Page 3 - Wildlife

World Sparrow Day 2024: Date, History, theme, importance of small birds

World Sparrow Day aims to bring issues to light about the decrease in the sparrow population and the need for their conservation. The day promotes action for safeguarding and conserving sparrows

6 cubs born to cheetah Gamini, not 5, clarifies Minister Bhupender Yadav

African cheetah 'Gamini' has given birth to six cubs at the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh's Sheopur district, and not five as reported previously, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said on Monday. On March 10, Yadav shared the information that the five-year-old South African cheetah gave birth to five cubs at the Kuno National Park (KNP). In a post on his official X account on Monday morning, Yadav said, "Gamini's legacy leaps forward! There is no end to joy: It is not five, but six cubs! A week after the news of five cubs born to Gamini, it is now confirmed that Gamini, the South African cheetah mother, has given birth to six cubs, a record of sorts for a first-time mother." The minister also shared the visuals of cheetah Gamini's six cubs. With this, the cheetah count at the KNP has increased to 27, including 14 cubs. In March last year, cheetah Jwala (Namibian name Siyaya) had given birth to four cubs but only one managed to survive. Jwala gave birth to her seco

Born to be wild

Wildlife conservationist Romulus Whitaker's memoir is a captivating glimpse into his adventurous youth, brimming with a plethora of wild and unbelievable experiences

Cabinet nod to set up International Big Cat Alliance to save tigers

The Union Cabinet Thursday approved the creation of International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) to set up a global network to conserve tigers and other big cats. The India-headquartered alliance was conceived as a multi-country, multi-agency coalition of 96 big cat range countries and others to establish a common platform for conservation. Out of the seven big cats (tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, puma, jaguar and the cheetah), five -- tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard and cheetah -- are found in India. The Cabinet has cleared a one-time budgetary support of Rs 150 crore for the IBCA for a period of five years from 2023-24 to 2027-28. Acknowledging India's leading role in conserving tigers, other big cats and many of its endangered species, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had during his speech on Global Tiger Day, 2019 called for an alliance of global leaders to curb poaching in Asia. The IBCA aims for cooperation among countries for mutual benefit in furthering the conservation ...

Experts to conduct surveys on translocating cheetahs to 2 sanctuaries: Min

A team of African and Namibian experts will soon visit the Gandhi Sagar and Nauradehi sanctuaries in Madhya Pradesh to conduct surveys for translocating cheetahs to these places, Union minister Bhupender Yadav has said. The minister for environment, forest and climate change addressed a review meeting of the cheetah project at the Kuno National Park (KNP) in MP's Sheopur district on Monday. Yadav said Kuno will be established as an international tourist destination in the coming five years and the economy of this region will grow to around Rs 1,000 crore, that too without industries. "There are 21 cheetahs in the KNP at present and this area has great potential. Currently, eight cubs are roaming freely with the female cheetah in Kuno," Yadav was quoted as saying in an official release. He said a Cheetah Rehabilitation Centre has been started and it is also the area of biggest success in the world because cheetahs have been rehabilitated here (KNP). "A total of 10 forest areas were

Project Cheetah to protect wild life and promote development: MP CM Yadav

Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav joined Bhupender Yadav, Union minister for environment, forest and climate change, in a review of the project on Monday.

In a first, Alaskapox virus claims life of elderly man in US: 5 points

Alaskapox virus: Also known as AKPV, the virus is transmitted from small mammals and is related to smallpox, cowpox and mpox. Its symptoms include rash, swollen lymph nodes and joint or muscle pain

India home to 718 snow leopards, Ladakh highest with 477: Report

The highest number of snow leopards were recorded in Ladakh (477), followed by Uttarakhand (124), Himachal Pradesh (51), Arunachal Pradesh (36), Sikkim (21), and Jammu and Kashmir (9)

718 snow leopards found in India, more than 50% in Ladakh: MoEFCC Report

Union Minister Bhupender Yadav released the first-ever population assessment of snow leopards in India which are estimated to have a global population of 4,500 to 6,500

Three cubs born to Namibian cheetah at Kuno National Park: Environment min

A Namibian cheetah has given birth to three cubs at the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, weeks after three cubs were born to another feline. Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav shared the news on X, saying, "Kuno's new cubs! Namibian Cheetah named Jwala has given birth to three cubs. This comes just weeks after Namibian Cheetah Aasha gave birth to her cubs." He further said in the post, "Congratulations to all wildlife frontline warriors and wildlife lovers across the country. May Bharat's wildlife thrive." On January 3, Kuno National Park officials reported that Namibian cheetah Aasha had given birth to three cubs. Before this, a cheetah named Siyaya had given birth to four cubs last March. However, only one of them survived. Jwala, Aasha and Siyaya are among the cheetahs translocated to India from Namibia under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Project Cheetah', aimed at re-introducing the only large carnivore species that went extinct in independent India. The first

Wildlife body concludes two-day bird survey at Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve

The data of all the birds was added to the eBird app. The data will analysed to know the population of which species can be increased

