Ivory, weighing 35.7 kgs, seized
BANGALORE: Raw ivory, weighing about 35.7 kgs and accounting for 12 elephants in the age group of five to 16, has b een seized near Nanjanagud in Karnataka's Mysore district, police said today.

Kaziranga National Park in grip of flood
GOLAGHAT, July 27: The flood situation in the State has remained grim, with more than three lakh people having been affected so far in ten districts.

850 greater adjutant storks found in State
GUWAHATI, July 26: The State can take pride in the fact that out of about 1,000 global population of greater adjutant storks, about 850 are found here, said Dr Prashanta Kumar Saikia, of Department of Zoology of the Gauhati University.

Forest cover in Dhemaji district dwindles
DHEMAJI, July 24: Officially there are nine reserve forests in Dhemaji district. But these hav e been virtually reduced to open fields and human habitations by the encroachers and corrupt o fficials. On one hand, legal and illegal felling of trees are going on and on the other, tree plantati on schemes are not properly implemented.

Tusker found with bullet injuries
COIMBATORE: An elephant was found lying with bullet injuries at Veerakkalpalayam in Karamadai forest range on Thursday evening, forest department sources said t oday.

Snow leopard could save mountain biodiversity
KATHMANDU: The woman in the picture is attired in a luxurious fur coat and hat. The distinctly spotted pelt is that of a snow leopard's - that elusive and endan gered species found in the mountains of central and south Asia. ''A coat like th at would probably cost $60,000-80,000 in a big shop,'' said Dr Rodney Jackson as he recently made a presentation on the status of his favorite subject, reports PTI.

Efforts to check forest fires to be taken: CM
AIZAWAL: Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga today said that concerted and coordi nated efforts would be taken to fight forest fires in the state next summer. Int ervening during question hour in the assembly, Zoramthanga admitted that forest fires had destroyed large tracts of greenery in the state during this summer due to lack of coordination among different departments and NGOs, reports PTI.

Peacock in peril in Rajasthan, says PFA
JAIPURE: The national bird "peacock" is faced with a serious threat to its survi val in parts of Rajasthan as it is allegedly being killed by tribals who feed th em with poisoned grains, warns a wildlife organisation "People For Animals". rep orts PTI.

Himachal seeks Rs21.75crore aid for wildlife sanctuaries
NEW DELHI: Himachal Pradesh today sought Rs21.75 crore special grant from the ce ntre to improve the conditions of wildlife sancturies in the state. State forest minister Roop Singh Thakur raised the issue in a meeting with Union minister of state for forest and environment Suresh Brabhu here, reports PTI.

Habitat development in bird sanctuary
CHENNAI, JULY 21. Extensive habitat development work had been undertaken in Kara ivetti-Vettakudi bird sanctuary located in Ariyalur taluk of Perambalur district , according to Mr. Shekar Kumar Niraj, Wild Life warden and District Forest Offi cer, Nagapattinam.

Kilodeath threat to Indian flora
NEW DELHI: If conservation measures are not taken swiftly, several parts of India may soon witness ``kilodeaths'' of plant species. Experts warn that this, in turn, will not only cause grave ecological damage, but also leave the country bereft of the basic raw material for the imminent biotechnological revolution in the next century.

WWF brings out guidelines for estimating wild tiger populations
DEHRA DUN: The pugmark technique is the simplest and most effective of all the techniques that are used for estimation of population of various wild animal species in India. According to Wildlife Institute of India (WII) director S.K. Mukherjee, the ''pugmark'' technique, though simple, is also a demanding one as it works on certain levels of skills acquired through constant practice.

Modernised weapons for forest officials soon: Minister
COIMBATORE: The Centre has given consent to purchase sophisticated weapons for the forest officials in Tamil Nadu, state forest minister, Pongalur N. Palanisamy said today.

Forest resources in Assam dwindle
GOLAGHAT, July 11: The forest resources in the State have dwindled during 1994-1999 with valuable forest products, mainly the trees of rare varieties such as, titasopa, lali, bonsom, gamari, gandkoroi etc, felled down illegally by the miscreants who have not only encroached upon the forest lands but also destroyed the forest products.

Migratory birds skip Manipur lakes
IMPHAL, JULY 12. Sarus cranes, ducks and other migratory birds which used to visit the Loktak lake, the biggest natural lake in eastern India, during winter have moved over to Myanmar and other South-East Asian countries.

