Guest guest Posted November 1, 2009 Report Share Posted November 1, 2009 Forwarded by /wwfindia on 11/01/2009 06:36PM ----- Gita Warrier/wwfindia 10/30/2009 05:05PM NatureNews Oct, 2009 *NatureNews * Oct, 2009 *WELCOME to NatureNews from the Library & Documentation Centre, WWF-India, New Delhi.* *NEWS* *Environment - General* *Ministry releases guidelines to sustain Himalayan ecology. *Recognizing the importance of the Indian Himalayas as a unique repository of biodiversity, and as part of the official mission for sustaining the Himalayan ecosystem, the Union ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) has released guidelines on this. It is called ‘Governance for Sustaining Himalayan Ecosystem: Guidelines and Best Practices’. It will form a key input into the mission, as it covers a wide variety of issues like urbanisation, tourism, water security, energy, forest management and infrastructure. “The mission, whose details are under preparation, aims to scientifically study the impact of climate change on the Indian Himalayas and is likely to be finalised in a few months and then go to the PM’s council. This mission is a part of India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change,” said Jairam Ramesh, the minister for environment and forests, while releasing the report. For more: http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/ministry-releases-guidelines-to-sust\ ain-himalayan-ecology/371701/ *Himalayan ecology deteriorating dangerously: Bahuguna. *Chipko Movement founder Sundar Lal Bahuguna has expressed concern over the depleting water resources in the Himalayas and called for concrete steps to protect them from further damage. Kick-starting his “Save Himalaya” campaign, Mr. Bahuguna appealed to the people to save the pristine resources which, he said, were under a grave threat and “if something is not done now, it will be difficult to save them.” Austerity, alternative resources and afforestation were the best ways to save the environment. “There is nothing like [the] Himalayas as far as the permanent sources of water are concerned. But its ecology is deteriorating to dangerous levels. We need to raise our concerns about this serious issue,” he said. “We have to save [the] Himalayas for safeguarding water resources for our progeny. They will otherwise curse us.” On heavy militarisation near these water resources, Mr. Bahuguna said he was aware of the problem. “I am trying to collect information regarding this to sensitise politicians and policymakers. I will raise my voice against such issues. But the youth and the media also have a role to play.” For more: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/09/03/stories/2009090356862000.htm *Indo-Bangla move to get Sunderbans in wonders of world list.* India and Bangladesh will work together to have the Sunderbans, which stretches across both countries, listed as the new seventh wonder of the world. Both the countries will work jointly for ensuring that the Sunderbans gets into the final list of the seventh wonder of the world, Bangladesh Minister for Forest and Environment, Hasan Mehmud, said after a meeting with West Bengal Chief Minister, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee. The Sunderbans was ahead in getting into the final list among the seventh wonder of the world, he said. Echoing him, the Chief Minister said, “we will collaborate with Bangladesh in ensuring such a distinction for the Sunderbans.” For more: http://beta.thehindu.com/news/international/article36219.ece# *Climate Change & Energy* *Melting Himalayan glaciers endanger all of South Asia.* Reports indicate that the melting of the Himalayan glaciers is threatening the kingdom of Bhutan, the impacts of which will adversely affect the entire South Asian region. According to a report, glaciers in the Himalayas are retreating faster than in any other part of the world and they could disappear completely by 2035. This puts the mountainous nation of Bhutan at a special risk. In an area smaller than Switzerland, it has 983 glaciers and 2,794 glacial lakes, some of which have burst to produce deadly glacial lake floods. A nation without even its own helicopter, Bhutan lacks the resources to combat global warming. It is carrying out the work at Thorthormi glacier with the help of money from various international donors. For more: http://beta.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/article37572.ece# *Bangalore to have world class research institute on climate change. *India will demonstrate to the world that “we are serious about climate change” through a set of new initiatives — the first being the setting up of a world class institute to carry out research on climate, global warming and its impact on the economy and environment. Union Minister for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh said that the “National Institute for Research on Climate and Environment” would help build India’s own capacity for measuring, monitoring and modelling climate at a time when most information on global warming was derived from the West. The institute would use space-based and ground-based observation systems to create