Cattle grazing, movement of humans help spread disease

Wild animal populations of Kerala are at risk of contracting foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), which may prove fatal. The outbreak is most likely to affect ungulates, wildlife experts say.

Four years of scientific expeditions have found previously unknown animals and plants in world's largest tropical rainforest

Perceived As A Threat To Elephant Habitats; Task Force Report Pointed To Fraudulent Clearances Being Granted To These Projects; Green Crusaders Welcome HC Directive

Climate change, rather than humans, may have been responsible for driving the woolly mammoth to extinction, according to a new study.

The study by British and Swedish researchers analysed DNA samples from 300 specimens of woolly mammoths collected by themselves and other groups in earlier studies. Scientists, led by Dr Love Dalen of the Swedish Museum of Natural History, found that the species nearly went extinct 120,000 years ago when the world warmed up for a while. They believe their numbers dropped from several million to tens of thousands, but recovered as the planet entered another Ice Age.

The Gangetic River Dolphin, Asian Elephant, Pangolin and Dugong (sea cow) are among some of the most endangered species from India that feature in the Evolutionary Distinct and Globally Endangered

Over 2,000 Fires Reported, Many Were Deliberate, Says State Forest Department

As many as 2,420 fires spread through 24,000 hectares of the state’s forest area in 2012-13, resulting in an estimated loss of Rs 19 lakh, the latest statistics available with the state forest department showed. In the previous year, they consumed 72,247 hectares. On an average over 42,000 hectares caught fire annually between 2005 and 2013, and the burning, in many cases, was intentional, officials said.

Borders of Sri Lanka's World Heritage Site, Sinharaja rainforest reserve have been expanded to add over 2000 hectares of land to the forest, the Land and Land Development Ministry said today.