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Bhubaneswar, Jun 30 (PTI) Seven yellow anacondas were born at Nandankanan Zoological Park here on Sunday, an official said. The parent snakes were brought from the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust in October 2019. The last breeding happened in July 2022. With the new births, the zoo now has two adult males, two adult females, and ten young yellow anacondas. One more snake is expected to deliver soon, the zoo official said. This is an important step in the zoo's efforts to protect and care for reptiles, he said. The yellow anacondas are mostly found in Bolivia, Paraguay and Brazil. PTI BBM BBM ACD
Bhubaneswar: Nature lovers have a fresh reason to visit Nandankanan Zoological Park in Odisha's Bhubaneswar, as the famed wildlife sanctuary welcomed seven baby yellow anacondas into its reptilian fold on Sunday -- a rare and exciting addition that underscores the zoo's growing reputation as a haven for exotic species. The tiny hatchlings were born to a breeding pair of yellow anacondas brought to Nandankanan from the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust in Chennai in October 2019. With these new arrivals, the zoo now proudly houses a thriving family of 14 yellow anacondas -- two adult males, two adul ...Read More >
New Delhi: An 11-year-old female hyena died at the Delhi Zoo on Thursday under "mysterious" circumstances, zoo officials said, stating a post-mortem examination will be conducted to ascertain the actual cause of death. The zoo is now left with only two hyenas, a male and a female. The hyena was found lying in its den -- within the enclosure. The body was retrieved and sent to the zoo hospital, where it was discovered that she had already died. Typically, hyenas stay inside dens created in the enclosure area, but they feed on the backside of the enclosure -- where zoo staff serves food to them ...Read More >
NEW DELHI - Indian customs officers in Mumbai said they have stopped a plane passenger arriving from Thailand with a wriggling cargo of live snakes, the third such seizure in June. "Customs officers... foiled yet another wildlife smuggling attempt, 16 live snakes... seized from a passenger returning from Thailand," said a customs officer at Mumbai's airport The passenger, who arrived on June 29, has been arrested, the customs agency said in a statement, with "further investigation underway". The live snakes included reptiles often sold in the pet trade, and were largely non-venomous, or wit ...Read More >
Mumbai Customs officers intercepted a Thane-based woman at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport for attempting to smuggle 154 exotic animals. Hidden inside plastic containers in her luggage, the haul included four baby anacondas, iguanas, bearded dragons, tortoises, turtles, lizards, and raccoons. This marks the first time in at least five years that baby anacondas, a foreign snake species, have been seized at Mumbai Airport. The seized species are protected under international law ...Read More >
Indian customs officers in Mumbai said they have stopped a plane passenger arriving from Thailand with a wriggling cargo of live snakes, the third such seizure this month. "Customs officers... foiled yet another wildlife smuggling attempt, 16 live snakes... seized from passenger returning from Thailand," said customs officers in the airport in the Indian financial hub. The passenger, who arrived on Sunday, has been arrested, the customs agency said in a statement, with "further investigation un ...Read More >
Mumbai: Drugs, gold and other expensive or illegal items are often seized from passengers during inspection at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai, the country's financial capital. However, this time, customs officials seized as many as 48 poisonous snakes and 5 turtles from a passenger. Even the security guards were alarmed when it came to light that the passenger had been found with poisonous snakes. The passenger concerned had been to Thailand and had taken a flight from Bangkok on his way to India. At Mumbai's airport, customs found 48 poisonous snakes and five tur ...Read More >
