed long-term divisions between extant lion populations and showed genetic diversity among modern samples. … Read more New genetic study of lions may prevent them from becoming extinct

Heritable behavioral differences between cat breeds

Cat breeds differ from each other in behavior with regard to activity, aggressiveness, shyness, sociability and stereotypical behavior. A study conducted at the University of Helsinki discovered that behavioral traits are highly heritable. Heritability of behavior explains differences between breeds. Cats are our most popular pets but few studies have been conducted on their behavior. … Read more Heritable behavioral differences between cat breeds

Watching cute animals is good for your health : Study finds

There may be a good reason for why we love to watch little piglets and fluffy ducks online. Seeing adorable animals actually helps to reduce stress levels in humans, researchers at England’s University of Leeds have found. And we don’t need to see adorable critters in real life for them to have an impact on our sense … Read more Watching cute animals is good for your health : Study finds

Wild Tigers became extinct in Laos due to illegal wildlife trade ?

Are tigers extinct in Laos? That’s the conclusion of a detailed study that found no evidence of wild tigers still exist in the country. What researchers did find during a five-year camera survey of the biodiversity-rich Nam Et-Phou Louey National Protected Area was evidence of snares — lots and lots of deadly snares, which … Read more Wild Tigers became extinct in Laos due to illegal wildlife trade ?

World’s wildlife population down by 68% since 1970

The WWF’s Living Planet Report 2020, released on 9 September 2020, has found that there has been a reduction of 68 per cent in the global wildlife population between 1970 and 2016. The report also found that 75 per cent of the the Earth’s ice-free land surface has already been significantly altered, most of the … Read more World’s wildlife population down by 68% since 1970

Caucasian Lynx have unexpectedly high genetic diversity

Little is known about the biology and the genetic status of the Caucasian Lynx (Lynx lynx dinniki), a subspecies of the Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) distributed across portions of Turkey, the Caucasus region and Iran. To collect baseline genetic, ecological, and behavioural data and assist future conservation efforts, a team of scientists from the Leibniz … Read more Caucasian Lynx have unexpectedly high genetic diversity

Could Wild Tiger Populations Double by 2022?

The goal set 10 years ago to double the number of wild tigers by 2022 remains one of the most ambitious conservation goals ever for a single species. Currently home to the vast majority of the world’s remaining tigers, well-resourced protected areas are a cornerstone of this goal. Tigers are a conservation-dependent species and the persistence of tigers … Read more Could Wild Tiger Populations Double by 2022?

Australia Wants to Build a Huge Concrete Runway in Antarctica. Here’s Why That’s a Bad Idea

Australia wants to build a 2.7-kilometre concrete runway in Antarctica, the world’s biggest natural reserve. The plan, if approved, would have the largest footprint of any project in the continent’s history. The runway is part of an aerodrome to be constructed near Davis Station, one of Australia’s three permanent bases in Antarctica. It would be the first … Read more Australia Wants to Build a Huge Concrete Runway in Antarctica. Here’s Why That’s a Bad Idea

India’s 2018 Tiger census makes it to Guinness World Records

India’s 2018 Tiger Census has made it to the Guinness Book of World Records for being the world’s largest camera trapping wildlife survey. The fourth cycle of the All India Tiger Estimation 2018 estimated 2,967 tigers or 75 per cent of the global tiger population in the nation. The Guinness World Records website said, “The … Read more India’s 2018 Tiger census makes it to Guinness World Records

Six different colour morphs of Asiatic golden cat discovered in Northeast India

Six different colour morphs of the elusive Asiatic golden cat have been discovered in Northeast India—with the findings being hailed as “an evolutionary puzzle—as the world’s greatest number of different coloured wild cat species in one area are reported. The Indian scientists from international conservation charity Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and UCL discovered the colour morphs, … Read more Six different colour morphs of Asiatic golden cat discovered in Northeast India

Don’t Blame Cats for Killing Wildlife – Shaky Logic Is Creating a Moral Panic

A number of conservationists claim cats are a zombie apocalypse for biodiversity that need to be removed from the outdoors by ” any means necessary” – coded language for shooting, trapping and poisoning. Various media outlets have portrayed cats as murderous superpredators. Australia has even declared an official “war” against cats. Moral panics emerge when people perceive … Read more Don’t Blame Cats for Killing Wildlife – Shaky Logic Is Creating a Moral Panic

India is a top source for raw material for ‘tiger cake’ : UN

Tiger wine goes for $1,000 a pop. Tiger cake, sold like chocolate bars, fetches the same. The illegal trade in tiger parts has moved on from just medicinal pitches to luxury items. And India is one of the two biggest suppliers. Between 2007 and 2018, the latest United Nations World Wildlife Crime Report said, two-thirds of all wildlife seizures … Read more India is a top source for raw material for ‘tiger cake’ : UN