an indigenous “nucleus” for research into all issues relating to climate, including the impact of climate change on aspects of the economy such as agriculture and water, Mr. Ramesh said. The institute would be a joint initiative of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Union Ministry for Environment and Forests (MoEF). For more: http://www.hindu.com/2009/10/19/stories/2009101959901000.htm *No change in Indian stand on climate change, says Jairam Ramesh. *Under criticism for a new proposal that suggests a shift in India’s climate change policy, Jairam Ramesh, Minister of State, Environment and Forests said his recent communication to the Prime Minister was totally distorted. “India’s interests alone should drive the negotiations, and legally binding emission cuts and international verification [of India] are non-negotiable. [but] there is no harm in having discussions on other issues,” he said in response to a news report that quoted Mr. Ramesh’s letter to the Prime Minister as suggesting that India walk out of the Kyoto Protocol and the G-77 group of developing countries, with which it has so far been allied. In his letter, Mr. Ramesh, in fact, suggested that India “not stick to G-77 alone” since it was now embedded in G-20. “India’s interests and India’s interests alone should drive our negotiations. India must be seen as pragmatic and constructive, not argumentative and polemical.” For more: http://www.hindu.com/2009/10/20/stories/2009102056480100.htm *Climate change: India to sign treaty with SAARC nations.* Marking a shift from its earlier position of staying within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Changes, India now appears ready to collaborate with various countries on climate change. On top of the list are the US, China and Japan. In a bid to present itself as a leader on climate change issues in the SAARC region, India is set to sign a treaty on environment with SAARC countries, the draft text of which is ready. India has also discussed the possibility of a bilateral co-operation with Japan on thermal technology which cuts down on greenhouse gases. Minister of Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh met Japanese Environment Minister Sakihito Ozawa on the issue. For more: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/climate-change-india-to-sign-treaty-with-saarc\ -nations/530661/0 *Global warming: Yaks moving to higher altitudes.* Even as the world talks about melting of ice in the Arctic, the Antarctic and the Himalayas, one animal species — yak or Bos grunniens — is already beginning to bear the brunt of global warming — be it in the Northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh or in the Ladakh region of Jammu & Kashmir. While the yak population is declining sharply, the animal is being gradually pushed up the Himalayas, with scientists fearing that the time is not far away when there will be no more “comfort zone” left for it to survive. Only four states in India have yaks — Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. Arunachal’s yak population has almost halved, from about 13,000 in 1997 to about 7,000 in 2003. In Himachal, it has come down from 6,000 to 2,000 in 10-12 years. Sharp population decline has also been reported from Sikkim and J-K. “It’s a serious case of impact of climate change and global warming. Farmers are increasingly reporting that their animals are unable to bear the rising temperature in altitudes that were comfort zone for centuries,” said K P Ramesha, senior scientist with the National Research Centre on Yak (NRCY), the only centre of its kind in the country. For more: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/global-warming-yaks-moving-to-higher-altitudes\ /530658/0 *Jhelum melting at alarming speed: Study.* Kashmir’s biggest glacier, which feeds the region’s main river, is melting faster than other Himalayas glaciers, threatening the water supply of tens of thousands of people. Experts say rising temperatures are rapidly shrinking Himalayan glaciers, underscoring the effects of climate change that has caused temperatures in the mountainous region to rise by about 1.1 ºC in the past 100 years. The biggest glacier in Kashmir, the Kolahoi glacier spread over just a little above 11sqkm, has shrunk 2.63sqkm in the past three decades, the study said. “Kolahoi glacier is shrinking 0.08sqkm a year, which is an alarming speed,” said the study, presented at a workshop in Srinagar. The three year-long study was led by glaciologist Shakil Ramsoo, assistant professor in the department of geology at the University of Kashmir. The Kolahoi glacier is the main source of water for Kashmir’s biggest river, the Jhelum, and its many streams and lakes. For more: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/global-warming/Jhelum-meltin\ g-at-alarming-speed-Study/articleshow/5118223.cms *'We cannot stop climate change'.