Rains and hailstorms lashed the state of Rajasthan killing 12 people and damaging Rabi crops in the last 24 hours, officials said today.

The decision to reduce penalties under Rajasthan Forest (amendment) Act, 2012 by the cabinet on Thursday has opened backdoor entry for mine mafias to grab depleting forest land.

Heavy rain lashed several places on Tuesday with at least 5 districts witnessing flood-like situation due to excessive rain in the past one week.

To revive the population of big cats in Sariska national park in Rajasthan's Alwar district, one tigress will be relocated there tomorrow from Ranthambore national park, state forest and environmen

JAIPUR: Residents of Pink City woke up to the coldest morning of the season on Monday when the city recorded a minimum temperature of 2.3 degrees Celsius, almost 5 degrees below the normal minimum. In most places of the state, shivering cold conditions threw life out of normal gear with Churu recording minus 2.7 degrees and Mount Abu recording minus 0.5 degrees - the two most coldest places in the state.

The two places were followed by Pilani which recorded a minimum temperature of minus 1.4 degrees Celsius, Karauli 0, Sriganganagar 0.4, Vanasthali 0.8, Dausa and Rajsamand 1.5, Bharatpur 1.9, Fatehpur 2.1, Bikaner 2.6, Chittorgarh and Sawai Madhopur 2.8, Bundi 3, Udaipur 3.2, Pali 3.6, Sikar 3.8, Jaisalmer 4, Kota 6.2 and Jodhpur 6.9 degrees Celsius.

Jodhpur: The vulture population at two most important congregation sites of the bird (which is now endangered) in the state is going down. One site is in Jodhpur, where vultures, especially migratory ones, are decreasing due to unavailability of carcasses; while the second site is in Bikaner where these birds die after being crushed under trains.

Jodhpur’s Keru was once a favourite spot for both resident and migratory vultures, since it was a dumping ground for carcasses on which the vultures could feed.

A mutilated, maggot-eaten carcass of a tiger was recovered the Gilai Saga-Khadar area of the Ranthambore tiger reserve in Sawai Madhopur district on Sunday morning.

With loss of habitat and rising incidents of human-bear conflicts plaguing the sloth bear population in Rajasthan, the state government has drawn up an ambitious conservation plan for the nocturnal

JAIPUR: It was the end of a long wait for tourists, hoteliers, tour operations and the entire town of Sawai Madhopur as the gates of Ranthambore National Park was opened for tourists on Wednesday morning. Excitement was palpable as the first vehicle moved into the green forest.

According to sources, nearly 16-17 gypsies and four canters went in for safari in the morning as well as the evening. However, currently all tickets for safari are being given on current bookings. The facility for advance bookings will be activated from Thursday. And this time a lot of changes have been made in the rules for advance booking so as to ensure that no black-marketing of tickets take place.