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(September 27, 2018) Incidences of leopard scare as also attacks on humans and retaliatory killings of the carnivore are on the rise in parts of India. Experts suggest a few management solutions to handle the issue, based on their experience in the districts of Maharashtra.How best to conserve wildlife, including large carnivores like leopards? This is a global debate. One school of thought argues that protected areas – national parks and wildlife sanctuaries – with no human inhabitants offer the only ho...

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(September 22, 2018) On this World Rhino Day, a little positive hope for the Rhinos in India© Kalyan VarmaOnce upon a time, the Great One-horned Indian Rhinoceros proudly roamed all the way from Pakistan to the Indo- Burmese border. By the starting of the 20th century though, hunting and poaching had reduced their number to just about 200 across India and Nepal. With the help of stricter laws and intensified protection, the numbers stand roughly around 3400 today.Dudhwa National Park in Uttar Pradesh, a mix lan...

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(September 19, 2018) MEET OUR STAFF: K S LOKESH, Associate ConservationistLokesh has been beaten and chased from the forest. But he is one survivor who has learnt how to deal with the rigours of his job and emerged successful.He has stayed in the tribal settlements deep inside the  forest at night, roamed around, to be precise. And he is no forest dweller. He has been chased, not by animals, but by opponents, those who resisted moving the tribal people outside the forest."Today, we have done more for the tribal...

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(September 15, 2018) Joining the diversity that the small town celebrates, the tribal resettlement centres here offer its residents opportunities to join the mainstream of society.Nagarahole National ParkAs you leave the small Hunsur town and get onto the road leading to Nagarahole Tiger reserve, the town slowly metamorphoses into a pan-Indian, semi-global village. You will see boards on either side of the road announcing various ‘colonies’. A Tibetan colony, a HakkiPikki (nomadic group) colony, Marathi,...

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(September 11, 2018) Connecting Kaziranga National Park to Htamanthi Wildlife Sanctuary in Myanmar through Nagaland is a long-term project initiated, which has major implications for wildlife.From working to secure wildlife corridors between various states or regions, to aiming for connectivity between national borders is a big leap. But a natural leap worth taking, for the connectivity expert and scientist duo from Wildlife Conservation Society, India. Dr. Varun Goswami and Dr. Divya Vasudev are working on a long-t...

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(September 07, 2018) We named our first female leopard after Lakshai. I hear it is a different way of using the name Laxmi. She was a worker in the Forest Department nursery at Sugaon, Akole.Her fair face was creased with lovely smile lines that only rural people seem to have. But she had a frightening effect on her male co-workers.Lakshai, the Woman Friday at Akole, after whom the leopard was named. ©Vidya AthreyaThe Sugaon nursery is an ideal workplace. Beautifully set on the banks of the river Pravara, a tri...

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(September 04, 2018) MEET OUR STAFF: Gopalakrishne GowdaGrowing up in the parched and drought-prone district of Kolar, Karnataka, Gopalakrishne Gowda harboured a fascination for rivers. Kolar has long grappled with acute water shortages, and consistent droughts and famines, and continues to struggle with these issues. Having observed such difficulties up close is perhaps what ingrained Gowda’s resolve to protect and preserve the forests and rivers that flourished around him – a mission that he has pursue...

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(August 31, 2018) Relations that have stood the test of time and survivedOn a lazy hot afternoon, in the sprawling grasslands of Koppal, Pushpamma heard the dogs bark. She turned around to see the guard dogs being rounded into the corner by a herd of wolves, while one wolf managed to grab a sheep and run. The others followed suit quickly and the dogs chased  but couldn’t save the sheep from the agile wolves.Shepherds with their guard dogs © Meghana SankaFor generations, the wolves  and the sh...

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(August 28, 2018) Most people think they are dogs. Or jackals. Not many spare them more than a cursory look. But dholes have fascinated the author who believes he has dhole luck!© WCS - India ArchivesGo to tiger reserves and chances are you will see jeeps full of bored-looking teenagers desperately searching for signal on their smartphones, and a few eager to see tigers. All other wildlife is commonly ignored by most. Weren't we the generation that grew up watching Jungle Book on DD-1, where the tiger was de...

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(August 24, 2018) Read about a chance encounter during a trek, an unexpected reaction and a quick move that helped save a pangolin.After a couple of showers, the summer heat had come down a bit. It was a rainy morning on March 16th, 2018 and I was working in my farm when my cousin called me and suggested we go for a trek up our gudda (hill in Kannada). After some discussion we decided to trek around noon. I had a quick lunch and reached my...

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