* " If someone thinks that different groups could come together and stop climate change, it would be the biggest myth, " said Mike Hulme, professor of climate change, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK. " At the most we can mitigate the effects, " he said. Hulme was talking to DNA before a talk on climate at the British Council Library in the city. Mike Hulme criticises the conventional climate change wisdom, when he says, " No matter how much it is hyped, the Copenhagen Climate Conference scheduled in December, this year, will not yield the desired results. " According to him, environmentalists and some non governmental organisations with global presence have unusually high expectations from the conference. He feels that if the governments in developing countries take care of welfare of the public and focus on providing basic amenities like food, water, proper sanitation rather than spending time and funds on implementing measures to mitigate effects of climate change, it will be more beneficial for the people and planet. For more: http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_we-cannot-stop-climate-change_1296181 *Marine & Oceans* *Gangetic dolphin is National Aquatic Animal. *The docile, friendly and graceful Ganges River Dolphin is now India’s National Aquatic Animal. The Centre accepted Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s request for according the endangered species this status. The Ganges River Dolphin is an endemic species of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna river systems, extending from the foot of the Himalayas to the tidal zone in India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan. The return of the dolphin in increasing numbers in the Ganga would be the “one and only yardstick” to gauge the success of the Rs 15,000-crore ‘Mission Clean Ganga’ project, Environment and Forests Minister Jairam Ramesh said. Dolphins do not respond to captive breeding. “The presence of dolphins in a river is symbolic of a healthy ecosystem. The fresh-water dolphin, found in the rivers originating from the Himalayas, is only one of its kind besides those in the Amazon river in South America,” Dr RK Sinha, an internationally-renowned Patna-based expert on dolphins who is also popular as ‘Dolphin Sinha’ by virtue of decades of work on the species, told The Pioneer. For more: http://www.dailypioneer.com/207148/Gangetic-dolphin-is-National-Aquatic-Animal.h\ tml * * *Wildlife & Endangered Species* *Tigers fast dying out despite campaigns: Experts.* The world's tiger population is declining fast despite efforts to save them, and new strategies are urgently needed to keep the species from dying out, international wildlife experts said. " We are assembled here to save tigers that are at the verge of extinction,'' Nepal's secretary of forest and soil conservation, Yuvaraj Bhusal, told a conference of tiger experts from 20 countries, including the 13 where wild tigers are still found. An estimated 3,500 to 4,000 tigers now roam the world's forests, down from the more than 100,000 estimated at the beginning of the 20th century. All the remaining tigers are in Asia. Participants at the conference, which also includes the World Bank, the World Wildlife Fund and other groups, plan to discuss strategies for tiger conservation, as well as challenges such as poaching, the trade of tiger parts and conflicts between tigers and local populations. For more: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/Tigers-fast-dyin\ g-out-despite-campaigns-Experts-/articleshow/5169093.cms *Endangered Species List Released.* The Ministry of Environment and Forests has issued a notification under the Biological Diversity Act (2002) and released a revised list of endangered species in Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Kerala. The National Biodiversity Authority has issued alerts to protect 13 animal species and 26 plant species threatened with extinction in Kerala, the state with the most number of threatened species in the list. Uttarakhand comes next, with 16 plant species and 15 animal species, while Himachal Pradesh has eight plant species and Uttar Pradesh has just one plant species threatened with extinction. For more: http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Endangered+species+list+rele\ ased & artid=zDLcvN/e8fk= & SectionID=1ZkF/jmWuSA= & MainSectionID=fyV9T2jIa4A= & Sectio\ nName=X7s7i|xOZ5Y= & SEO=# *Wildlife Institute’s tiger census throws up more surprises. *The latest method of tiger census by Wildlife Institute of India (WII) is throwing up surprises. It was earlier reported that Rajaji National Park had 24 tigers. By photo-mapping, this figure has come down to 10-12 tigers. A recent report published by the Wildlife Institute of India also states that tiger density in Corbett Reserve is the highest nationally. Will the new method show a great disparity in the tiger count? On the other hand, 66 tigers’ death in eight months scream at the headlines, but once we read the story further, four States stand out for the highest number of deaths; Maharashtra with 7, Assam, Karnataka and our own Uttarakhand with 6 each. With 46 instances of man-animal conflicts, and leopards being shot and skins caught, have we solved the problem? Considering the fact we only had 166 tigers in the entire State at the last census, death of 6 is a very high figure, the problem will only aggravate