New Delhi, Apr 6 (PTI) The Border Security Force (BSF) is studying the feasibility of releasing crocodiles and snakes in the "vulnerable" riverine gaps along the India-Bangladesh international border to curb illegal infiltration and cross-frontier crimes, officials said on Monday. The plan was discussed during a meeting at the force's headquarters in Delhi on February 9. Following this, field units along the 4,096-km front were asked to provide their opinion. According to data provided by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), about 856 km of this frontier remains unfenced, owing to difficult g ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar: Nandankanan Zoological Park on Saturday night welcomed two tiger cubs born to white tigress Mousumi, marking a significant milestone in the zoo's conservation breeding programme. The cubs were born in enclosure 28 (B), with the first delivery at 9.15 pm and the second at 11.30 pm.As per initial observations, one cub appeared to be normal in colour while the other was white, though their sex remains undetermined. The cubs are the result of successful mating in late Feb between Mousumi and Rajesh, a normal-coloured tiger.Both parent tigers were born at Nandankanan, with Mousumi born ...Read More >
Chennai: Madras high court has clarified that private self-financing medical colleges are required to pay only a stipend, and not a full salary, to in-service govt doctors pursuing postgraduate or super-specialty courses under the govt quota.A division bench of Justice R Subramanian and Justice K Surender passed the order while partly allowing a batch of appeals moved by Karpaga Vinayaga Medical College and others. They challenged a single judge's order that directed private colleges to pay salaries to in-service doctors studying in their institutions.The appeals were moved based on a GO dated ...Read More >
Pune, July 15 (PTI) As many as 14 deer have died over the last four to five days in the Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park in Pune due to unidentified reasons, officials said on Tuesday. A Pune Municipal Corporation veterinary officer said authorities are examining various possibilities including infection through the deer feed to identify the cause behind the fatalities. He said medical reports are awaited to understand the details. "Bucks are drying every day since the last four to five days. On Tuesday, no fresh fatality was reported. The death toll so far is 14," a civic official said without ...Read More >
Kolkata, India: India is considering releasing snakes and crocodiles along its frontier with Bangladesh, the Border Security Force said Wednesday, as New Delhi seeks to stave off unauthorised crossings. Senior Border Security Force officer Manoj Barnwal told AFP that "the use of reptiles" was discussed in a February meeting with the Home Ministry. "We have been asked to explore the feasibility of deploying reptiles such as snakes or crocodiles in vulnerable riverine gaps," said Barnwal, deputy inspector general of the paramilitary force based in Kolkata, near the border with Bangladesh. "Th ...Read More >
Officials clarified that the idea is still at an exploratory stage and has not been implemented. The Border Security Force (BSF) has directed its field units to examine the feasibility of deploying reptiles such as snakes and crocodiles in vulnerable riverine stretches along the India-Bangladesh border to deter infiltration and criminal activity. A signal sent from the BSF headquarters on March 26 to all field units along the Bangladesh border, said the "use of reptiles is in line with Home Min ...Read More >
Pilibhit (UP), Jul 15 (PTI) A day after a farmer was killed by a tiger in Fulhar village of Pilibhit district, forest officials said on Tuesday that their team was tracking the animal and it would be captured as soon as the conditions are favourable. Dayaram, 39, was mauled to death by the tiger in his field in Bari Phulhar village, the sixth tiger attack in two months in the region. According to the forest team engaged in tracking the tiger, the animal also attempted to attack its personnel, though fortunately no serious injuries occurred. The tiger was last spotted near Auraiya village, l ...Read More >
Locals say it's an over-a-century-old tradition ShowQuick Read Summary is AI-generated, newsroom-reviewed * Hundreds gathered at Singhia Ghat in Samastipur for the Nag Panchami fair * Devotees carried snakes during rituals along the Budhi Gandak riverbank * Prayers were offered to Mata Vishhari, the local snake goddess Did our AI summary help? Let us know. Hundreds of devotees gathered at Singhia Ghat in Bihar's Samastipur this week to participate in the Nag Panchami fair, a traditional e ...Read More >
New Delhi, November 7: The National Zoological Park (NZP) would reopen for visitors on Saturday ending a two-month break forced by the outbreak of influenza in an enclosure, an official said on Friday. The Delhi Zoo official informed that usual safety and preventive measures shall be followed after its re-opening for visitors. The NZP was closed for visitors on August 30, 2025, after the report of positive case of avian influenza virus in water bird aviary on August 28, said the official in a statement. All prescribed bio-safety and surveillance guidelines issued by the competent authorities ...Read More >