Tahr population at Mukurthi park up
UDHAGAMANDALAM: There is an increase in Nilgiris tahr population at the Mukurthi National Park according to a census conducted recently.

'Forest guards were killed by poachers'
DHARMAPURI, JULY 12. The three forest guards, who were reportedly kidnapped by the forest brigand Veerapan were shot dead and burnt by elephant poachers at Akkamalai Sandhu in the Hognekkal forest range, police said.

Red panda cubs born in captivity in Sikkim
GANGTOK, July 8 - The birth of two cubs of the endangered red panda for the first time in 'captivity' at the Himalayan Zoological Park here has given the much-needed pep to the special project of captive breeding of the animal.

Plea for NE forest policy
SHILLONG, July 8: A separate forest policy for the North Eastern region should be formulated and implemented taking into consideration the complexity of issues on forests in the region. The recommendation has emerged from a seminar on "Forest resources in North East India - problems and prospects" organised here recently by the North East India Council for Special Science Research, Shillong.

Deforestation causing siltation in Brahmaputra
GUWAHATI, July 8: Heavy siltation in the northern bank has threatened the entire southern bank of the river Brahmaputra right from Sadia to Dhubri, said the Flood Control Minister, Sri Promode Gogoi.

Soft-shelled turtles facing extinction in Meza dam
JAIPUR: An endangered species of soft-shelled turtles commonly called 'Chatal' is facing extinction due to large-scale poaching by local tribesmen following drying of Meza dam in Bhilwara district, a wildlife group has warned.

Plan to conserve dolphins mooted
TUTICORIN, JULY 8. Even as the riddle over the recent mass mortality of dolphins on the shores of the coastal village of Vellapatti in Tuticorin district continues, the Fisheries College and Research Institute (FCRI) here has decided to evolve a two- pronged strategy for conservation of endangered species, particularly dolphins, in the Gulf of Mannar (GoM) region.

Illegal animal trade posing grave threat to internal security
NEW DELHI: India's rich bio-diversity is "suffering a full-blown assault on its wildlife sanctuaries and national parks as rare animals are being hunted down illegally to fund guns and explosives for militants".

National parks: Notification trouble
Sometimes good intentions backed by the highest court of the land can have disastrous results.

Using treated tannery effluents for afforestation
VELLORE, JULY 5. An afforestation project financed by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) to cultivate non-consumable crops with treated tannery effluents as the main source of irrigation is coming up on a nine-acre plot provided on lease by the State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu (SIPCOT) in the SIPCOT industrial estate at Ranipet.

Importance of Joint Forest Management stressed at workshop
DEHRA DUN: Chief conservator of forests (Garhwal) Madan Mohan Harbola has stressed the importance of Joint Forest Management (JFM) involving villagers of the hill region.

Doon-based NGO working in Corbett Tiger reserve in Kumaon
DEHRA DUN: ''Operation Eye of the Tiger-India'', a Dehradun based NGO, is running a programme in the Corbett Tiger reserve and its surrounding areas to reduce the dependence of neighbouring villages on the forest.

Freedom spells death for 3 black bucks
Meerut, July 1: An Allahabad High Court verdict had stated that black bucks of the Railway Deer Park of Hapur, in Ghaziabad district, would be provided with natural forest surroundings at the Wildlife Sanctuary.

Chilka lake be made free from aquaculture: All Party Meet
BHUBANESWAR: An all-party meeting on the Chilka Lake today was unanimous in its view that the entire lake should be made free from all forms of aquaculture including prawn cultivation and the Chief Minister Giridhar Gamang promised to enact a law for the management of the vast lake.

Rare, endangered species resurfaces
GANGTOK: A rare and endangered species of 'goat-antelope' or 'Takin' has resurfaced in Sikkim 'confirming' its existence for the first time in this part of the Himalayas, reports PTI.

Two snow-leopards born in Darjeeling zoo
SILIGURI: Two snow leopard cubs were born at Padmaja Naidu National Park in Darjeeling today, officials said here. Director of the park Debarata Biswas told PTI that the cubs Rambha (female) and Karna (male) were crossbreed of a Zurich male and American female imported in 1986 and 1988 respectively.

Red panda cubs born in Sikkim
GANGTOK: The rare breed of red pandas has gained in strength in Sikkim with the birth of two cubs at the Himalayan Zoological Park near here, a forest department official said.

