Here’s this week’s Conservation Bulletin. We curate media, popular and science articles that celebrate successful conservation stories, address some of the most pressing issues facing conservation today and discuss possible solutions among other things. We hope you enjoy reading and learning from the following stories just as we do.
1. Three carnivorous species – leopards, wolves and hyenas – have been found sharing space with human beings in the semi-arid areas of Pune district outside national parks and wildlife sanctuaries. Hyenas have been spotted in the Pune-Ahmednagar, Pune-Solapur, Jejuri, Saswad, Morgaon and Baramati areas of the district. Read more here.
© Hindustan Times
2. India has lost $127.3 billion (Rs. 8.3 trillion) in the last 60 years to invasive alien species, making the South Asian nation the second most invasion-cost bearing country after the United States, a study has said. Researchers say that simple tweaks to national policies and setting up institutions to exclusively deal with invasive species as a biosecurity issue, both from research and management perspectives, would go a long way. Read more here.
©Mongabay
3. Here is a short film that will give you a glimpse into our work in the urban landscape of Mumbai and the ongoing telemetry project that is helping us understand a little bit about the secretive life of these fascinating animals.
4. Conservation in transboundary areas is already challenging because of physical barriers, like fences and walls, as well as non-physical ones, such as different legal systems or conservation approaches between countries on either side. Changes in climatic factors such as temperature and rainfall are likely to mean that, for many species, suitable habitat may be in a different place than it is now — and in many cases, this could be in a different country. Read more here.
© Mongabay
5. The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) is to redesign the ongoing road-widening project between Marappalam and Ooty in the Nilgiris district to ensure free movement of wild elephants. Read more here.
© Economic Times
6. Gujarat’s Banni grasslands are home to 40 species of grasses that support a variety of wildlife, from the endemic spiny-tailed lizard to migratory birds that make their way here after the monsoon transforms dry tracts into lush wetlands. But a woody invasive plant, Prosopis juliflora, is encroaching much of the grassland, resulting in the loss of habitat and resources for the Indian desert fox, an open habitat species. This could potentially impact the conservation status of this already range-restricted species in India. Read more here.
© Mongabay