The Sirmour Forest Department's rapid response team raided a house in Ghutanpur village, recovering the remains of wild animals, including a leopard skin, leading to two arrests and highlighting ongoing poaching concerns in the region.
A special audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has revealed that Odisha's forest and environment department sidestepped central guidelines, procuring and customising Mahindra Thar SUVs worth 17 crore from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) for forest protection, despite the funds being earmarked for 'preparedness and capacity building'.
Forest officials in Odisha's Kendrapara district successfully rescued a six-foot-long female saltwater crocodile from a village pond on Monday. The reptile, which had caused panic among villagers, was later released into the Bausagada river within Bhitarkanika National Park.
Odisha Police's STF and the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau are investigating the rescue of five baby orangutans in Balasore, suspecting an international wildlife trafficking network. The probe focuses on a black SUV seen near the rescue site and potential routes from West Bengal, with officials believing the animals were trafficked from Southeast Asia. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has called for stringent action against those involved.
Tamil Nadu's DMK and PMK parties have called for a thorough investigation into the alleged killing of three Tamil men by Karnataka Forest Department personnel. The incident, which occurred on August 15, has sparked protests and led to an FIR being filed against forest officials, with political leaders demanding justice and compensation for the victims' families.
Unidentified assailants opened fire inside Sanjay Gandhi National Park in the early hours of Tuesday, killing one person and injuring others. Police and forest department personnel are investigating the incident, which occurred in the Chena beat of the Yeoor Range in Thane. The motive and identities are yet to be officially established as joint inquiries are underway.
A major tragedy was averted in Assam's Hojai district on Wednesday when forest personnel alerted the Rajdhani Express after spotting a large herd of elephants crossing a railway track, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
A forest department team in Hoshiarpur was allegedly fired upon by suspected khair wood smugglers during an operation. While the accused escaped, officials managed to seize a vehicle loaded with illegally felled khair wood. The incident highlights the dangers faced by forest personnel and the lucrative nature of khair wood smuggling, which is believed to be operated by an inter-state network.
A forest department team in Hoshiarpur was allegedly fired upon by suspected khair wood smugglers during an operation. While the accused escaped, officials managed to seize a vehicle loaded with illegally felled khair wood. The incident highlights the dangers faced by forest personnel and the lucrative nature of khair wood smuggling, which is believed to be operated by an inter-state network.
A 45-year-old woman, Usha Ankush Gurnule, was killed in a tiger attack on Friday while working in her field in Palasgaon, near the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve in Chandrapur, Maharashtra. Forest officials are monitoring the tiger's movement with camera traps and have advised villagers to exercise caution.
The Forest Department in Bahraich is employing innovative tactics to capture an elusive wolf, which it believes is the sixth and last remaining of the pack that has instilled fear among locals with several attacks in the last few months.
The Haldwani forest division has launched India's first AI-based forest acoustic surveillance system. This innovative technology uses AI, acoustic sensors, and long-range wireless communication to detect illegal logging, poaching, and other suspicious activities in real-time, even in remote areas. Powered by solar energy, the system provides continuous monitoring, significantly enhancing forest protection, wildlife conservation, and biodiversity monitoring efforts.
A forest guard in Himachal Pradesh's Kangra district has been suspended and arrested for allegedly misbehaving with and assaulting three women Van Mitras while on duty.
Five forest department personnel were injured in Madhya Pradesh's Dewas district after villagers allegedly attacked an anti-encroachment team. Four individuals have been arrested, and a case has been registered under relevant laws.
A forest department employee was allegedly hacked to death with an axe in the Tanda forest in Haldwani following an argument with his associate, police said.
Six forest personnel, including a range officer, were injured in an attack by suspected timber smugglers in North Tripura. Two Forest Department vehicles were also damaged in the incident.
A woman sanitation worker, Sugna Devi, was mauled to death by a tiger named Shivaji in Nahargarh Biological Park, Jaipur, after a forest guard allegedly opened the enclosure gate while workers were inside. The forest department has suspended the guard and ordered an inquiry. The victim's family protested, leading to an agreement for Rs 10 lakh compensation, a dairy booth, and contractual jobs for two family members.
A group of suspected poachers allegedly opened fire at a forest department patrolling team in the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR) before fleeing. The forest department recovered a motorcycle and a wild boar carcass from the scene.
Bihar is facing a severe flood situation with the Central Water Commission issuing an 'Orange' bulletin as the Gandak and Ganga rivers flow above danger marks, leading to embankment breaches and inundation in Saran and other districts. Relief and rescue operations are intensifying with NDRF and SDRF teams deployed, and ration packets being air-dropped to affected areas.