Ban soon on prawn culture in Chilka lake
BHUBANESWAR, JUNE 27. The Orissa Government has decided to ban prawn culture in the Chilka lake. The decision comes in the wake of the recent agitation by the traditional fishermen demanding demolition of all types of ``gheris'' made in the lake for prawn culture.

Action plan prepared for Corbett and Dudhwa tiger reserves
DEHRA DUN: A Conservation Action Plan (CAP) has been drawn up for implementation in selected buffer areas of the Corbett and Dudhwa tiger reserves in Uttar Pradesh. The plan has been prepared by the Tiger Trust Society, a non-profit voluntary organisation which was formed in April 1997.

Elephant electrocuted in N. Bengal
JALPAIGURI: A wild elephant was killed when it came in contact with an electrical fencing surrounding an illegal corn field in Bandapani tea garden in Japaiguri district, officials said today.

Wildlife body acting against poachers
(Dehra Dun, June 23): Four days ago a leopard had been found trapped with a simple clutch wire in a protected forest outside the Rajaji National Park. The six-foot long leopard, considered quite an intelligent animal by normal standards, was noticed lying trapped in a nearly unconscious state by some women who had gone to fetch wood.

Wildlife body acting against poachers
(Dehra Dun, June 23): Four days ago a leopard had been found trapped with a simple clutch wire in a protected$ The six-foot long leopard, considered quite an intelligent animal by normal standards, was noticed lying trapped in a$ unconscious state by some women who had gone to fetch wood.

Chital population goes up by leaps and bounds in Mudumalai sanctuary
UDHAGAMANDALAM, JUNE 21. ``The wide variety of habitats provided to wild animals by the Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park,sprawling over 321 sq. kms., in the Nilgiris continued to be a healthy one,but any development activity, in or around the sanctuary and the park would have disastrous consequences, on the rare and endangered species of fauna and flora,in these places'', said Mr. A. Udhayan, Wildlife Warden, The Nilgiris.

Survey of dwindling sarus cranes tomorrow
NEW DELHI: Concerned over the tangible decline in the population of Indian sarus cranes, the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) will undertake a countrywide survey of the bright red head bird tomorrow, the longest day of the year.

Bengal rhinos get photo identity cards
Calcutta, June 18: Voters in West Bengal may be crying hoarse for their photo-identity cards, but the herd of$ the north Bengal forests seem to be luckier in this respect, especially their one-horn brethren.

'Sumatran rhinos may still be surviving'
GUWAHATI, June 14: A small population of the straggler Sumatran rhino, officially declared extinct in this part of the world, may still be surviving on the Indo-Myanmar border.

Threat to reserve forest brings villagers together
TINSUKIA, June 16: Unabated felling of trees and destruction of wildlife in Borajan reserve forest have caused concern to the people living on the periphery of the reserve. They held a meeting on May 30 last at Burha Dangaria LP School to initiate an action plan to save the reserve forest.

Plea for uniform rules on minor forest in NE
GUWAHATI, June 16: North-Eastern States should evolve a uniform set of rules on control of minor forest as well as agricultural products to facilitate tribal farmers to get reasonable price for their produce in a competitive market. The Managing Director of Tribal Co-operative Marketing Development Federation (Trifed), Sri N Ramji, today said due to presence of different sets of rules in different States of the NE region the Federation failed to work out a uniform policy for procurement of agricultural and minor forest produce for the region.

Gujarat to implement social afforestation action plan
GANDHINAGAR: Gujarat cabinet today decided to implement social afforestation action plan in the state. The action plan was prepared by the cabinet sub-committee headed by industry minister Suresh Mehta for planning the golden jubilee celebration of forest `Mahotesav' during the current year.

First environmental atlas of India in offing
CALCUTTA: The first ever environmental atlas of India, depicting her vast ecological resources and marking natural hazard prone areas, will soon be available in the market. The national environmental atlas, taking final shape at the National Atlas and Thematic Mapping Organisation (NATMO) here, will be of immense help for environmental workers and academicians, NATMO director Prithvis Nag told PTI.

Tiger may become extinct in MP, cautions NGO
BHOPAL: The Crusade for Revival of Environment and Wildlife (CREW), a non-government organisation, has in a report warned the Madhya Pradesh government that the state's tiger population could soon become extinct unless immediate measures were taken to curb poaching, loss of prey base and loss of habitat.