in the coming days. Some of the death can be attributed to poaching, for which we are taking remedial measures, but there are other reasons as well, and one of them could be territorial fights, as also, pressure from human habitation and that is really likely to be a serious problem, as it takes time to sort out this complex issue. Is 166 tigers a low or a high density some thing to be proud of considering the fact that we have nearly 64 per cent of our State under forest cover? The fact remains that we have classified our forests into various categories thus the National parks, Rajaji and Corbett are well protected, the reserve forests not so well protected and the poachers now operate on the fringes close to villages where the law enforcement is lax and the animals are easy prey. To my mind the current census may give a different figure than last year but man- animal conflict is only increasing with leopards which shows that all is not well inside the jungles and we need to take steps to protect the animals as statistics of protected and supervised areas are showing. The current density is rather low and we need to take steps to increase the same. For more: http://www.dailypioneer.com/209655/Wildlife-institute%E2%80%99s-tiger-census-thr\ ows-up-more-surprises.html *Getting serious about saving the wild tiger. *For too long, conservationists have been able to pit little more than their passion for nature against the immense power of economic self-interest that drives nature-destroying development and sustains illegal markets for vanishing species. It is time for a total reinvention in national park management, provision of top science and technology to tiger conservation landscapes, and sustained political will to stop the bleeding. Despite more than 30 years of conservation initiatives in the 13 Asian tiger range countries and around the world, tiger numbers have continued to decline. There were about 35,000 tigers living in Asian forests in the 1960s — so few that the tiger was declared endangered and programmes were begun to protect them and their habitats. Today, there are no more than about 3,500 of these majestic big cats left. All of our best efforts — and there are some tiger conservation initiatives such as Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s *Project Tiger* of the 1970s — merely made the downward slope a bit less slippery rather than stem the tigers’ downfall. For more: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/10/23/stories/2009102355120900.htm *Wildlife corridor in Uttarakhand faces trouble.* A narrow patch of forest, critical for movement of tigers and elephants in Nainital district of Uttarakhand, has been blocked due to an infrastructure project resulting in a serious man-animal conflict, conservation organisations said. The narrow patch of forest across the Gola river near Lalkuan area is the only critical corridor for movement of tigers and elephants between Terai Central and Terai East forest divisions. With the destruction of this vital corridor the entire Terai Arc Landscape stretching from the Yamuna river near Saharanpur in the west to the Bagmati river near the Chitwan National Park in Nepal in the East has been divided into two zones. The destruction of this corridor has affected free movement of wild elephants, thereby increasing crop damage and human killing on both sides of the corridor, said a joint statement issued by the Corbett Foundation, Wildlife Protection Society of India, Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) and Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF)-India. For more: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/Wildlife-corrido\ r-in-Uttarakhand-faces-trouble-/articleshow/5029841.cms *Tiger crisis due to State-sponsored ‘game hunting’. *With Union Environment and Forests Minister Jairam Ramesh declaring 2010 as the Year of the Tiger, some ghosts about the depletion and near-extinction of the big cats need to be dug out from the “tiger State’s” not so distant past. While poaching, infighting and retaliation by affected people have been repeatedly cited as causes of the fast depleting tiger population, systematic State-sponsored extermination of the big cats has never figured as a reason. According to notifications issued by the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department, hundreds of tigers were “allowed” to be killed till as recently as 1972. The notifications clearly state that permission was given out under the colonial practice of game-hunting for “destruction of flesh-eating carnivores”. For more: http://www.hindu.com/2009/10/06/stories/2009100656650700.htm *Crimes against wildlife tabulated for better action* . The planning related to wildlife conservation in the country might get a clear direction now, since the first national level database on wildlife crime has been compiled and completed. National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) which is the head organisation for wildlife conservation has got the crime figures compiled in collaboration with a private agency TRAFFIC-India. The copies of the database were handed over to the members of NTCA. " It does not only talk about tiger mortalities or extent of wildlife crime but also contains clear guidelines for wildlife conservation, " said Rajesh Gopal, member secretary, NTCA, New Delhi. The states with tiger ranges and field directors of all 28 tiger reserves will have access to it. The country never before had a full-fledged national-level database on wildlife crime which always made it difficult to assess the extent of crime. " This one contains the figures as old as it can get and we will keep updating it with time, " said Gopal. For more: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/city/lucknow/Crimes-against-wildlife-tab\ ulated-for-better-action/articleshow/5099571.cms *The heat is on Himalayan yaks.