Wildlife Destruction

Monitored wildlife populations have declined by an average of 73 per cent in just 50 years from 1970 to 2020, primarily due to habitat loss, climate change, and pollution, according to a new report by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). The 'Living Planet Report' 2024 also revealed sharp declines in three species of vultures in India, with populations dropping dramatically between 1992 and 2022. The white-rumped vulture population has declined by 67 per cent, the Indian vulture by 48 per cent, and the slender-billed vulture by 89 per cent. Globally, the steepest decline is reported in freshwater ecosystems (85 per cent), followed by terrestrial ecosystems (69 per cent) and marine ecosystems (56 per cent). Habitat loss and degradation, driven primarily by food systems, is the most commonly reported threat to wildlife populations worldwide, followed by overexploitation, invasive species, and disease, the report said. In India, some wildlife populations have stabilized and shown ..

Rhinos have returned to Laokhowa and Burachapori wildlife sanctuaries of Assam, 40 years after the population of pachyderms in the area was wiped out due to poaching, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said. These protected areas had also witnessed human encroachment over the years, which was cleared by the authorities last year, a forest official said. "Happy to share that after 40 years our iconic Rhinos have returned to Laokhowa and Burachapori. They have returned within 1 year of our successful anti-encroachment operation in the region," Sarma wrote on X. A total of 51.7 sq km of forest cover has been retrieved through eviction drives in 2023, he said on Friday. Kaziranga National Park (KNP) Director Sonali Ghosh said two rhinos have been spotted in the Laokhowa-Burachapori wildlife sanctuaries, which are part of 'Greater Kaziranga', after almost a gap of 40 years. She said the Laokhowa-Burachapori forest in Nagaon district had a population of 45-50 rhinos till 1983. "They we

The petitioners said the activities within the Aravalli Hills will harm the ecology and also destroy the wildlife and its habitat in the mountain range

Climate change is increasing the intensity of forest fires, reducing vegetation and degrading natural habitats, forcing the wildlife to move out and come into conflict with humans, conservationists said on Friday. In its latest all-India tiger estimation report, released recently by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) highlighted the "silent and surmounting" threats of climate change-related impacts on habitats and the loss of the quality of forests over time. It added that climate change threatens the survival of tigers in the Sunderbans and is one of the major challenges facing the wildlife in the Western Ghats. While the big cat population in the Sunderbans is steady, it has come down substantially in the Western Ghats where 824 tigers were recorded in 2022 against 981 in 2018. Mohammad Sajid Sultan, the NTCA's assistant inspector general of forests, said the wildlife is being affected by climate change with new pests and diseases ...

This year's World Wildlife theme, 'Partnerships for Wildlife Conservation', celebrates all conservation efforts, right from inter-governmental initiatives, down to the local scale

The district administration of Nagaon and Sonitpur has on Tuesday started a drive to free the Burachapori Wildlife Sanctuary from illegal encroachments

The carcasses were burnt to prevent the further spread of the fever among the wild boars in the area

Wildlife populations monitored across the globe have declined by a massive 69 per cent between 1970 and 2018, according to the WWF's Living Planet Report (LPR) 2022. Featuring almost 32,000 populations of 5,230 species, the Living Planet Index (LPI) provided in the report shows it is within tropical regions that monitored vertebrate wildlife populations are plummeting at a staggering rate. "Latin America and the Caribbean regions have seen the largest decline of monitored wildlife populations globally -- an average decline of 94 per cent during the period," the report said. Wildlife populations have dipped by 66 per cent in Africa and 55 per cent in Asia Pacific. Freshwater populations have declined by 83 per cent on average compared to other species groups, according to the report. The IUCN Red List shows cycads are the most threatened species, while corals are declining the fastest, followed by amphibians. Habitat loss and barriers to migration routes are responsible for about h

Solar power not cause of increased bird deaths, will be basis of state's argument

Vice President Venkaiah Naidu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday appealed to ensure protection of animals and preserve forest and safe habitats for them

It is more common for nature videos to lift our spirits with magnificent sights than to try and shake us out of our complacency about the state of the environment

The second of a three-part series looks at the fallout of construction near wildlife habitats