Fisheries faces grim prospect in West Bengal: Study
CALCUTTA: Fisheries in the country's largest fish producing state West Bengal face a grim prospect with its richest reserve, the Hooghly estuary, registering marked slump in yield due to 'alarming' overfishing in the last few years, a fresh study reveals, reports PTI.

Red-tapism scuttles international funding for green project
DEHRADUN: Bureaucratic apathy and government red-tapism seems to have successfully scuttled efforts of some international agencies to extend a Rs. five crore funding for the first time in India for medium-sized community forest management project drawn up by a Dehradun-based NGO. The project, a result of three years of intensive research by Rural Litigation and Entitlement Kendra (RLEK), an NGO, was shot down by the ministry of environment and forests despite approval by the global environment facility (GEF), reports PTI.

India to ban possession, transfer of animal articles
NEW DELHI: India will soon ban possession or transfer of wild animal articles and uncured trophies especially tiger skins and ivory, except by way of inheritance, to prevent registered stocks from entering the illegal market. Under the proposed amendments to the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972, no person, after the commencement of the act, shall acquire, receive, keep in his control, custody or possession, except by way of inheritance, or transport parts of any animals coming under the purview of the amended act, reports PTI.

Programme highlights forest conservation
CHENNAI, JUNE 9. In an effort to educate and create an awareness on the importance of forest and wildlife, a two-day ``sensitisation programme'' for the people of Theni area was held by the Kerala Forest officials a week ago at Thekkady.

Three face action in bird poaching case
GANDHINAGAR, JUNE 9: Taking a serious view of the poaching of rare birds at the famous Nal Sarovar sanctuary, the Gujarat Forest Department has decided to initiate action against three local staff members and transferred the administrative control of the bird sanctuary from the Gandhinagar Circle to the Ahmedabad Circle.

Rural economy, ecology to get a boost
NEW DELHI, JUNE 7. Two new schemes of the Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF) - bamboo development and quality seedlings - launched by the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, on World Environment Day are good examples of the Government's efforts towards ``twin eco- development'' - economy and ecology.

Save Western Ghats, urge green experts
MUMBAI, June 6: Environmental experts have called for the protection of the Western Ghats, one of the three `hot-spots' of biodiversity in India. The other two are the North-East and the Andamans and Nicobar Islands.

Green guards for guarding forests
NEW DELHI: Centre has proposed to constitute "green guards" in villages particularly surrounding Protec$ enable active involvement of locals in the protection and maintenance of forests.

Rare animals, birds being on sold in NC Hills
HAFLONG, June 1:The forest of North Cachar Hills District was once rich in flora and fauna, rare animal$ medicinal herbs, plants and rare species of tortoise in Hajong lake. But now, for wanton destruction of forests$ habitation, smuggling of timber and for unchecked jhum fire, the forest cover in hills, is rapidly diminishing.$ forest resources, including rare animals, are going to be extinct from NC Hills.

Six new tiger reserves planned
New Delhi, June 1 The Centrally sponsored Project Tiger scheme is to continue with the establishment and development of six new Tiger Reserves during the ongoing 9th Plan.

Lax laws, logging a threat to Mahasheer
ALIGARH: The endangered Mahasheer fish, which thrives in the Ramganga that cuts through the Corbett National Park, is now facing the possibility of extinction because of poaching in the northern boundary of the park and logging operations near the Lohachaur area of the reserve forest.

No takers for free saplings!
LUCKNOW: A week after the forest department advertised its readiness to supply saplings free of cost to individuals and organisations, not a single response has reached the department.

Elephant population at Kulidiha sanctuary shoots up
BARIPADA: The elephant population in the Kuldiha wild life sanctuary has gone up from 31 in 1994 to 41 this year, a recent census has revealed.

A blatant violation of wildlife protection law
BHOPAL, MAY 25. The manner in which provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act are being flouted in Madhya Pradesh is explicit from a case that has come to light concerning the Satpura National Park at Pachmarhi. The district authorities here have blatantly violated the wildlife protection law by allowing a non- tribal to purchase land from a tribal villager. The State Chief wildlife Warden has followed this up by vetoing the Park Director's initiative to question the acquisition of land by the ``new owner''.

Forest dept to keep lion cub
VADODARA, May 19: Vadodara District and Sessions Judge V K Mali on Wednesday overturned the Chief Judicial Magistrate's recent order asking the forest department to return a lion cub to the circus where it belonged. The cub has been at Indroda Park, Gandhinagar, since February 28; after today's order, it will continue to live there under the care of the forest department.

