The Supreme Court highlighted the critical need to protect forests across India, specifically mentioning states like Jharkhand for their natural ecosystems. The court declined to interfere with a Jharkhand High Court order concerning regulations for stone mining and crushers near forest boundaries, asserting the High Court's constitutional authority in the matter.
Two youths in Nagpur face charges for allegedly using a drone and reckless driving to create Instagram reels within protected forests, disturbing wildlife and threatening their habitat.
Rajasthan's forest department is implementing an AI-based surveillance system across its wildlife sanctuaries to enhance anti-poaching efforts and monitor animal movement. The system, utilising thermal cameras, drones, and advanced software, provides 24x7 monitoring, helps prevent human-wildlife conflict through real-time alerts, and strengthens the fight against wildlife crime. Installations are being rolled out in phases across key protected areas, with advanced cameras capable of identifying individual animals and suspicious activities.
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.
Two individuals have been arrested in Odisha's Gahirmatha forest range after being found in possession of nine kg of venison. The suspects were apprehended in the Sasanpeta forest area with deer meat and nylon nets, leading to their booking under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
The incidents resulted in 1,468 human deaths and 337 injuries, making it one of the country's gravest wildlife-related crises.
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.
The opposition in the Maharashtra assembly has alleged that teak wood smugglers in the Chandrapur district are receiving political protection, hindering efforts to combat illegal logging.
Researchers have discovered that Delhi's urban forests are significant carbon sinks, storing substantial amounts of carbon in trees and soil, with the potential to generate revenue through carbon credits. The study highlights the importance of preserving and expanding these forests to combat climate change.
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 Goa forest department official has filed a police complaint against state minister Subhash Phal Desai, alleging he obstructed officials and facilitated the illegal transportation of soil from a protected forest area. The complaint details the excavation and uprooting of trees, while the minister claims the soil was for a sports ground.
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.
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.
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 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.
Endangered hoolock gibbon uses bridge over railway line in Jorhat sanctuary.
A Congress leader in Madhya Pradesh has criticised the BJP government following the death of a forest guard, alleging the state is being run by mining mafias with political protection.
The Environment Ministry's expert appraisal committee (EAC) has cleared the expansion of the Magadh opencast coal mine in Jharkhand, operated by Central Coalfields Limited, despite pending court cases regarding alleged encroachment of forest land.
A forest watcher was killed in a wild elephant attack in Kerala's Palakkad district while attempting to drive the animal away from a populated area.
A forest guard in Morena, Madhya Pradesh, was killed after being run over by a tractor-trolley allegedly involved in illegal sand mining. The incident has sparked outrage and condemnation from political leaders, highlighting concerns about law and order and the power of illegal mining operations in the region.
Police have arrested the main accused in the death of a forest guard who was allegedly crushed by a tractor-trolley during an operation against illegal sand mining in Morena, Madhya Pradesh.
The Supreme Court has directed the preparation and implementation of a time-bound eviction plan to address encroachments within the protected areas of the Agasthyamalai ecological landscape in Tamil Nadu, also ordering action against government servants involved.
The Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force arrested an alleged interstate wildlife trafficker in Gorakhpur and rescued 100 protected rose-ringed parrots from his possession.
Aligarh resident Habib Saifi has built a small hut-like structure on his bike to protect himself from direct sunlight during this intense summer.
Fourteen people have been arrested in Rudraprayag, Uttarakhand, for allegedly poaching a Himalayan barking deer. The arrests were made as the individuals were preparing to cook the animal, which had been hunted the previous day.
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has dismantled a wildlife trafficking syndicate involved in the illegal trade of Indian elephant tusks (ivory) in Mysuru, leading to the seizure of 4.058 kg of tusks and the apprehension of three individuals.
The Bombay High Court has approved the removal of mangroves for the Vadhvan Port Project in Palghar, Maharashtra, citing its public importance and economic significance. This clearance paves the way for accelerated execution of the Rs 76,220 crore project, which aims to position India among the top 10 container port nations globally.
The Supreme Court has established a high-powered committee, chaired by Kanchan Devi, Director General of the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE), to independently review the Centre's report on the definition and delineation of the Aravalli hill range, aiming to resolve 'critical ambiguities' in its findings.
The incident took place during a routine jungle safari inside the UNESCO World Heritage site in Assam.
Forest officials seized 20 kg of venison and arrested a person for wildlife poaching in Bhitarkanika National Park, Odisha. The accused was found with deer meat and nylon nets used for trapping deer.
DRI officials apprehended a man in Warangal, Telangana, for attempting to sell two live red sand boas, a protected species under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
The Rajasthan High Court has banned night safaris and drone use in the Jawai Leopard Reserve to protect wildlife from disturbance due to unregulated tourism.
India's first satellite-tagged Ganges soft-shell turtle released in Kaziranga.
A cab driver in Delhi has allegedly confessed to kidnapping and murdering an 11-year-old girl, whom he abducted from a pavement while she slept with her family. The accused, Bashu Kumar Singh, reportedly killed the child after an attempted sexual assault failed due to erectile dysfunction, dumping her body near the Faridabad-Gurugram border.
A rural-level cricket competition in Shimla's Jubbal subdivision is using sports to raise awareness about drug abuse and environmental protection. The 'Shaan-e-Bushahr' Mandhol Premiere League-4, featuring over 80 teams, encourages participants to plant saplings and monitor their growth, building on previous successful tree-planting initiatives.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said the government's argument that the Great Nicobar Island Project is about defence and a trans-shipment port is a "lie", and alleged that it is actually about benefiting one businessman so that he can build hotels and casinos on India's most irreplaceable ecological land.
Three individuals have been detained in Odisha's Dhenkanal district for allegedly electrocuting a wild elephant and burying its carcass on a farmhouse property.
The pale-coloured hog deer is believed to be affected by albinism, a rare genetic condition characterised by the absence or reduction of melanin pigment in the skin, fur, and eyes.
Three suspected poachers were apprehended in Assam's Lakhimpur district for allegedly planning to poach rhinos in the Kaziranga National Park.