New Delhi, Apr 6: The Border Security Force (BSF) is studying the feasibility of releasing crocodiles and snakes in the "vulnerable" riverine gaps along the India-Bangladesh international border to curb illegal infiltration and cross-frontier crimes. The plan was discussed during a meeting at the force's headquarters in Delhi on February 9. Following this, field units along the 4,096-km front were asked to provide their opinion, officials said on Monday. According to data provided by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), about 856 km of this frontier remains unfenced, owing to difficult geogra ...Read More >
KOLKATA -- India is considering releasing snakes and crocodiles along its frontier with Bangladesh, the Border Security Force said Wednesday, as New Delhi seeks to stave off unauthorized crossings. Bangladesh is almost entirely encircled by India and the border stretches for more than 4,000 kilometers (2,485 miles), large parts of which are unfenced across delta regions where Himalayan rivers wind toward the sea. Senior Border Security Force officer Manoj Barnwal told AFP that "the use of reptiles" was discussed in a February meeting with the Home Ministry. READ: India to fence entire borde ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: Indian customs officers in Mumbai said they have stopped a plane passenger arriving from Thailand with a wriggling cargo of live snakes, the third such seizure this month. "Customs officers... foiled yet another wildlife smuggling attempt, 16 live snakes... seized from passenger returning from Thailand," said customs officers in the airport in the Indian financial hub. Advertisement The passenger, who arrived on Sunday, has been arrested, the customs agency said in a statement, with "further investigation underway". The live snakes included reptiles often sold in the pet trade, a ...Read More >
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Forest officer G S Roshni, known for rescuing over 800 venomous and non-venomous snakes during her nearly eight-year tenure with the Kerala Forest Department, made her first king cobra rescue on Sunday -- a massive 14-15 feet specimen -- from a stream near Peppara.The daring operation, which took her only a few minutes, was captured on video and quickly went viral, drawing both praise and criticism online.One person commented in the video that women who get scared by lizards and cockroaches should learn from her.Another person said -- "Big salute ma'am. I don't see anyone s ...Read More >
MUMBAI: Four young gharials -- fish-eating crocodiles known for their long, slender snouts -- have found a new home in the 'Croc Trail' section of Byculla Zoo. The juveniles, under four years old and about two feet long, were brought from the Bhagwan Birsa Biological Park in Ranchi, Jharkhand, as part of a long-awaited animal exchange programme. In return, the Mumbai zoo sent eight cockatiels -- four white and four grey -- to Ranchi, confirmed zoo director Sanjay Tripathi. The exchange, finalised this year after nearly five years of negotiations, aims to revive the zoo's ageing gharial popula ...Read More >
KOLKATA - India is considering releasing snakes and crocodiles along its frontier with Bangladesh, the Border Security Force said on April 8, as New Delhi seeks to stave off unauthorised crossings. Bangladesh is almost entirely encircled by India and the border stretches for more than 4,000km, large parts of which are unfenced across delta regions where Himalayan rivers wind toward the sea. Senior Border Security Force officer Manoj Barnwal told AFP that "the use of reptiles" was discussed in a February meeting with the Home Ministry. "We have been asked to explore the feasibility of deploy ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar, Jun 8 (PTI) A white tigress in Nandankanan Zoological Park here gave birth to two cubs including a white one, the authorities said on Sunday. The two cubs were born inside the enclosure of the tigress named 'Mousumi' at 9:15 pm and 11:03 pm on Saturday. A zoo official said the sex of the cubs could not be determined immediately since they are with their mother. With the arrival of the new cubs, Nandankanan zoo's tiger population increased to 29 - 17 males, 10 females and 2 cubs. Of them, 19 are normal coloured tigers, six are white and four are melanistic (commonly known as bla ...Read More >