* The next time you go for a yak ride or pose for a photo with a shaggy animal at tourist-frequented Kufri, remember: the rare animal has become a victim of crass commercial exploitation. Right outside a Kufri wildlife park, many yak-owners cash in on district licensing authority's apparent apathy towards the long-haired bovine's sad plight. For Rs 20, you can get a picture clicked with a yak, also called camel of the snow. These rare animals die within the same year they are brought to Kufri because this tourist destination is at a much lower altitude than what is naturally suited for yaks, which is around 10,000 feet to 18,000 feet. For more: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/The-heat-is-on-H\ imalayan-yaks/articleshow/5140354.cms *Man-elephant conflict intensifies along Bhutan border.* Areas bordering Bhutan in Udalguri district now resemble a battle zone amidst an escalating man-elephant conflict, with disturbing consequences for both. A spurt in the conflict has claimed the lives of six elephants this year, with the past one month alone witnessing the death of three elephants. Equally damaging has been the fatality on the human side, with about eight persons trampled by elephants in the past one year. In what has assumed the form of a vicious cycle, marauding herds of elephants looking for food inflict heavy damage on crops, with the villagers – whose sustenance is agriculture – indulging in retaliatory killing, mainly through poisoning and electrocution. At the root of the problem, however, lies the growing depletion of elephant habitat, and corridors that had once ensured contiguity of forest belts necessary for uninterrupted migration of the pachyderms. For more: http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/details.asp?id=oct0609/at02 *Rare albino black bucks spotted near Thol.* They are the whites among a host of blacks. Two rare male albino black bucks were spotted close to a village grassland near Thol Sanctuary by wildlife enthusiasts of the city. Both were spotted among a group of 50 black bucks while they were grazing. The black buck is protected in India by the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. Albinism is a rare trait among animals caused due to lack of colour genes. An albino animal rarely survives in the wild. A group of amateur wildlife enthusiasts Dr Rajal Thaker, Aditya Rao, Vidyut Thaker, Deep Pathak and Kalgi Patel were on a nature excursion near Thol bird sanctuary when they spotted the rare animals. Rao said, " We saw a group of around 50 black bucks. But what caught our eyes were the two male albino black bucks, completely white in colour, generally referred as white deers. It is a rare sighting of two albinos in the black buck group. " For more: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/city/ahmedabad/Rare-albino-black-bucks-s\ potted-near-Thol/articleshow/5087691.cms *Cheetah existed in M.P. till 1970? *Even as the Central Government has been making efforts to re-introduce Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) into forests by bringing it from Iran and South Africa, documents obtained from the Forest Department of Madhya Pradesh suggest that the animal, officially declared extinct from India in 1952, might have been around in the State till at least 1970. The documents, which are actually notifications issued by the State Government for the colonial practice of “game hunting”, suggest that the government could have been a party to the animal’s extinction. According to the notifications (copies of which are with *The Hindu* ), the forest department allowed the killing of over 50 Cheetahs across various forest circles. For more: http://www.hindu.com/2009/10/05/stories/2009100556150700.htm *Insects* *Now open: A home for butterflies in Lodhi Gardens.* Delhi's famed green spot, the Lodhi Gardens, is all set to host hundreds of colourful winged residents. The New Delhi Municipal Council has developed a butterfly conservatory in the gardens where Delhiites will be able to spot at least 24 species of these attractive insects. The conservatory is expected to help boost the dwindling butterfly population in the city. Spread over an area of three acres, 51 new species of larval host plants have been planted in the conservatory. Many of these plants, such as Murraya exotica, Grewia asiatica and Lantana camara, have been brought from outside Delhi for attracting butterflies. Other such conservatories are being planned in gardens like the Nehru Park. Said director horticulture, NDMC, Subhash Chandra: " We wanted to create a natural habitat conducive for butterflies. So we planted trees, shrubs, climbers, grasses and herbaceous plants which provide food and shelter to butterflies during the various stages of their life cycles. It will be an open air conservatory as these plants attract butterflies. " For more: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Now-open-A-home-for-butterflies-in\ -Lodhi-Gardens/articleshow/5140162.cms *More than 190 butterfly species sighted in Waynad dist.