Using recorded audio calls downloaded from the internet or “call playbacks” for birdwatching has increasingly become a problem in India. The overuse of such artificial methods can affect breeding habits and social behaviours. Parks and guides are now considering ways to limit misuse so as to prevent harassment of birds, though some disagree with a complete ban.
From hilly states like Uttarakhand or Himachal Pradesh, to the plains in Madhya Pradesh or a coastal state like Kerala, floods and extreme rainfalls events have made an appearance across landscapes the country this year. Environmentalists explain that unregulated development and willful ignorance of floodplains and catchment areas of rivers increase the impact of such events.
Since the 90s, a town in the Philippines has based its economy around tourists viewing whale sharks. And while the sharks showed up in reliable numbers during the first decade of Donsol’s venture into tourism, their numbers have become highly unpredictable in the past decade for reasons still unknown.
Northeastern India is home to two ape species: eastern and western hoolock gibbons. Populations of the gibbons are both protected and harmed by practices and beliefs specific to the human communities with whom they share their habitats. The fortunes of different gibbon populations shows that there is no one-size-fits-all conservation strategy for apes.
Viewers inspired by Netflix’s “Our Planet” to explore the stunning landscapes it captures may find one destination shockingly different from its lustrous on-screen depiction. Between shooting for the series in 2016 and its launch this month, there has been such rapid deforestation in Madagascar’s Kirindy Forest that large patches of the forest showcased in the series have disappeared forever.
Following in Kerala’s footsteps, Madhya Pradesh, India’s second largest state will roll out its action plan on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) containment with emphasis on treatment of hospital effluents and restricting the use of antibiotics in livestock and poultry.
Human-dominated mangroves are far from what is considered an ideal environment for otters. And yet this estuarine island on India’s western coast is home to a thriving population of the threatened smooth-coated otter (Lutrogale perspicillata). Recent studies of this elusive species living in the brackish waters of Chorao island—far from the freshwater sources that otters are typically believed to rely on—offer new insights into otter behaviour that could inform future conservation efforts.
The Kharai camels of Kutch are dependent on mangroves for their food, and during monsoons, swim to mangrove islands in hordes. Widespread industrialisation along the coastlines of Kutch has destroyed mangroves and the swimming routes of the camels.
Across the planet, entire populations of sharks and rays are being overfished, in some cases leading them to the brink of extinction. The situation is particularly grim in the Arabian Sea where, according to a new study, over 50 percent of the shark species found in these waters are threatened. And as one of the top shark fishing nations in the world, India is leading the charge.
In an interview with Manu Moudgil, Dr. Andheria (President of the Wildlife Conservation Trust) talks about various aspects of wildlife conservation, including mitigation measures along linear infrastructure, fragmentation of forests and implementation of the Forest Rights Act.
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