Jaipur: The Gurjar community in Rajasthan blocked the Delhi-Mumbai railway track for almost two hours after the Mahapanchayat of the community called by the Gurjar Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti at Pilupura in Bharatpur on Sunday. Although the Mahapanchayat ended with accepting the proposed draft sent by the state government on the demands of the community, but soon after this, the situation changed, and a mob led by some youth reached the nearby Delhi-Mumbai railway track, stopped a passenger train and removed the fishplates of the track. The youth leading the mob were not ready to accept the pr ...Read More >
CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Forest Department has issued a public alert and launched an awareness drive in several villages along the Old Kollidam River after crocodiles were sighted in the region following heavy water discharge from the main Kollidam River. Teams led by Forest Range Officer Vasanth Bhaskar, Forester Panneerselvam, and Forest Guard Anbumani visited villages including Velakkudi, Agaranallur, and Pazhaiyannallur on Saturday to warn residents and distribute pamphlets outlining safety measures. The officials went door-to-door, cautioning people against entering canals, ponds, or low ...Read More >
India is considering releasing venomous snakes and crocodiles into its river border with Bangladesh as an alternative to building a physical barrier along parts of its eastern frontier. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's nationalist party has ploughed significant resources into building a fence along the 4,000km border with Bangladesh, but around 20pc remains largely open. Of the 850km unfenced stretch, about 175km is considered unsuitable for a physical barrier due to marshy terrain and the risk of ...Read More >
Bhopal: A search by the Meghalaya police in a flat of father-in-law of Shalom James, an Indore-based property dealer arrested on charges of destroying evidence in the killing of Raja Raghuvamsi allegedly by his wife Sonam during their honeymoon in Shillong last month, in Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh, has yielded a laptop, a pen drive, jewelry and incriminating documents, believed to be belonging to the couple, sources said on Monday. The search was conducted in the flat of Manoj Gupta, father-in-law of James, on Sunday following inputs received during the interrogation of the latter, a crime bran ...Read More >
KOLKATA: India is considering releasing snakes and crocodiles along its frontier with Bangladesh, its Border Security Force said on Wednesday, as New Delhi seeks to stave off unauthorised crossings. Bangladesh is almost entirely encircled by India and the border stretches for more than 4,000 kilometres, large parts of which are unfenced across delta regions where Himalayan rivers wind toward the sea. Manoj Barnwal, an official of the Border Security Force, said "the use of reptiles" was discussed in a February meeting with the home ministry. "We have been asked to explore the feasibility of ...Read More >
Mumbai: In a major wildlife trafficking bust, a 34-year-old man from Chennai was arrested by Customs officials at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport for allegedly smuggling 16 exotic snakes into the country. The accused, identified as Goodman Linford Leo, was intercepted on Friday night after he landed in Mumbai from Bangkok. Officials said a routine baggage scan revealed suspicious contents inside Leo's luggage. Upon further inspection, Customs officers discovered several cotton bags containing 16 live snakes, including rare and exotic species. Among the reptiles were ...Read More >
Kerala: Forest Beat officer, G.S. Roshni of Paruthipalli range is receiving praise on the Internet for her brave service of rescuing a giant, 18-foot-long King Cobra from the residential area of Kerala. King Cobra was spotted in the water stream nearby Anchumaruthumoot, Peppara region in Thiruvananthapuram by locals who were bathing. In a viral video, the forest officer can be seen attempting to capture the snake. Her brave stint is grabbing attention on the social media. The video was posted by X user @Rajan_Medhekar, he wrote, "Forest Beat Officer Roshni of Paruthipalli Range did not flinch ...Read More >
Pune, July 15 (PTI) As many as 14 deer have died over the last four to five days in the Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park in Pune due to unidentified reasons, officials said on Tuesday. A Pune Municipal Corporation veterinary officer said authorities are examining various possibilities including infection through the deer feed to identify the cause behind the fatalities. Also Read | UP Custodial Death: 65-year-old Man Dies in Police Custody in Sant Kabir Nagar, Family Alleges Foul Play. He said medical reports are awaited to understand the details. "Bucks are drying every day since the last fou ...Read More >