Study affirms State’s rich butterfly diversity

 

SARATH BABU GEORGE, 

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, The Hindu December 17, 2025

Kerala hosts the highest butterfly diversity among all Indian States along the Western Ghats, with 328 species documented, including 41 species endemic to the Western Ghats, according to a comprehensive new monograph published in ENTOMON, an open access quarterly journal by the Association for Advancement of Entomology.

The researchers of the study ‘The Butterflies (Lepidoptera, Rhopalocera) of Kerala: Status and Distribution’ have reported that the Western Ghats support 337 butterfly species and Kerala accounts for nearly the entire diversity.

The butterfly fauna of the State spans six families, led by Nymphalidae (97 species), Lycaenidae (96 species), and Hesperiidae (82 species), followed by Papilionidae, Pieridae and Riodinidae.

The study, undertaken by a team of researchers led by Kalesh Sadasivan, has also documented 36 migratory butterfly species to highlight the State’s role as a key corridor for seasonal butterfly movements. Notably, 22 species recorded from Kerala are included in the IUCN Red List, though most fall under the ‘Least Concern’ category, while two are listed as ‘Near Threatened.’

The monograph highlights that 70 butterfly species found in Kerala are protected under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Of these, only four species enjoy the highest level of protection under Schedule I, while the majority fall under Schedule II of the Act.

Significant

One of the most significant contributions of the work is the extensive larval host plant checklist which documents over 1,800 feeding records, including over 350 new field observations. Covering nearly 800 plant species, the list represents one of the largest region-specific compilations in India.

Another highlight of the quarterly publication lies in its significant taxonomic clarifications and reinstatements.

The authors present evidence-based revisions affecting several Western Ghats taxa, including the recognition of Argynnis hybrida and A. castetsi as distinct from their previously conflated forms, the clarification of Elymnias caudata as separate from E. hypermnestra undularis, and the separation of Abisara bifasciata suffusa from A. echerius prunosa.

Besides proposing species-level elevation for four Western Ghats butterflies, the monograph describes a new subspecies, Tajuria maculata sureshi ssp. nov., discovered in Kerala and named in honour of distinguished naturalist and wildlife filmmaker Suresh Elamon.

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Conservationists urge Governor to withhold assent to wildlife Bill

 

THE HINDU BUREAU, 

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, November 14, 2025

A memorandum by conservationists, legal experts, ex-bureaucrats and former forest officials has urged Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar to withhold assent to the contentious Wild Life Protection (Kerala Amendment) Bill, 2025.

The mass petition spearheaded by Coexistence Collective, a broad coalition of environmental organisations, has raised serious concerns over the Bill’s potential to undermine the State’s wildlife protection laws and disrupt the country’s ecological security.

Among the key points of concern, the proposed law allegedly contradicts provisions of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 (WLPA), specifically Section 11, which vests exclusive authority in the Chief Wildlife Warden for decisions on killing, capturing, and translocating wild animals. The proposed amendment would decentralise the power, allowing District Collectors and Chief Conservators of Forests to take decisions that fall outside the statutory framework established by the WLPA.

Without approval

According to the memorandum, the Bill has been introduced without the required approval from the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL). Since the Bill seeks to amend the Central Act, which is a law under the concurrent list, any State amendment that modifies or deviates from the particular law will have to be scrutinised by the NBWL or its Standing Committee. The absence of the mandatory approval renders the Bill procedurally defective and legally flawed, it stated.

The Bill has been criticised for lacking scientific studies and ecological assessments. Wildlife conflict management requires evidence-based approaches. The proposed legislation is also flagged for granting broader powers to authorise the killing of wild animals in conflict situations. This is seen as a dangerous step away from the National Tiger Conservation Authority and Project Elephant’s guidelines.

Root cause

The State government move is also criticised for ignoring the root cause of human wildlife conflicts, politicising wildlife protection, disregarding judicial precedents, and undermining grassroots-level enforcement.

The memorandum has been endorsed by a distinguished group including Medha Patkar, Maneka Gandhi, Claude Alvaris, V.S. Vijayan, Pandhuranga Hegde, Praveen Bhargava and P.S. Easa. Among the signatories are former senior forest officials including former Chief Wildlife Warden Surendra Kumar, and former Principal Chief Conservators of Forests Prakriti Srivastava and O.P. Kaler. Coexistence Collective members N. Badusha, Veena Maruthoor, Santhosh T.S., T.V. Rajan, M.N. Jayachandran, K.M. Sulaiman and Anwar Sadath addressed a press meet here on Thursday.

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Munnar panchayat dump yard posing threat to wild elephants

 

THE HINDU BUREAU, 

IDUKKI, october 23, 2025

The Munnar panchayat-operated dumping yard at Kallar is posing a threat to wild elephants in the hill station, with wild elephants, especially an elephant locally called Ottakompan, entering the yard to consume plastic-laden vegetable waste.

