Hornbills thriving in Malayattur forests

K.S. Sudhi KOCHI,   The Hindu, March 19, 2011 Hornbills are thriving in the Malayattur forests. A recent bird survey held in the Malayattur forest division has revealed the presence of an “excellent population of Great Pied Hornbills.” While the Malabar Grey Hornbill was spotted in good numbers, the Malabar Pied Hornbill was spotted from two base camps set up for the survey, said P.O. Nameer, State coordinator,...

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A grove survives, thanks to a myth

Ignatius Pereira Th Hindu, Mar 17, 2011 KOLLAM: A clump of weird looking hardwood trees deep inside the Kanayar forest of Kollam district and adjoining forest areas of Tirunelveli district in Tamil Nadu owe its survival to an Adivasi myth. In an area where poaching was rampant, these trees were spared in spite of being valuable timber if axed down. ‘Demon slayer' The...

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Vultures get on endangered list

K. S. Sudhi KOCHI,   The Hindu, March 11, 2011   Vultures soar high in the sky. But their population chart shows a steep fall over the last one decade. It is estimated that the vulture population has declined by 90 per cent over the last 10 years. The plight of vultures was highlighted by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest in its list on critically endangered species. The most regularly found vultures...

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Eco-sensitive areas of Western Ghats to be prioritised

K. S. Sudhi KOCHI,   The Hindu, March 7, 2011  The ecologically sensitive areas of Western Ghats, the hill range of which starts near the Maharashtra-Gujarat border running to nearly 1600 km along the States of Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala and ending at Kanyakumari, will be prioritised into five categories based on richness of biodiversity and other ecological factors. The Western Ghats...

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