Police in Chamba district have launched an investigation after a Forest Department team was attacked with stones while transporting seized timber. The incident occurred on the Kaljel-Bajli link road, resulting in damage to a vehicle but no injuries.
An anti-poaching unit in Indore recovered 21 protected turtles, including Indian Pond turtles and Star Tortoises, based on information from an arrested member of an interstate wildlife smuggling gang. Five individuals have been arrested in connection with the case, and a total of 54 turtles and a Rose-ringed Parakeet have been recovered as the investigation continues.
The Union environment ministry's expert panel has approved a fourth underground coal mining project in Madhya Pradesh's Umaria district, close to the vital Bandhavgarh-Achanakmar tiger corridor. These clearances, granted since July, raise concerns about biodiversity and tiger movement, despite conditions for wildlife conservation plans and compensatory afforestation. The projects involve significant forest land diversion and pose risks like land subsidence and habitat disturbance for Schedule-I species.
Jailed Aam Aadmi Party MLA Chaitar Vasava was granted one-day temporary bail by the Gujarat High Court after his stepbrother was hospitalised following a suicide attempt. The MLA's stepbrother, Shantilal Vasava, consumed poison on October 12 and is in critical condition. Chaitar Vasava had initially sought bail for an examination but changed his plea to care for his stepbrother. He was previously sentenced to seven years in jail for extortion and assault.
Manipur police have arrested six militants, including a minor, from the banned United People's Party of Kangleipak (UPPK) across Imphal Valley districts. The arrests were made in connection with extortion, intimidation, and kidnapping. Security forces also conducted a separate operation, seizing arms and ammunition and destroying bunkers in Kangpokpi and Senapati districts.
A tigress was found dead in Chandrapur, Maharashtra, shortly after critically injuring a forest guard during an operation to move her and her cubs away from a village.
A forest official in Karnataka is under investigation after a video surfaced allegedly showing him demanding a bribe from a farmer who suffered crop damage due to a wild elephant attack.
A forest department patrol team in the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve was allegedly attacked by suspected timber smugglers and villagers, resulting in injuries to five forest officials. Villagers have accused the forest department team of assault.
A group of khair smugglers in Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh, attempted to crush a forest department team after being intercepted. The smugglers were arrested and a case has been registered against them.
Actor Mohanlal has declared possession of 10 elephant tusks and 13 ivory idols to the Kerala Forest Department under an amnesty scheme. This new disclosure comes as he continues to face trial for alleged illegal possession of wildlife articles, a case that originated in 2011 and has seen the Kerala High Court direct the continuation of legal proceedings against him.
A 28-year-old man was trampled to death by a wild elephant in Chhattisgarh's Surajpur district. The incident has sparked outrage among local villagers, who are demanding compensation and government jobs for the victim's family.
A deleted video posted by actor Vikram, showing him cuddling a Lar Gibbon, has brought to light the illegal possession and transfer of these endangered primates in Tamil Nadu, prompting a forest department investigation.
An elephant undergoing treatment for injuries sustained in an IED blast, allegedly triggered by Maoists in Jharkhand's West Singhbhum district, has died.
A man was killed by a gaur in Kozhikode, Kerala, followed by the death of his relative from a heart attack. Villagers are refusing to cremate the bodies until the government assures action against wild gaurs, demanding compensation and elimination of the animals from residential areas.
A District Forest Officer in Tripura is under investigation after a large sum of cash was recovered at Agartala railway station from a relative, leading to a raid on the officer's residence.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari will attend the India-Brazil international football friendly in Kolkata on October 3. The city is preparing for the historic match, with Brazil's five-time world champions having arrived and security measures stepped up.
The Supreme Court has directed the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) to submit a report on sand mining from riverbeds, highlighting its disastrous impact on river ecosystems. The court also ordered Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh to file compliance affidavits regarding measures against illegal sand mining in and around the National Chambal Gharial Sanctuary, following concerns over environmental damage and a forest ranger's death.
Five rescued baby orangutans quarantined at Nandankanan Zoological Park in Bhubaneswar underwent extensive health checks, including X-rays and blood sample collection, to assess their condition and facilitate DNA testing. The health check-up was prompted after one primate developed a fever. Officials are identifying a suitable laboratory for DNA analysis, which is crucial for determining their origin and aiding an ongoing international wildlife smuggling investigation.
Six individuals, including a professional shooter, have been arrested in Telangana for illegally hunting wild animals using airguns in the Shadnagar and Makthal forest areas.
Forest authorities in Thane, Maharashtra, are investigating two incidents of monkeys being shot with arrows in the Yeoor forest and are offering a reward for information leading to the arrest of the culprits.
Two forest officials in Kerala were arrested for allegedly accepting a bribe to exclude individuals from a case involving the killing of a monitor lizard.