Vimal Raj, a wildlife photographer tracking the movements of wild elephants in Munnar, says he has found the tusker consuming plastic-filled waste from the yard.

Ready availability

“I have taken pictures of the elephant consuming plastic mixed with vegetable waste from the yard. Due to the ready availability of food, the animal is camping at the yard. Regular consumption of plastic-filled vegetable waste may pose a threat to the life of the elephant,” says Mr. Raj.

For the past two years, wild elephants are regularly seen at the yard in Kallar. Forest officials say the yard is posing a threat to local wildlife. “Wild elephants, wild gaurs, and other animals are regularly seen at the yard,” says an official.

Greens air concerns

R. Mohan, president of the Munnar Environment and Wildlife Society (MEWS), says the yard in Kallar has emerged as a major threat to wild elephants. “Munnar’s popular tusker Padayappa is a regular visitor to the area. For the past two years, the MEWS has repeatedly approached the authorities to find a solution to the issue but to no avail,” he says.

Munnar Range officer S. Biju says the Forest department has directed the Munnar panchayat to fix a solar fence around the plant.

Solar fence demand

“The department has also requested the panchayat to provide a pump-action gun to the department to chase away wild animals from the plant. The panchayat has also been directed to install a real-time camera at the plant to monitor the movements of wild elephants. At a recent meeting called by the Forest Minister in Idukki, the Munnar panchayat secretary agreed to install solar fence soon,” he says.

Munnar panchayat secretary G.P. Udayakumar says the panchayat had allotted ₹8 lakh for setting up a solar fence at the yard. “The works have begun and are expected to be completed soon,” he says.

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Tribal trio revives baby monkey, wins hearts in act of compassion

 

THE HINDU BUREAU, 

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, october 22, 2025

In a heart-warming act of compassion that has since gone viral, three tribal women from a Vanasamrakshana Samiti (forest protection committee) in Thiruvananthapuram revived a baby macaque after it was electrocuted near the Kallar Golden Valley forest check-post on Tuesday.

The incident unfolded along the Vithura–Ponmudi road when two young monkeys came into contact with a high-tension power line. One of them fell onto a tree branch, while the other crashed onto the tarred road, unconscious and suffering a wound to its forehead.

Without hesitation, Ponmudi Vanasamrakshana Samiti members Udaya, Sachithra, and Saugandhika, who are all members of the Kani tribal settlement in Mottamoodu, Vithura, rushed to the scene. The trio immediately administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) by performing chest compressions in an attempt to revive it. Miraculously, their efforts succeeded.

After administering basic treatment to the wound, they released the revived monkey back into the wild, a moment that has captured widespread attention and praise.

“Even though we have suffered greatly due to wild animals and lost crops to wild boar, elephant, and bear incursions, we never thought of turning our backs on these baby monkeys. Animals do pose a menace to us, yet we have always lived alongside the forest and its creatures,” says Udaya.

‘To instil empathy’

Section forest officer Shaji points out that similar incidents have occurred before, including one two months ago when a beat forest officer administered CPR to a fallen animal. “The members of the Vanasamrakshana Samiti are being encouraged to act as true guardians of the forest by upholding compassion for both humans and wildlife. Such acts serve to instil empathy in others as well,” he says.

The incident has also sparked discussions about the need to provide formal training in first aid and wildlife rescue techniques for members of the Vanasamrakshana Samitis and eco-development committees across the State.

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Kerala Assembly passes forest, wildlife amendment Bills

 

tHE HINDU BUREAU, 

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, october 9, 2025

The Kerala Assembly on Wednesday passed the Wildlife Protection (Kerala Amendment) Bill, 2025 and the Kerala Forest (Amendment) Bill, 2025 in the absence of the Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) which boycotted the proceedings over the alleged gold theft at Sabarimala.

Forests Minister A.K. Saseendran described the Wildlife Protection (Kerala Amendment) Bill, 2025 as a milestone initiative, stating that Kerala is the first State in India to introduce such an amendment to the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

Time consuming

According to him, the existing procedures under the Central Act and its associated Standard Operating Procedures are often impractical and time-consuming. The amendment aims to enable quick action in emergency situations, especially when lives are at risk.

The proposed legislation would enable the Chief Wildlife Warden to authorise immediate action, including killing animals, without unnecessary delay, at times when people suffer serious injuries in a wildlife attack, following which the District Collector or Chief Conservator of Forests reports the incident for necessary action.

The Bill also includes provision for population control and relocation of species listed in Schedule II, such as wild boars and leopards, without requiring Central government approval. Besides, the new Bill would also empower the State government to declare a species as ‘vermin’ if its population becomes unmanageable.

