In the last four decades, dugong (Dugong dugon) aggregations have been rarely reported from the geographically isolated, vast seascape of the Andaman Islands, India. The Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004, hunting, coastal development, and habitat loss are the major causes of this change in the social system of dugongs in …
Caged minks aren't a happy lot, suggests research conducted by zoologists at the University of Oxford, uk . Researchers suggest thee minks would rather be swimming. They studied minks kept in cages typical of the type used in mink farms and offered them extra resources, including a small pool, toys, …
A new study suggests that polar bear mothers may accidentally adopt other cubs because they are not very good at recognising their own. According to the evolutionary theory, animals should adopt offspring they are related to, such as nephews or nieces. But the study, by Nick Lunn and his colleagues …
stringent environmental laws and greater investment in waste water treatment plants have helped to reintroduce grey seals in Poland's Baltic shores. And already the results are beginning to show. In 1900, there were around 100,000 grey seals in the Baltic. They were, however, considered a pest because they tore fishing …
the government in Australia has severely criticised the listing of koalas ( Phascolarctos cinereus ) as a threatened species under the us law, claiming that the move misrepresents the animal's status. According to the Australian government, the us move would hardly boost conservation efforts and would only affect trade in …
today , they are promoted by the West as a scenic wonder. But less than a century ago, they were regularly shot by fisherfolk as "nuisance animals" that emptied their nets. During World War II, soldiers used them for target practice and, even 40 years ago, they were categorised as …
A new study on the DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) of bats has put a question mark on all the theories about the evolution of bats. It was believed that all bats shared a common ancestor, but subsequent generations evolved into two sub-orders according to whether they locate their prey by sight …
Many of us believe that bats hunt at night to avoid predators. But, scientist John Speakman of the University of Aberdeen says his observation of bats in the 24-hour daylight of the Arctic summer casts doubts on that theory. Most probably, he says, bats fly at night to avoid competition …
the Jammu and Kashmir government has formulated a Rs 1.36-crore project for the Hemis National Park, situated 40 km south-east of Leh. The national park derives its name from Hemis Gorpa
faced with a daunting food shortage and famine in parts of the country, the North Korean government is encouraging people to raise rabbits as a source of food. The animals provide lots of fur and meat and grow fast on very little feed, the country's Rodong Shimmun newspaper has reported. …
raccoons imported from North America as "cute and cuddly' pets have grown into a nightmare for ecosystems and the agriculture industry of Japan. The animals, who either escaped or were abandoned by their owners, have been observed breeding in Hokkaido, Gifu, Kyoto and Nara regions of Japan. In Kanagawa province, …
Farmers have a largely unappreciated friend. It is the Bat. At the Annual Walnut Research Conference in Bodega Bay, California, USA, researchers said that bats help to keep the skies above farms free of insect pests. One example is the codling moth, which causes considerable harm to pear, apple and …
the secret behind the preservation of centuries-old caves and painting seems to have been revealed. According to conservationists, silver fish, wasps and other insects that destroy rock paintings do not make caves their home once they smell the presence of their natural enemy
predatory birds and mammals are being poisoned after eating rats which have high levels of pesticides in their bodies. The proportion of barn owls found with anticoagulant rodenticides in their livers increased from 5 per cent in 1983-84 to 36 per cent in 1995-96. This was stated in a study …
The jungles of the Indian subcontinent, home to an amazing array of wildlife, attracted many hunters and naturalists, several of whom have recounted their encounters with animals in the wild. This anthology brings together a wide-ranging selection of writings, covering mainly the period of the British Raj, about the hunt …
the unprecedented scale of forest fires in six provinces of Indonesia, which have been raging for the last four-five months, is taking a terrible toll on the wildlife of the region. The worst to suffer in this is orangutan, the endangered species of forest-dwelling anthropoid ape that is native to …
Fear may be in built in your genes. A team led by Jeanne Wehner at the University of Colorado, USA, has discovered a range of DNA that are responsible for putting terror into the hearts of mice. The researchers gave mild electric shocks to rodents soon after exposing them to …
Genetically engineered livestock are producing human proteins in Scotland. A Schnieke and his colleagues at PPL Therapeutics, Roslin, Midlothian, Scotland, have developed the sheep following their success of cloning Dolly, the world first clone of an adult mammal. The cloned animals have a gene that produces a human blood coagulant …