* More than 190 varities of butterflies, including rare species such as Baronet, were sighted in Waynad district of Kerala during a recent survey on the flying insects. Fifty two species of skippers, 34 speciies of blues, 17 varities of swallow tails, 23 pierids and 66 types of Nymphalids were found during the survey, conducted in 14 locations in the district by state Wild Life Department in association with Hume Centre for Ecology and Wildlife Biology, a district based research organisation. " As much as 334 species of butterflies have been spotted in the Western Ghats and recording nearly 200 species in a three-day survey is evidence of a healthy habitat of butterflies in the region " , E KunhiKrishnan, Professor, Department of Zoology, University College, Thiruvananthapuram, said. For more: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/More-than-190-bu\ tterfly-species-sighted-in-Waynad-dist-/articleshow/5049183.cms *Three new species of legless amphibians found in northeast. *Three new species of legless amphibians have been discovered from forests in Manipur and Nagaland by researchers led by Delhi University Associate Professor S.D. Biju. The team’s find, published in the latest issue of *Zootaxa* (an international journal of zoological taxonomy), is unique as two of the new species have moustache-like stripes on the upper lip not found in caecilians reported from any part of the world before, a university release said. Worldwide more than 170 species of caecilians (which are one among the three orders of amphibians known as Gymnophiona) have been reported so far. In northeast India, only four of these species were known to exist. The new find takes the number of known legless amphibians in this region to seven. For more: http://www.hindu.com/2009/10/21/stories/2009102157962200.htm *Wetlands, Rivers, & Water* *2020 target for Clean Ganga mission. *The National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) approved an ambitious project to prevent the discharge of untreated municipal sewage and industrial effluent into the Ganga by 2020. An estimated investment of Rs. 15,000 crore over the next 10 years will be required to create the necessary treatment and sewerage infrastructure for the ‘Mission Clean Ganga.’ The resources will be provided by the Centre and States over a 10-year period to be shared suitably after consultations with the Planning Commission. Briefing reporters after a two-hour long meeting of the Authority, chaired by the Prime Minister, the Minister of State (Independent charge) Environment and Forests, Jairam Ramesh, said innovative models for implementation such as special purpose vehicles would be adopted. The government is also negotiating with the World Bank for procuring $1-billion long-term loan for the purpose. The World Bank has already approved a $3-million loan for project preparation, Mr. Ramesh said. For more: http://www.hindu.com/2009/10/06/stories/2009100659681000.htm *Birds* *Common birds vanishing due to changing urban landscape. *The changing urban landscape of Assam has apparently made an impact on the natural world. Several species of birds – a common sight in places like Guwahati, Dibrugarh and Silchar – are in the middle of a disappearing act. It appears ironic, considering the fact that most towns and cities of the State had once been exceptionally blessed with avifauna, with some highly endangered species finding habitable space. “Till a couple of years back, it was not difficult to spot thirty species within the confines of a city like Guwahati,” said Hilloljyoti Singha of Aaranyak, a biodiversity conservation group. In recent times, however, birds like common sparrow, some types of mynah, storks, owls and orioles have been noticed less frequently by bird watchers as well as ornithologists in and around the expanding cities. The reason: a sudden transformation of the landscape with which the birds simply cannot adapt. A master of survival, the crow seems to be the lone exception as its numbers seem to hold steady. For more: http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/details.asp?id=oct0109/City3 *200 vultures sighted near China border.