Ministry has green solution for Capital's pollution
NEW DELHI, May 19: The Ministry of Environment has identified trees that can help contain the city's growing air pollution. Age-old favourites -- Neem, Banyan, varieties of Peepal, Mango, Sheesham, Jamun, Ashok, Amla, Mahua, Silver Oak, Kachnaar and Jacaranada or `Neela Gulmohar' are high on the list, which contains 30 varieties of trees.

HP bid to save endangered herbs:
NEW DELHI: Fearing extinction of certain exotic species of medicinal and aromatic plants because of their being extracted by people under existing common rights, the Himachal Pradesh government is trying out a new endeavour involving scientific and commercial cultivation.

Ministry?s thrust: To regenerate forests
New Delhi, May 16 (Satyen Mohapatra) The Environment and Forest Ministry has planned to regenerate forests. The move is aimed at giving employment to millions of jobless youth. In an exclusive interview to The Hindustan Times, Union Environment and Forest Minister Suresh Prabhu said that the Ministry had decided to launch a Rs 2,000-crore bamboo plantation plan. The Minister stated that there was tremendous potential for ?value addition? in bamboo.

Large-scale tree felling at Abhoipur forest
SIVASAGAR, May 14 - With the lifting of the ban on tree felling in Nagaland, the reserve forest of Assam bordering Nagaland has been subjected to large-scale denudation by timber smugglers, reports UNI.

Political uncertainty puts vital green legislations in limbo
NEW DELHI: Political uncertainty has held up the passage of vital legislations like biodiversity bill and wildlife protection act but is not expected to hamper ongoing projects launched by the environment ministry.

Two arrested for killing Tusker
COIMBATORE: Two persons were arrested yesterday, for killing a tusker and decamping with its tusks in the forest areas near Pollachi recently, Forest Department sources said today.

Poachers kill four black bucks; flee
BAREILLY: The Derania police on Sunday seized a tractor-trolley laden with bodies of four black bucks near Richa town, 40 km from here. The poachers, however, fled under the cover of darkness.

Prime forest land given to farmers, violating SC and Centre orders
AMRITSAR: Prime land reserved for forestry in Ajnala sub-division of this district has been handed over to farmers in clear violation of the orders of the Supreme Court and the Union government, according to Amritsar circle forest officer Harbhajan Singh.

UP rolls out the red carpet for VIP rhinos
Lucknow, May 6 (Deepak Gidwani) The Uttar Pradesh Forest Department (UPFD) is busy pandering to a new bunch of VIPs these days. No politicians nor bureaucrats these. They are a troika of rhinos.

M-P Govt ?conniving with poachers?
Bilaspur, May 5 (Sam Kutty) A London-based group Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) in a report ?India?s Tiger Crisis? accused the Madhya Pradesh Government ?of conniving with poachers and having a callous approach to tiger conservation?.

Kerala sits on ACB report on forest scam; officials roam free
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, MAY 4: The Government is dragging its feet on the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau's recommendation to prosecute the current Principal Chief Conservator of Forests P K Suredranathan Achary and seven other top Forest Department officials in the multi-crore scam relating to the construction of 115 buildings in various Wildlife Sanctuaries during the UDF rule.

Threat to eco-system of Sambhar Lake
JAIPUR, MAY 2. Sambhar Lake, a wetland of international importance, and Ramsar site is facing threats to its unique eco- system. The saline lake, situated 70 kms west of Jaipur and spread over an area of 190 sq kms, is a site of neglect despite its special status and the recent mention in the ``Birdwatchers Guide to India''.

New wintering site of black-necked crane found in Arunachal Pradesh
A new wintering site of the black-necked crane, a globally endangered species, has been found in Zemingthang valley of Tawang district in Arunachal Pradesh by noted environmentalist Anwaruddin Choudhury.

Poachers `kill' stag in sanctuary :
MEERUT: Despite widespread resentment among the wildlife lovers and conservators, against spurt in poaching due to anti-wildlife attitude, adopted by the state government, yet another 4-feet-high stag (an adult male deer) was allegedly killed in the Hastinapur wildlife sanctuary, for antlers, on Sunday night by a gang of poachers. Stag is an endangered specie and is on the verge of extinction, according to a wildlife expert.