The Bill also proposes shifting Bonnet Macaque from Schedule I to Schedule II to permit population control of the species and, if necessary, declaring them vermin.

Mr. Saseendran highlighted that the Bill will come into effect only upon receiving Presidential assent, after being forwarded through the Governor, as it involves amendments to the Central law. The Kerala Forest (Amendment) Bill, 2025 primarily introduces provisions regarding the harvesting and sale of sandalwood trees on private land.

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In hilly regions, smaller animals become a bigger concern now

 

SANDEEP VELLARAM,

IDUKKI, the hindu, october 7, 2025

For generations, farmers in the hilly regions of Idukki, Kottayam, Pathanamthitta, and Ernakulam districts lived in fear of giants — wild elephants trampling their fields, leopards stalking livestock, and tigers prowling the cardamom and rubber plantations. These days a new pattern is emerging in the Forest department’s 45-day mitigation drive: it is the smaller creatures that are wreaking havoc.

Settler farmers across the High Range Circle in the four districts now complain not of roaring predators, but of relentless troops of Bonnet Macaques, scurrying Malabar Giant Squirrels, and marauding wild pigs. These smaller animals, once seen as harmless, have become the new faces of the human-animal conflict.

Shift in pattern

“The complaints we receive show a clear shift — monkeys, squirrels, and wild pigs are now the major concern for farming families,” said a Forest department source. According to data from the department, 1,255 complaints have been filed in the High Range Circle in the ongoing mitigation drive. The Kothamangalam division tops the list with 204 complaints, followed by Neryamangalam (161), and Erumely (157), mostly pertaining to the small animals. The Idukki Wildlife Division, where the bigger fauna is predominant, has received just five complaints, showing how the nature of conflict has changed with settlement patterns.

In the cardamom-growing hub of Idukki, Bonnet Macaques have emerged as the prime culprits. Farmers spend hundreds of rupees on crackers to chase these monkeys from the plantations. The animals polish off fruits, damage saplings, and leave behind ravaged crops. Squirrels gnaw through the tender pods, while wild pigs dig up roots and destroy field boundaries. “All farming areas, excluding tea plantations, are heavily damaged by these three species,” an official noted.

New set of challenges

Job J. Neriamparambil, Assistant Conservator of Forests (Research), Peerumade, and coordinator of the High Range Circle mitigation plan, said the department is preparing to convene a district-level monitoring committee to address the new set of challenges. “The Forest department will seek support from other government departments to address these issues,” he said. “It’s not just about wildlife anymore — it’s about protecting the livelihoods of people living alongside it.”

The changing pattern of conflict tells a larger story: as habitats shrink and settlements expand, the boundaries between the forest and the farmland blur. And in this new landscape, the smallest animals have become the biggest menace.

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From Wagamon hills, a close relative of ‘safed musli’ found

 

TIKI RAJWI, 

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, the hindu, october 6, 2025

A perennial herb spotted during a field exploration in Idukki district’s Wagamon hills has been identified as a new species of the genus Chlorophytum, making it a close relative of the ‘safed musli.’

Researchers have named the new species, which has white flowers in small clusters and slender leaves, Chlorophytum vanapushpam (family Asparagaceae).

The findings of the team from the botany departments of Sanatana Dharma College, Alappuzha; Payyannur College, Kannur; Sir Syed College, Taliparamba; and SNM College, Maliankara, have been highlighted in the latest edition of the journal Phytotaxa. A herb that grows up to 90 cm in height, Chlorophytum vanapushpam has been found clinging to the rocky hills of Wagamon and Neymakkad – parts of the Western Ghats regions of Idukki district – at elevations between 700 m and 2,124 m. Its discovery was quite serendipitous, according to the team. The plant was spotted during a research project on wild edible tubers funded by the Kerala State Biodiversity Board.

“The Western Ghats region is thought to be a centre of origin of the genus Chlorophytum. A total of 18 species have been identified here so far, with many of them exhibiting medicinal properties,” Jose Mathew, Assistant Professor, Sanatana Dharma College, said.

One of these is the Chlorophytum borivilianum, more familiar to Indians as the ‘safed musli,’ a herb widely used in traditional medical preparations and also popular as a leaf vegetable. But unlike its more famous cousin, Chlorophytum vanapushpam lacks tubers. Its seeds are about 4 to 5 mm across. Flowering and fruiting occurs from September to December. The species name vanapushpam is a composite of ‘Vanam’ and ‘Pushpam,’ the Malayalam for forest and flower respectively.

Apart from Dr. Mathew, the team credited with the discovery included C.N. Sunil, and M.G. Sanil Kumar from SNM College; M.K. Ratheesh Narayanan from Payyannur College, and Sidharth S. Nair of Sir Syed College, Taliparamba.

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