Animals caught in the headlights

Shekar Dattatri, Praveen Bhargav The Hindu, October 30, 2015 Thousands of grand old trees flanked most of our highways ten to 15 years ago, but succumbed to the axe when two-lane highways were upgraded to four-lane or six-lane ones. Now, in a bid to bring back lost green cover, the government has announced a ‘Green Highways Policy’,...

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Sasthamkotta lake in peril

T. Nandakumar, Thiruvananthapuram The Hindu, October 28, 2015 Indiscriminate sand mining, unscientific construction and over-extraction of water have led to the depletion and environmental degradation of the Sasthamkotta freshwater lake, impacting on the biodiversity and groundwater availability in the region. A study conducted by...

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Survey spots 51 odonate species in Munnar

Radhakrishnan Kuttoor, PATHANAMTHITTA The Hindu, October 26, 2015 The four-day odonate survey, organised by the Kerala Forest and Wildlife Department in association with the Kottayam Nature Society and Travancore Natural History Society, has identified 51 species of dragon and damsel flies in the high altitude Munnar landscape. G. Prasad, Wildlife Warden at Munnar, told The Hindu that Davenport’s False Spreadwing,...

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Four new crab species found in Kerala

T. Nandakumar, Thiruvananthapuram The Hindu, October 25, 2015 Researchers at the Department of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries, University of Kerala, have reported the discovery of four new species of crab from the Kerala coast, highlighting the crustacean diversity in the State. The discovery of three hermit crabs has been recorded as part of a collaborative research project by A. Biju Kumar, head of the department;...

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Six persons arrested with anteater

The Hindu, October 21, 2015 THIRUVANANTHAPURAM,   Forest officers on Tuesday arrested six persons from Sreekaryam on charges of possessing an Indian pangolin (scaly anteater), a highly endangered species included in Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act. In an operation based on a tip-off received by the Intelligence...

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HC comes to the rescue of Pampa

K.C. Gopakumar KOCHI,  The Hindu, October 17, 2015 Concerned at the aggravation of the pollution of the Pampa, a Division Bench of the Kerala High Court on Friday ordered that throwing of clothes and other belongings into the river by the Sabarimala pilgrims be considered an offence under the provisions of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act. It directed that those acting to the contrary should be proceeded...

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Rare bird comes calling

The Hindu, October 10, 2015 Kochi: A rare winter visitor to the northern stretches of south Asia, Spotted Crake ( Porzana porzana ), has been spotted at Thottappally in Alappuzha district. Birdwatchers believe that this is the first sighting of the bird in Kerala. Avid birdwatcher and member of Kottayam Nature Society V. Prashob Kumar said he spotted the bird being attacked by crows at the compound of his house on October...

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A green concern over Nelliampathy

K.A. Shaji,  Palakkad, October 8, 2015 An environmental catastrophe is lurking in the Nelliampathy hill ranges, home to the Parambikulam Tiger Reserve and numerous streams irrigating farmlands in Palakkad and Thrissur districts of Kerala and Coimbatore and Tirupur districts of Tamil Nadu. Located in a geographically unstable area, the hills, once known for supplying the finest oranges to Buckingham Palace in Great...

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Openbill’s nesting spot brings joy to birders

Jabir Mushthari Kozhikode, October 8, 2015    The spotting of large nesting places of Asian Openbill Stork, a large wading migratory bird, at Thirunavaya in Malappuram district has brought cheers to wildlife enthusiasts and bird watchers here as it was an indication of their peaceful breeding and growing...

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Forest Dept. stretching beyond its limit

Sarath Babu George, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM,   The Hindu, October 6, 2015 The Forest and Wildlife Department has been stretching the resources under its disposal for finding vital leads in the elephant poaching case. However, the limitations have now threatened to hinder the progress of investigation. Boost to probe The arrests of Umesh Agarwal from Delhi and Rajan alias Eagle Rajan on Sunday from Thiruvananthapuram...

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‘Eagle’ Rajan’s arrest exposes huge money trail

G. Anand, Thiruvananthapuram,  The Hindu, October 6, 2015 “Eagle” Rajan earned his nickname from his long past of procuring wild-bird figurines, among other ivory artefacts, for rich collectors in the country and abroad. Wildlife enforcers, who arrested the suspected 50-year-old ivory dealer here on Sunday, said the moniker was also a tribute to his predatory business acumen that helped him secretly dominate...

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Nilgiri Tit among butterflies spotted in Chinnar

Radhakrishnan Kuttoor, PATHANAMTHITTA The Hindu, October 6, 2015 Three rare species of butterflies have been spotted during a bi-monthly follow-up survey of butterflies held in the Chinnar wildlife sanctuary in Munnar on Sunday. The three new sightings are Sullied Sailor, Indian Ace, and Painted Courtesan. With this, the total...

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New fish species discovered

Thiruvananthapuram,   The Hindu, October 5, 2015 A new fish species belonging to a rare genus has been discovered from the Manimala river at Paduthode near Mallappally in Pathanamthitta district. Named Batasio flavus , the species belonging to the Bagridae family was discovered, named and described by Mathews Plamoottil,...

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KSBB forms the Pampa conservation panel

PATHANAMTHITTA,   The Hindu, October 5, 2015 The Kerala State Biodiversity Board (KSBB) has constituted a Joint Pampa River Biodiversity Conservation Committee aimed at effective implementation of various river conservation schemes. The committee comprises the biodiversity management committees in 26 grama panchayats situated on the banks of the Pampa and the Chengannur municipality. The Pathanamthitta district...

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Nesting on Kochi’s green spaces

K.A. Martin, Kochi The Hindu, October 4, 2015 Kochi’s bird population has managed to cling to some islands of greenery amid increasing urban activities, say birders, who also pointed to deteriorating quality of what have been traditional bird spots. Bird watchers and photographers were able to spot 31 species in an hour in the property...

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Greens air their worries over Vizhinjam

The Hindu, October 1, 2015 Thiruvananthapuram,   Representatives of various environmental groups participating in a Green Assembly organised by the Kerala Sasthra Sahitya Parishad (KSSP) here on Wednesday resolved to close ranks to highlight the economic and environmental impact of the Vizhinjam seaport project and protect on the livelihoods of fishermen. Narmada Bachao Andolan leader and social activist Medha...

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New lizard species discovered

K R Rajeev |, KOZHIKODE      Times of India, Oct 1, 2015Researchers have discovered a new species of rock-dwelling lizard at Kanker district of Chhattisgarh. The finding by a team of scientists led by B H Channakeshava Murthy of the Western Ghats Regional Centre, Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), Kozhikode, was published in international scientific journal Zootaxa last week. The new gecko...

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