BHUBANESWAR: The back-to-back casualties of Irrawady dolphins, hit by the propellers of boats, has prompted the Wildlife Wing of Forest Department to plan a core area which could give the mammals a safe haven.

Three dolphins have been found dead in Satapada during the December-January period, the peak tourist season. In all cases they fell victim to propellers of motorised boats.

BERHAMPUR: With the onset of winter, feathered guests from Siberia, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and central Europe have started arriving in the picturesque Nalabana Bird Sanctuary in the Chilika lake. The twittering of the avian species started last week and since then over 20,000 birds have descended on the Nalabana island so far, according to the wildlife sources.