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.
Three individuals, including a father and son, have been arrested in Ranchi, Jharkhand, for trading reproductive organs of monitor lizards, a prohibited activity under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence has conducted a nationwide crackdown on wildlife trafficking, seizing over 440 endangered animals and 15 kg of ivory, and arresting 33 individuals involved in organised crime syndicates.
A drone designed to tranquilise violent elephants without close human contact has been unveiled, marking a significant advancement in using indigenous UAV technology for mitigating human-wildlife conflict.
Scientists stress there is currently no evidence of human infections, or community spread linked to the virus.
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.
A tiger cub was found dead in the core area of Madhya Pradesh's Kanha reserve, bringing the state's tiger death toll to 22 since January. The cub, aged between one to one-and-a-half years, was discovered in the Sargi region of the Kanha Tiger Reserve. Officials are investigating the cause of death, with initial indications suggesting starvation.
A radio-collared tiger was allegedly poisoned to death in Madhya Pradesh, leading to the arrest of five individuals. The incident highlights concerns about poaching and monitoring failures, prompting calls for investigation and accountability.
A study published in the journal Environment and Planning F has revealed that cameras and drones originally intended for conservation activities in Corbett National Park are being misused by local government officials and men to surveil women without consent. The study, conducted by researchers from the University of Cambridge, found that forest rangers intentionally flew drones over local women to scare them and prevent them from collecting natural resources, despite their legal right to do so. The researchers argue that these technologies, deployed under the guise of wildlife monitoring, are being used to intimidate and exert power over women, invading their privacy and altering their behavior in the forest. This has had a negative impact on women's mental health, with one woman interviewed for the study being killed in a tiger attack.
The impact was so severe that none of the buffaloes survived.
A radio-collared tiger was allegedly poisoned to death near the Satpura Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, leading to the arrest of five individuals suspected of lacing the tiger's kill with poison after it preyed on their cattle; the suspects are also allegedly involved in illegal opium cultivation.
A seven-year-old girl was killed in a leopard attack in Sidhauna village, near the Dudhwa National Park. Forest officials are increasing patrols in the area following the tragic incident.
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'.
Wildlife experts have cautioned that multiple tiger deaths within a short span may point to underlying ecological or management concerns.
The Morena administration in Madhya Pradesh has banned sand mining and transportation from the Chambal River, along with restricting fuel sales to unregistered vehicles, following criticism from the Supreme Court regarding illegal mining activities.
An adult tiger with a radio collar was found dead in the Rani Durgavati Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, India, prompting concerns about the safety and management of the reserve. The death, attributed to a territorial fight, has led to allegations of negligence and calls for investigation.
'The most enduring part of Satheesan's personality is he is good at heart. That is the reason why everybody, from the old to small children, get attracted to him.'
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh recalls writing to Narendra Modi in 2010 about conserving the Great Indian Bustard, amid recent announcements of successful conservation efforts.
Modi had a night halt at Sinh Sadan, a forest guest house managed by the state forest department, in Sasan after his arrival from Somnath where he offered prayers at the Lord Shiv temple, the first among 12 jyotirlingas, on Sunday evening.
When elephants are identified close to or on the tracks, real-time alerts are sent to locomotive pilots, station masters and control rooms, allowing trains to slow down or stop in time.
A long-billed vulture, J132, released in Maharashtra's Pench Tiger Reserve, has travelled nearly 750 km in 17 days, reaching close to Anjaneri hills near Trimbakeshwar in Nashik district. The vulture's journey is part of a conservation program by the state forest department and the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS).
'We should learn from the wild world on how they live harmoniously.'
The National Zoological Park (NZP) in Delhi is facing allegations from its workers' union regarding the death of a jackal. The union claims the animal suffocated inside a bear den after staff used chili powder and fire to force it out. The incident has sparked calls for an independent inquiry and raised concerns about animal welfare protocols at the zoo.
"The calf, the only tusker which had survived the accident, died this morning while undergoing treatment at the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) in Kaziranga," Nagaon Division's Forest Ranger Shamim Akhtar told PTI.
