Science | Nature | Conservation
Over 3,500 ha of Nagarhole and 2,000 ha of Bandipur Tiger Reserve were destroyed in a recent fire. In the cycle of life and death that is part of Nature, wild fires cause destruction so that regeneration may take place. But when human beings err, things can take a tragic turn, writes Atula Gupta. Normally, the…
The discovery of six slaughtered elephants in two of Thailand’s national parks last month has exposed a nasty secret about the country’s elephant tourism industry. Conservationists point out that baby elephant trade is a lucrative business in the country, writes Atula GuptaThailand’s booming tourism industry owes much of its success to the gentle pachyderm. The…
A team of scientists at Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve reason that analysing sound recordings of frog croaking combined with readings from climate data loggers could improve our understanding of the effect of climate change on amphibian populations, writes Atula Gupta Sitting 100 feet above the ground, in the dense canopies of the Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger…
Tiger numbers shot up to 1,706 this year from 1,411 in 2008. Was this good news or did it deepen the worry lines on conservationists’ faces? It has been that kind of a year for most species. Some good, some bad; some species recovering, some others vanishing, writes Atula Gupta In the beginning of 2011,…
Travel through the Rann of Kutch in winters and the eyes see nothing but barren, white cracked land with not a single patch of green to signal life and break the monotony. But come here during the monsoons and the extremity of the morphological changes can easily amaze and astound. As sea, river and rainwater…
Imagine a world without flowers. A world where there are no fruit-laden trees and no seeds to germinate into a new plant. Such a world is quite frankly, unimaginable. And yet, our planet is moving towards that future because those little things that keep the myriad lifecycles of nature going are themselves disappearing. We are…
Tucked in the North-eastern state of Manipur is Loktak lake, home to a curious herd of deer. These mammals earn their distinction not just because they are found nowhere else in the world, but also because their home and natural habitat is a floating mass of vegetation on the lake, the Keibul Lamjao National Park…
Millions of years ago, an Olive Ridley turtle hatched from its egg laid on a beach in Orissa. It then began its arduous seaward journey and later the struggle for survival in the marine world. But years later, spanning thousands of kilometres, it returned, to the land of its birth to nestle eggs in the…
The Western Ghats encapsulate a freshwater ecosystem that is self-sustaining and self-sufficient. It is an incredible biodiversity hotspot. This freshwater region supports 400 million people with water for drinking, transport, irrigation and hydroelectric power, together with food and resources to sustain livelihoods. It is also the life-giver for 1,146 species of fishes, molluscs, odonates and…
Not so long ago, the drug Diclofenac, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), was used as a painkiller for humans as well as for veterinary purposes. But in 2006, the government banned the manufacturing as well as the use of this drug for treating animals. The reason – it was poisoning the highly endangered vultures of…