Migratory birds come under surveillance

K.S. Sudhi KOCHI,   The Hindu, January 30, 2015  Fears of recurrence of avian influenza epidemic have pushed the Forest Department to keep a tab on migratory birds that winter in Kerala. Though the epidemic, first reported among domestic poultry in Alappuzha and Kottayam districts, had been contained, it was again reported...

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നഗരത്തിന്‌ കുടപിടിച്ച്‌ അമരംകാവ്‌;ആയിരം വര്‍ഷം നീണ്ട പ്രകൃതിയുടെ പച്ചപ്പ്‌

തൊടുപുഴ: നൂറ്റാണ്ടിന്റെ പഴമ പേറി നഗരത്തിനു  കുളിര്‍മയേകുകയാണ്‌ കോലാനിക്കു സമീപമുള്ള അമരംകാവ്‌. കോണ്‍ക്രീറ്റ്‌ വനങ്ങള്‍ നഗരം കീഴടക്കി മുന്നേറുമ്പോള്‍ നാലേക്കര്‍ വരുന്ന സസ്യജാലങ്ങളുടെ വിസ്‌മയം കുട ചൂടി നാടിനു തണലേകുന്നു.<br />വസന്തശിശിരങ്ങള്‍ മാറിമറിയുന്നതും നൂറ്റാണ്ടുകളുടെ മാറ്റം കണ്ടറിയുകയും ചെയ്‌ത ആയിരം വര്‍ഷങ്ങളുടെ മേല്‍ പഴക്കമുള്ള കൂറ്റന്‍ മരങ്ങള്‍ ആകാശം തൊട്ടു നില്‍ക്കുന്നതും, വംശനാശം വന്നുകൊണ്ടിരിക്കുന്ന...

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Air smells lemony in forestland

Giji K. Raman MARAYUR (IDUKKI DISTRICT),   The Hindu, January 26, 2015  Come mid-January, and tribal settlements on the Marayur-Chinnar forest belt would be buzzing with activity. It is the season for processing lemon grass oil, and the area has the largest number of extracting units in the country. There are hundreds...

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Tackling of tiger poaching has paid off, says official

The Hindu, January 21, 2015 NEW DELHI The tiger population had increased in Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, Additional Director and head of the National Tiger Conservation Authority Rajesh Gopal told journalists on Tuesday. Y.V. Jhala, one of the principal investigators of the report, said this was only a summary and a detailed report would be ready by March-end. Assessment was in progress ...

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Bird survey points to rise in temperature in Pathanamthitta

The Hindu, January 21, 2015 PATHANAMTHITTA The sighting of a bluethroat, a flock of glossy ibis, and a dozen Asian openbill in Pathanamthitta during the Asian Waterbird Survey of the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) is indicative of the increasing atmospheric temperature in the region. These birds are normally found in dry wetlands...

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Athirappilly project renews biodiversity debate

K.S. Sudhi KOCHI,   The Hindu, January 21, 2015  The debate over the possible biodiversity impact of the Athirappilly hydroelectric project has resumed with the Environmental Appraisal Committee (EAC) of the Ministry of Environment all set to consider the project proposal mooted by the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB). The...

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Highest number of waterbirds recorded at Vembanad

TheHindu. January 20, 2015  KOTTAYAM,   The Vembanad Waterbird Count 2015, taken up by the Department of Forests and Wildlife and Kottayam Nature Society, has recorded highest number of wetland and wetland dependent birds ever recorded. According to B. Sreekumar, coordinator, 57,828 birds have been sighted from the 10 sites surveyed. They belonged to 54 families, Dr Sreekumar said. This healthy development...

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Periyar tiger reserve wins NTCA award

Meena Menon NEW DELHI,   The Hindu, January 20, 2015  The Periyar Tiger Reserve, spread over 925 sq.km. in Kerala, bagged the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) biennial award on Tuesday for encouraging local public participation in managing the reserve. There are 75 communities living around the reserve,...

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Move to ban display of wildlife trophies in social media

K.S. Sudhi, KOCHI,  TheHindu, January 7, 2015 Flaunting of images of hunted wildlife and wildlife trophies in social media sites may land one in trouble. Taking note of instances of some social media users flaunting pictures of wildlife articles and trophies, the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) has decided to discourage...

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Rock paintings at risk of fading away

Giji K. Raman MARAYUR,   The Hindu, January 7, 2015  The rock paintings in the Marayur-Chinnar forest belt of Kerala, the second largest concentration of cave paintings in south India, are at high risk of degeneration. As per isolated studies conducted so far, there are 21 cave paintings of red ochre in this Kerala-Tamil...

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Study on impact of feral cattle on Idukki sanctuary

Giji K. Raman KATTAPPANA,   The Hindu, January 6, 2015 The Idukki Wildlife Sanctuary will conduct an impact study of feral cattle inside the sanctuary so as to devise a plan for their culling, if needed. The study, to be conducted for the first time, will begin this month. The primary focus is to collect data on the feral...

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Rare owl spotted in Thrissur dist.

K.A. Shaji Palakkad,   The Hindu, January 6, 2015  A rare species of owl, sighted occasionally by ornithologists in the Middle East and West Central Asia, was spotted in the kole wetlands at Enamavu, near Chettuva, in Thrissur district in the second week of December by a birdwatcher. The spotting has received the validation...

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