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Based on data from the Noah's Ark National Biological Diversity Database, managed by the General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Türkiye is home to 3 phytogeographical regions: Euro-Siberian, Mediterranean and Irano-Turanian. Acting as a natural bridge between Asia and Europe, Türkiye hosts a wide variety of ecosystems, including forests, mountains, steppes, wetlands, coastal, and marine areas, due to the rapid variation in
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 >
Ludhiana: As International Plastic Bag Free Day is observed on July 3, rising use of plastics, including plastic bags, are posing an unprecedented threat to bird population. Ornithologists and conservationists are sounding urgent alarms about the growing menace of plastic pollution -- that is choking habitats, contaminating food chains, and pushing several bird species to the brink of collapse.Plastic has turned into a long-lasting hazard in natural ecosystems. Each year, over 400 million tonnes of plastic are produced globally, and a staggering amount finds its way into the open environment. ...Read More >
Itanagar, Apr 4: Researchers have identified three previously unknown species of rove beetles in Arunachal Pradesh, highlighting the state's vast yet underexplored insect diversity. The study, published recently in the journal Soil Organisms, documented three new species under the genus Megalopinus - Megalopinus arunachalensis, Megalopinus mithun, and Megalopinus micros. The findings were the result of a collaborative study conducted by scientists from Rajiv Gandhi University (RGU) at Doimukh near here, and the University of Tubingen in Germany. The research team included Hiren Gogoi, Tagam ...Read More >
In a groundbreaking conservation effort, a large-scale underwater cleanup at Sindhudurg’s coral reefs removed 300 kg of marine debris, marking a significant step in protecting the fragile ecosystem. Organized by environmental groups, the Maharashtra Forest Department, and local divers, the operation targeted harmful pollutants like fishing nets, plastic, and glass bottles. The cleanup, which took place over two days, aims to restore coral health by removing debris that suffocates corals and disrupts marine life. The initiative, supported by local communities, sets the stage for further efforts ...Read More >
Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], July 13 (ANI): In a unique initiative, the Research wing of the Uttarakhand Forest Department has initiated a program of reintroduction of rare and endangered plant species to their old natural habitat. Initially, the program has taken up 14 such plant species which are in the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as endangered or critically endangered or in the list of threatened plant species of the State Biodiversity Board and later on, it will be extended to more such species. Sanjiv Chaturvedi, Chief Conservator of Forest (R ...Read More >
New Delhi, Sep 15 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Monday said there was "no contravention of law" while accepting a clean chit given by its special investigation team to Vantara, the zoological rescue and rehabilitation centre in Gujarat's Jamnagar. A bench of Justices Pankaj Mithal and P B Varale took the SIT's report on record besides noting the probe team's satisfaction on the compliance and regulatory measures in Vantara. The top court on August 25 constituted a four-member SIT headed by a former apex court judge while hearing two PILs alleging irregularities against Vantara on the basis of r ...Read More >
MUMBAI, Oct 31 -- Indian customs officers have arrested a plane passenger after discovering two endangered gibbons stuffed inside a checked bag, the latest animals seized from smugglers at Mumbai's airport. One of the tiny apes from Indonesia was dead, while the other, in a video shared by Indian Customs, was seen cradled in the arms of an officer, softly hooting before covering its face with its arm. Customs said the passenger, who had travelled from Malaysia via Thailand, was given the rare apes by a wildlife trafficking "syndicate" for delivery in India. Officers acting on "specific inte ...Read More >
Kendrapara (Odisha), Feb 16 (PTI) Migratory birds of the trans-Himalayan region have started their homeward journey from Bhitarkanika National Park in Odisha's Kendrapara district after a four-month-long winter sojourn, a forest official said on Monday. More than 1.52 lakh feathered guests of 106 species had flocked to the Bhitarkanika wetland sites this year to avoid the harsh winter, Rajnagar Mangrove (wildlife) Forest Division assistant conservator Manas Das said. Every year, birds fly thousands of miles to Bhitarkanika to escape the severe cold conditions in northern Asia and some centra ...Read More >
Srinagar, June 7: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, on Saturday, congratulated the University of Kashmir for getting an A++ grade in the NAAC inspection. The Lt Governor extended his heartiest congratulations to the Vice Chancellor, faculty, staff, and students of the University of Kashmir for attaining the prestigious A++ Grade by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), and securing an outstanding Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 3.68 on a seven-point scale. Calling it a proud moment for J&K UT, the Lt Governor said, "The A++ Grade places the Un ...Read More >
MADURAI: Likening the custodial murder of Ajith Kumar in Tiruppuvanam to an 'organised crime by police where the state kills its own citizens,' Madras high court lambasted the Tamil Nadu police and said the action against the perpetrators should be more stringent than in normal murder cases.A division bench of Justice S M Subramaniam and Justice A D Maria Clete pointed to 44 external injuries on the person of Ajith Kumar and said no part of the body was spared by the delinquent cops. "Even an ordinary murderer would not have inflicted such kind of injuries," the bench said on Tuesday.The natur ...Read More >