Elusive snow leopard sighted at 19 locations in Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh in India

For the first time, rarely-sighted snow leopards — an adult and two cubs — have been documented on camera in the Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP), situated in Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. The elusive snow leopards, the state animal of Himachal Pradesh, were spotted multiple times last winter in Lahaul-Spiti district along human habitations and … Read more Elusive snow leopard sighted at 19 locations in Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh in India

Rare Rusty-spotted cat sighted in Punjab jungle (India) for the first time

The rusty-spotted cat (Prionailurus rubiginosus), world’s rarest and smallest cats, was recently sighted in Punjab for the first time. The cat was captured in a camera trap set up in Takhni-Rehmapur wildlife sanctuary in Hoshiarpur by a joint team of Punjab wildlife department and WWF-India to document the biodiversity of the sanctuary. There are no … Read more Rare Rusty-spotted cat sighted in Punjab jungle (India) for the first time

Snow Leopard density low in Nepal’s Conservation Area : Research suggests

A research article published in the journal Banko Janakari suggests that the snow leopard density in the Manaslu region of Nepal is low despite the abundance of prey and cooperation from humans in its conservation. “We conducted the research in the Manaslu areas because there had been limited studies in this region in the past,” says … Read more Snow Leopard density low in Nepal’s Conservation Area : Research suggests

Global jaguar population — 173,000 individuals or 15,000

How many jaguars (Panthera onca) in the world? There are two answers to this question with a vast variation in numbers. A research claims there are 173,000 individuals, mostly concentrated in the Amazon Basin, whereas conservation groups estimate there are only 15,000 wild jaguars left. A study published in PLOS ONE by J?drzejewski et al … Read more Global jaguar population — 173,000 individuals or 15,000

Asiatic lion population in India up by 29 per cent in 5 years

Wildlife conservationists have something to cheer about as India has recorded a 29 per cent increase in the population of Asiatic lions, found only in Gujarat’s Gir forests, in the past five years, with their population going up from 523 in 2015 to 674 in 2020. The latest figures on lion population structure show 309 females, … Read more Asiatic lion population in India up by 29 per cent in 5 years

Ocelot density in the Brazilian Amazon may be lower than expected

The population density of ocelots in the Brazilian Amazon may be stable but lower than expected, according to a study published in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Daniel Gomes da Rocha from the University of Oxford, UK, and colleagues. Amazonia is considered a major stronghold for the ocelot (Leopardus pardalis), with relatively high expected density for the … Read more Ocelot density in the Brazilian Amazon may be lower than expected

Tiger sightings increased many fold in Sunderban during the Covid-19 lockdown

With the humans of West Bengal under virus lockdown, tigers in the Sundarbans mangrove forest in the eastern Indian state are coming out to play, with park rangers reporting a jump in sightings of the big cats. The Sundarbans, straddling West Bengal and neighbouring Bangladesh, is the world’s biggest mangrove forest and home to the … Read more Tiger sightings increased many fold in Sunderban during the Covid-19 lockdown

Improving assessments of an endangered lion population in India

An alternative method for monitoring endangered lions in India could improve estimates of their abundance and help inform conservation policy and management decisions. Keshab Gogoi and colleagues at the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) presented their findings in the open-access journal PLOS ONE early this year (2020). Conservation practices have enabled Asiatic lions to recover from a … Read more Improving assessments of an endangered lion population in India

Snow leopards spotted along the roads in Lahaul-Spiti

Once a rare sight in Himachal Pradesh’s (India) Spiti valley, snow leopards are now being increasingly spotted along human habitations—giving hope of their increasing numbers. Residents of Hikkim village, situated at an altitude of 14,000 above sea level in Lahaul-Spiti district of the state, are reporting their frequent encounters with the elusive feline near the … Read more Snow leopards spotted along the roads in Lahaul-Spiti

280 areas worldwide where endangered carnivores can be reintroduced

Although humans have driven lions, tigers, wolves, bears and other large carnivores from much of their home territories across the planet, scientists have identified more than 280 areas where these animals could potentially be reintroduced to restore ecosystems on practically every continent. In a global analysis, researchers in the College of Forestry at Oregon State … Read more 280 areas worldwide where endangered carnivores can be reintroduced

Cheetahs can return to Indian forests, says Supreme Court

Responding to a plea by the government of India, Supreme Court of the country said African cheetahs could be introduced to the Indian jungles in a “carefully chosen location”. Cheetahs are an endangered species, according to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites). Only 7,100 cheetahs are left in the wild, almost all … Read more Cheetahs can return to Indian forests, says Supreme Court

Tigers and Other Wild Cats

Author: Sanjiv Shukla