* At a time when the vulture population has all but disappeared -- 99% of India's four crore vultures have died in the last three decades -- the sighting of around 200 bearded variety of the species in Lahaul-Spiti, Himachal Pradesh, comes as a ray of hope for wildlife enthusiasts. Around 200 of these vultures are spread around the rocky mountains of cold desert area that includes some parts of China. Indian vultures have all but vanished because of feeding on dead livestock that were administered an anti-inflammatory drug called diclofenac that increased the working life of cattle by reducing their joint pain. For more: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/200-vultures-sig\ hted-near-China-border/articleshow/5066367.cms *Predator in danger.* The decline of vultures has been the fastest among many other species. Their near-extinction in past one decade, ever since 40 vulture deaths were reported from Rajasthan in 1997, has made vulture-conservation a raging national issue. In Uttar Pradesh, all six species of vultures -- white-backed, long-billed, slender-billed, griffon, king vulture and white scavenger -- are found. Of these, three commonly found species -- white-backed, slender-billed and long-billed -- have suffered catastrophic declines in less than ten years' time. Once being the most abundant species, these three species are now the rarest protected under schedule (1) of the Wildlife Protection Act which makes them the most endangered and threatened among all vulture species. For more: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/Predator-in-danger/articleshow/5\ 113687.cms *Black Tern sighted in Surendranagar.* With winter setting in, a rare and vagrant migratory tern called Black Tern was sighted in the marshy wetland of Surendranagar. It was identified and photographed by Dr Ketan Tatu, senior scientist, Gujarat Ecological Education and Research (GEER) Foundation. This bird migrates from Europe, or north or central Asia and it is not black despite its name. Moreover, it looks quite similar to the more commoner resident-migrant tern, that is Whiskered Tern and another species called White-Winged Black Tern. According to Tatu, there are chances of the Black Tern being overlooked or getting misidentified. Only careful observation will reveal the important identification clue that distinguishes it from other similar-looking tern species. He said the dark patches on either sides of Black Tern’s neck are this identification. Such dark patches are absent in other species. Black Tern also has a head pattern that is different. Tatu not only spotted this identification clue but took photographs showing this clue, thus removing any doubt about the occurrence of this tern in Gujarat. He had sighted this tern in 1991 while doing his doctorate on Nal Sarovar, but could not take pictures. Black Tern is a bird of marshy habitats and breeds in small colonies on freshwater marshes, muddy grasslands, sedge-covered lakes and on shores of slowmoving streams or rivers. This species is migratory and travels both over land and sea. Globally, it is also known to breed in North America and in tropical Africa. It is a vagrant species for countries like Iceland and India. In India, it is rare and earlier its reliable sightings have been recorded only once in Delhi and Point Calimere. For more: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Vagrant-Black-Tern-sighted-in-\ Surendranagar/articleshow/5113399.cms *Migratory birds start arriving at Orissa's Chilika Lake.* Birds that migrate from Yakut in Siberia during winters have started arriving at Chilika Lake in Orissa and local wildlife authorities have started setting up several camps to protect them from poachers, a senior official said. “Nearly 1,000 migratory birds have arrived in Chilika. We spotted several Northern Pintails and Flamingos,” Chilika Divisional Forest Officer Bimal Prasanna Acharya told IANS. “We have already set up 12 camps in villages near the lake to protect the birds from hunting. We have also planned to set up eight more camps during next few days. Each camp is led by a forest official,” he said. “Last year, we had deployed only 17 forest guards but this year 18 more forest guards recruited recently by the government have also been deployed to take care of the birds,” he said. For more: http://beta.thehindu.com/news/states/other-states/article36111.ece *‘Extinct’ crow found again.* Ornithologists have discovered a critically endangered crow, known to science only by two specimens described in 1900, on a remote, mountainous Indonesian island. The Banggai Crow was believed by many to be extinct until Indonesian biologists finally secured two new specimens on Peleng Island in 2007. Pamela Rasmussen, a Michigan State University assistant professor of zoology and renowned species sleuth, provided conclusive verification after studying the two century-old specimens known as *Corvus unicolour* in New York’s American Museum of Natural History. For more: http://beta.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/article34305.ece *Gita Warrier* *Library & Documentation Officer* *WWF-India, 172B Lodhi Estate,* *New Delhi.* -------------- Take the lead on climate change See the World in a whole new light Join Earth Hour * 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm on 28th March 2009** **www.earthhour.in *<http://wwfindia.net/mail/sghosh.nsf/iNotes/Mail/www.earthhour.in> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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