VISAKHAPATNAM: In a first for any zoological park in Andhra Pradesh, the Indira Gandhi Zoological Park (IGZP) in Visakhapatnam has successfully hatched 27 bird chicks through artificial incubation, while seven others were hatched naturally. The chicks belong to five bird species, including Blue Gold Macaw, Lutino Parakeet, Peach-Faced Lovebird, Red Junglefowl, and Indian Peafowl. The zoo's veterinary team, including one senior veterinarian, one conservation biologist, and two paravets and animal keepers, carried out the work. Among the 34 chicks, three Lutino Parakeets and four Peach-Faced ...Read More >
MUMBAI: The lush green mangroves that largely remained untouched in Gorai and Dahisar will now be part of mangrove parks. The one in Gorai is likely to open on November 15, while work is still underway in Dahisar. Apart from the mangrove parks, the project in Gorai will also feature an integrated tourism hub with a Vintage Car Museum, a Wax Museum, and a Historical Event Museum. The Mangrove Cell is developing the mangrove parks, while the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) is de ...Read More >
Kolkata, June 28: A political slugfest has erupted in West Bengal after a woman accused Padma Shree awardee monk Kartik Maharaj, who is posted with the Murshidabad unit of Bharat Sevashram Sangha, of allegedly raping her 12 times for six months in 2013. As per the police complaint lodged by the woman, Kartik Maharaj raped her multiple times 12 years ago promising her a job at a local school. The ruling Trinamool Congress is highlighting the issue in a major way and accusing the BJP of being silent on it since the accused monk had been reportedly close to the saffron party. The woman accusin ...Read More >
Guwahati: A new tree species belonging to the Garcinia genus has been discovered in Assam, adding to the region's botanical richness. The newly identified species, Garcinia kusumae, has been named in honour of Kusum Devi, the late mother of Jatindra Sarma, a noted botanist and Chairman of Assam's State Expert Appraisal Committee under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge! The discovery has been detailed in the latest issue of Feddes Repertorium, a peer-reviewed journal focused on plant taxonomy ...Read More >
Bengaluru: Exploring scientific solutions to reduce human-elephant conflict across Karnataka, the forest department Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) for landscape-level conservation of Asian elephants. Renowned ecologist and elephant expert from IISc, Prof Raman Sukumar, and Karnataka chief wildlife warden Prabhash Chandra Ray signed the commencement of the Rs 4.7-crore project, fully funded by the forest department.Admitting an increa ...Read More >
SAMBALPUR: Debrigarh wildlife sanctuary has reported a significant rise in the population of Indian Bison (gaur) with their number increasing to 788 from 659 in just six months. According to the latest census conducted by the Hirakud Wildlife division, the sanctuary is now home to 788 gaurs including 315 juveniles and 128 newborns, indicating the robust breeding and healthy herd dynamics of this Schedule I species. The census was carried out from May 11 to 13 through a three-day direct counting exercise involving 73 units and 147 personnel. It used 122 camera traps and 130 permanent inspecti ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jun 7 (PTI) Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Saturday dismissed Congress leader Jairam Ramesh's criticism regarding the Delhi Zoo's proposed agreement with the Reliance Group's Gujarat-based wildlife facility, saying such collaborations are routine and aimed at improving animal care and management practices. "Some people have made it a habit to create doubts in the mind of the public at every instance," Yadav said on X in response to Ramesh's remarks. He clarified that the National Zoological Park (NZP), also known as the Delhi Zoo, had signed a memorandum of understa ...Read More >
Jaisalmer, Jun 7 (PTI) To honour the armed forces following Operation Sindoor, a special tribute is taking shape in the border state of Rajasthan - rare Great Indian Bustard (GIB) chicks born under a conservation project in Jaisalmer have been named after key officers and significant milestones linked to the operation. Names like 'Sindoor', 'Atom', 'Mishri', 'Vyom', and 'Sophia' now resonate through the conservation centres at Sudasari and Sam, where science, strategy and national pride are working together to revive one of India's most endangered bird species. "By giving these chicks these ...Read More >
'Turtle Walker', a documentary directed by Taira Malaney, is set for its Indian debut at the International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala. The film explores Satish Bhaskar's mission to save sea turtles from extinction in the 1970s, backed by notable filmmakers like Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti. 'Turtle Walker', an award-winning documentary by Tiger Baby and Emaho Films, is gearing up for its Indian premiere at the 17th International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala on ...Read More >
Setting up the SIT under former judge Justice J Chelameswar, the apex court had on August 25 called for a report on a number of issues, including the acquisition of animals from India and abroad, particularly elephants, and compliance with the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, and rules for zoos. The Supreme Court on Friday said the Special Investigation Team (SIT) inquiring into the affairs of Vantara - the wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centre launched by Reliance Foundation in Gujarat's J ...Read More >