After three cheetahs died in just over a month last year in Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park, the National Tiger Conservation Authority in May 2023 called in experts from Reliance's wildlife facility in Gujarat to review health monitoring protocols, official records show.
A 60-year-old woman drowned and eight people, including five children, went missing after a boat capsized in the Kaudiyala river near Bharathapur village in Uttar Pradesh. Rescue operations are underway.
Over 70 scientists, environmentalists, and former bureaucrats are urging the Indian government to reconsider the Great Nicobar Island project, citing environmental and social concerns.
Expressing sorrow over the incident, Khandre immediately ordered an investigation into the matter, which will be led by a team under the principal chief conservator of forests.
The Supreme Court of India has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate allegations of non-compliance with laws and irregularities at Vantara, a Green Zoological Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre in Gujarat. The SIT will examine the acquisition of animals, compliance with wildlife protection laws, and other related issues.
The Supreme Court acknowledged a clean chit from a special investigation team (SIT) regarding the Vantara zoological rescue and rehabilitation centre in Gujarat's Jamnagar, following allegations of irregularities.
The Sikkim government has announced the opening of Doka-La and Cho-La battlefields for domestic tourists starting October 1, under the Bharat Ranbhoomi Darshan initiative. Strict guidelines for security and environmental protection will be in place.
'With just 2.4 per cent of global landmass, India houses six to eight per cent of planetary biodiversity and hence is a prime target of wildlife criminals.'
A video of a huge crocodile roaming a lakeside road on the IIT Bombay's Powai campus has sent shock waves. The reptile, prima facie came out from the Powai lake, and was seen resting on a nearby road on Sunday night. An animal rescuer said crocodiles crawling on the lake road is a rare occurrence given that they generally remain in the lake waters and avoid areas inhabited by humans. Founder president of RAWW (Resqink Association for Wildlife Welfare) and honorary wildlife warden Pawan Sharma said the crocodile might be a female searching a nesting site to lay eggs. Local people and officials ensured that the crocodile remained safe. "It crawled into the lake on its own," he added. The Mumbai Range of Thane Territorial Wing is closely monitoring the situation and appealed to people not to panic but to remain alert and avoid areas prone to the presence of crocodiles.
One of the teams rescued two lion cubs that had fallen into an open well in Jasadhar Range of Gir East division during the cyclone's landfall on Thursday evening, the official said.
Twenty-five of the 75 tigers in Ranthambore National Park (RNP) have gone missing over the last year, Rajasthan's Chief Wildlife Warden Pavan Kumar Upadhyay told park officials on Monday.
'The true measure of Project Tiger's success is not just rising tiger numbers, but our ability to ensure harmonious human-wildlife coexistence'
A 'man-eater' tiger that killed a woman two days ago was found dead in Kerala's high-range district of Wayanad on Monday and an autopsy on the dead cat revealed the presence of the victim's hair, dress, and a pair of earrings in its stomach, forest officials said.
Anant Ambani, the youngest son of billionaire Mukesh Ambani and the first among three siblings to be appointed executive director on flagship Reliance Industries, will be paid Rs 10-20 crore salary annually plus a host of perks including a commission on company profits, according to a shareholder notice. While the richest Asian's all three children - twins Akash and Isha, and Anant - were inducted on board of the oil-to-telecom-and-retail conglomerate in 2023 as non-executive directors, the youngest of the three was in April this year appointed executive director of Reliance Industries Ltd.
India is set to bring eight cheetahs from Botswana in two phases, with four arriving by May 2025. This follows the successful reintroduction of cheetahs to Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, with the population now at 26, including 14 cubs born in India. The initiative aims to boost cheetah conservation efforts and create inter-state collaboration for their protection. The project has already seen significant investment, with over Rs 112 crore spent on cheetah rehabilitation.
Customised restaurant recreations, cafe setups, pop-ups by Michelin-star chefs, bespoke table linens with monograms and couple-themed hashtags.