Tiger population in U'khand rose by 314% in 16 years: Chief wildlife warden

The tiger population in Uttarakhand has increased at a rate of 314 per cent between 2006 and 2022, officials said on Saturday. Uttarakhand Chief Wildlife Warden Samir Sinha claimed the tiger population density in Uttarakhand is among the highest in the world. The tiger population which stood at 178 in 2006 rose to 560 in 2022, recording a rise of 314 per cent, Sinha said. He said the increase in the population of the wild animal in the state is due to steps taken by the forest department in recent years to improve their habitat conditions. However, a slight increase was recorded in 2023 in the number of people killed and injured in tiger attacks, the warden said. Two persons were killed in tiger attacks in 2021, 16 in 2022 and 17 in 2023, while eight persons were injured by big cats in 2021, 10 in 2022 and nine in 2023, Sinha said. The total number of people killed in encounters with animals such as leopards, elephants and snakes besides tigers was 71 in 2021, 82 in 2022 and 66

Rhinos return to Assam's Laokhowa-Burachapori sanctuaries after 40 years

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

Drones deployed in search for elusive leopard spotted in Delhi's Neb Sarai

A leopard spotted on Friday in south Delhi's Neb Sarai area continues to evade the authorities even as an operation to capture it remains underway with the help of drone surveillance and at least 50 police personnel have been deployed to monitor the situation, officials said. Forest department officials have deployed drones to comb the area, they said. "...there is no lead on the leopard. The two trap cages set up by the forest department are still at their places," a police officer said on Monday. The leopard was spotted near a farmhouse in the Neb Sarai area on the border of Delhi and Haryana on Friday. It has not been seen since then. A police officer said at least 50 staffers of Neb Sarai police station have been deployed round the clock to keep a tab on the situation. They, under the supervision of the SHO, are working with forest department personnel. "We are making announcements at least thrice a day, telling people the do's and don'ts if they see the leopard again," a poli

India considering importing Cheetahs from northern Africa: Officials

India is considering importing cheetahs from northern Africa due to concerns that these big cats from Namibia and South Africa have developed a winter coat in the Indian summer, officials said on Wednesday. According to the officials, one of the significant challenges faced during the first year of managing cheetahs in India was the unexpected development of winter coats by some cheetahs during the Indian summer and monsoon, in anticipation of the African winter (June to September). Even African experts did not anticipate this, a senior forest official said. The winter coat, combined with high humidity and temperatures, caused itching, leading the animals to scratch their necks on tree trunks or the ground. This scratching resulted in bruises and exposed skin, where flies laid their eggs, leading to maggot infestations and, ultimately, bacterial infections and septicemia, resulting in the deaths of three cheetahs, the official explained. "Considering that cheetahs in northern and .

7 leopard cubs die at Bengaluru biological park after virus attack

Seven leopard cubs have died at Bannerghatta Biological Park here after being infected by a highly contagious virus, officials said on Tuesday. Feline panleukopenia (FP) is a viral disease of cats caused by the feline parvovirus. Kittens are most severely affected by the virus, they said. According to officials, the first outbreak was reported on August 22. The seven cubs were aged between three and eight months. All of them were vaccinated but succumbed during the course of treatment. Executive Director of Bannerghatta Biological Park, A V Surya Sen said though the seven cubs were vaccinated, they were still infected. "It is now under control and in the last 15 days, no deaths have been reported. We have completely broken the chain and taken all necessary measures. We followed all the required procedure and also held discussions with all our senior veterinarians. All correct course of action was taken. Also, we have ensured hygiene of the entire zoo and the rescue centre was ...

CAG pulls up Guj forest dept for ignoring Isro report on wildlife corridors

The Gujarat forest department did not take cognizance of the findings of a scientific study conducted by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) with a recommendation on habitat improvement in potential wildlife corridors in the state, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) said in a report tabled in the Assembly on Saturday. The CAG's 'Performance Audit of Protection, Conservation and Management of Wildlife Sanctuaries in Gujarat' said ISRO had identified 12 wildlife corridors in its study in 2014 and 2017 and shared it with the forest department with a recommendation on habitat improvement in the potential corridors. The forest department neither conducted any study itself to identify the precise corridors nor took cognizance of the findings of the ISRO study, it said. The corridors thus identified were not included fully in the notified eco-sensitive zones of Balaram Ambaji and Jessore sanctuaries, the report added. Gujarat does not have a state-specific forest policy and t

Breeding, cheetah selection strategies at focus in Project Cheetah's 2nd yr

India plans to import cheetahs that do not develop thicker winter coats a primary factor behind severe infections in some cheetahs and the death of three of them who were relocated from Africa to India, according to the head of the reintroduction project. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Project Cheetah in India last year by releasing a group of big cats brought from Namibia into an enclosure at Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park on September 17. Project Cheetah marks its one-year anniversary on Sunday. In an interview with PTI, SP Yadav, Additional Director General of Forests at the Environment Ministry, emphasised that the project's focus in its second year would be on breeding these animals. He asserted that the radio collars cheetahs were made to wear did not cause any infections. However, authorities have decided to replace these collars with new ones from the same South African manufacturer. Yadav, also the chief of National Tiger Conservation Authority, said that t

People who lost lives protecting forests, to get 'Sammaan Nidhi': Chouhan

The CM also urged the people to offer prayers in their respective temples according to their traditions

Tigress found dead in MP's Umaria, territorial fight likely cause of death

A 4-year-old tigress was found dead on Sunday in Umaria district in Madhya Pradesh, a forest department official said. Its body was found in the buffer zone in Manpur range of Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, area ranger Mukesh Ahirwar told PTI. "Circumstantial evidence suggests it died in a territorial fight. We rushed to the spot with sniffer dogs and have sent the carcass for post mortem. Its viscera has been submitted for testing," he said. The carcass was disposed of as per National Tiger Conservation Authority guidelines, the official added.