Apart from poaching and habitat loss, climate change-induced droughts have been threatening the rhino population in Africa, pointed out a new report. On the other hand, climate disruptions in Asia can lead to the deaths of rhinos. Increased precipitation, longer monsoons and seasonal floods are already resulting in stranding, drowning …
even as forest officials and environmentalists in Orissa heaved a sigh of relief with the news of the first batch of 3,000 Olive Ridley turtles crawling onto the beach near the Rishikulya river mouth, fishing trawlers are set to turn killer machines again. For though the use of turtle excluder …
poachers are posing a threat to common coot, which is being sold for its meat. The bird, known as bhagatdo, is found on the periphery of Ajwa and Simda lakes in Vadodara. According to sources, in Rampura village near Ajwa lake, a hunting party has set up its own marketing …
For the last six years, shell duck, a common migratory bird, had ceased to make its annual guest appearance in the wetlands of Kashmir. This season, bird watchers are jubilant at its return, along with a host of other winged visitors for a customary halt. And all as a result …
The Tanzanian authorities seized more than a thousand elephant tusks stolen by poachers at the Dar es Salaam port recently. According to the police, two Tanzanians had been arrested following the haul of 1,255 tusks in two suburban homes. However, it is not clear where the tusks had originated. Poaching …
tiger population in Maharashtra is dwindling fast. The number of tigers increased to 417 in 1989 from 174 tigers in 1979. But the 1990s witnessed a steep decline in its population. According to the latest estimate, in 1993, there were 276 big cats in the state and in 2001, they …
In a major confiscation by Mexican agents, more than 400 items were recovered, including a lion's head, the skins of leopards, pumas and a Bengal tiger as well as stuffed jaguars, ocelots and spider monkeys. The agents raided a home in the southeastern city of Meridats and also found turtle …
• India's DNA scientists have initiated a project to clone the Indian cheetah by using the genes of its Iranian cousin. Scientists from the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in Hyderabad will assist these DNA scientists to complete the project within five years. • Twelve persons were taken …
the Indian Board for Wildlife (ibwl), headed by prime minister (pm) Atal Bihari Vajpayee and predominantly comprising wildlife specialists, recently held its 21st meeting in New Delhi after an hiatus of four years. It was, therefore, not surprising that a slew of recommendations were made, including setting up of a …
for thousands of years now, a stumpy tree prized for its heartwood and sandal oil, has been a source of pride for India. Yes, it is none other than the sandalwood tree. However, indiscriminate harvesting and rampant poaching have left the once luxuriant stands in shambles. It is feared that …
Poachers are the main threat to the survival of Cambodia's declining elephant and tiger populations, say conservationists. In fact, 100 wild elephants, tigers, leopards and rare bears have been killed by poachers in the past 19 months. In all, 225 large mammals were killed in three of Cambodia's 24 provinces …
the Russian mafia has been accused of practising illegal fishing in the western Bering Sea. In an investigative study by Trade record analysis of flora and fauna in commerce (traffic), it is claimed that fish poaching amounting to us $ 4 billion annually is being carried out by organised crime …
A fortnight after poachers killed four endangered black rhinos in southeastern Kenya, the Kenya Wildlife Service (kws) claimed that it had arrested one person in possession of three fresh-looking rhino horns. Another person was arrested on suspicion of storing the horns at his house. In November 2001, four black rhino …
the team involved in the tiger census exercise in the world's largest Tiger reserve, the Sunderbans, has had a fewclose shaves with the big cats. And the field director of Project Tiger, Pradip Vyas, ascribes this to the feline's "affinity for human flesh'. Between 1997 and 2001, more than 58 …
In what is believed to be the highest ever fine imposed for poaching in India, forest officials in Chandauli district near Lucknow asked 12 poachers to cough up a staggering US $208,550. On November 17, these poachers were arrested and penalised. All these offenders are wealthy businessmen. Divisional Forest Officer …
Why has a ban been imposed on shark hunting in particular? Sharks have a vital role in the marine ecosystem since they are the apex predator at the top of the marine food chain. But today they are almost extinct, being a major target of the fish hunters. Their slow …
participants from over 20 countries gathered in Bali, Indonesia, from September 11-13, 2001, to strategise on how to battle the myriad of problems of forest management, including illegal logging on a national and international scale. Officially known as the Forest Law Enforcement and Governance (fleg) East Asia Ministerial conference, the …
A supposedly scientific expedition into the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve (ndbr) has stirred the minds of people in Lata village of district Chamoli, in Uttaranchal. They say the expedition was a farce. They claim it was a surreptitious attempt to open the region to high-end tourism with tour operators and …
Poachers recently killed 15 sea lions in Ecuador's Galapagos Islands. The carcasses of the animals, four females and 11 males, were found on the southern shore of San Cristobal. All the animals had fractured skulls and missing teeth. "The sexual organisms of the males had been removed, most probably for …
the much talked about move against the poachers in the Corbett Tiger Reserve (ctr) is in danger of falling apart at its most crucial juncture. The Union government has since February 2001, stopped payment to the 275-member task force engaged by the ctr authorities to patrol the reserve. Its members …