Sikandar ka Muqaddar Controversy: A scene capturing the flamingos in the recently released Netflix movie has stirred a new row among environmentalists. As per a Free Press Journal report, the greens have alleged that the flamingo shot was captured from a close angle purportedly via a drone. The complaint was made to the Mangrove Cell with a request to take the issue in cognizance legally with the Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner, NRI Coastal police station and CIDCO. A part of the NatConnect Foundation's complaint stated that during the timeline 1:03:44 to 1:03:54 in the movie, a shot captured ...Read More >
Kolkata, Jan 10 (PTI) Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) scientists identified a new pangolin species which diverged from the Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) around 3.4 million years ago, the organisation said in a statement on Friday. The ZSI said the discovery of the Indo-Burmese pangolin (Manis indo-burmanica) sheds light on the evolutionary diversity of pangolins, likely influenced by dramatic geo-climatic changes in the region, one of the world's biodiversity hotspots. The study, led by Mukesh Thakur of the ZSI, used cutting-edge genomic tools to analyse mitochondrial genomes. "Thi ...Read More >
Jaipur (Rajasthan) [India], June 29 (ANI): Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene in saving Jaipur's Dol Ka Badh forest from destruction. The Rajasthan government plans to convert the forest into a commercial hub, featuring a Prime Minister's Unity Mall, a Fintech Park, and hotels, which would involve cutting down approximately 2,400 trees. Sanjay Singh, in a letter to PM Modi, mentioned that the project is against the 'ideology' of PM Modi's 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' mission and would harm the natural form and ecological balance of the area, exacerbat ...Read More >
ITANAGAR, 1 Jul: Forest officials in Arunachal Pradesh have discovered a new species of flowering plant, Begonia nyishiorum, in the high-altitude forests of East Kameng district. The species was documented during a challenging expedition by the Seppa Forest Division. Its discovery was recently published in the prestigious international journal Novon: A Journal for Botanical Nomenclature, on 23 June. Named in honour of the Nyishi tribe, the plant stands out for its unique crimson-fringed petioles, an identifying feature not seen in any other Asian begonia, sources in the state Forest Departme ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jul 3 (PTI) The Environment Ministry has strongly rejected allegations by forest rights groups that it is attempting to "subvert" the Forest Rights Act (FRA), calling them a "gross misunderstanding of facts" and asserting that it remains committed to both environmental protection and the welfare of forest-dependent communities. In a recent letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, more than 90 forest rights organisations had accused the ministry of trying to undermine the FRA and demanded that Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav clarify his reported statement that the "FRA leads to ...Read More >
Guwahati: National Green Tribunal (NGT), in an interim order issued on Saturday, stayed the Assam govt's directive to divert 1,600 Assam Forest Protection Force (AFPF) personnel to assist the police during the upcoming assembly elections.The govt order, issued by the special chief secretary, had instructed AFPF staff to report to the additional director general of police by April 3.A two-member NGT Eastern Zone bench, comprising judicial member Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi and expert member Ishwar Singh, issued the interim stay in response to a petition filed by advocate Gaurav Bansal.Conservation ...Read More >
Sambalpur: The population of Indian Bisons (Gaur) in Odisha's Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary has increased to 788 from 659 in six months, a forest officer said. The authorities of the Hirakud wildlife division conducted the census from May 11 to May 13, this year and published the report Friday. As per the report, the total number of Indian Bison in the wildlife sanctuary was 788, which includes 315 juveniles (less than 2 year old) and 128 newborns (less than 3 months). Of the total bison population, 315 (40 per cent) are juvenile. For the first time, the census of Indian Bisons was conducted ...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 >
India has launched an investigation after an endangered tigress and her four cubs were found dead in a protected forest in the southern state of Karnataka, an official said Friday. State forest minister Eshwar Khandre said the "unnatural" deaths were "extremely tragic and distressing" and that an investigation team had been formed. Local media reports said forest officials suspected poisoning. The tigress had reportedly killed a cow days earlier, and poison may have been laced into the carcass ...Read More >
Namsai (Arunachal Pradesh) [India], July 9 (ANI): Arunachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein has launched the Nadi Utsav 2025 at Namsai in a bid to conserve aquatic life and restore fish populations in the river systems. As part of the initiative, 30,000 fingerlings of various fish species, including Rohu, Catla, Mrigal, Grass Carp, Labeo Gonius, and Labeo Kalbasu, were released into the Marua, Teang, and Namtenga rivers on Tuesday. The release also included endangered local freshwater species such as Pavi, Pahum, and Palao, with the goal of restoring their populations in the riveri ...Read More >