K S Sudhi, Kochi
The Hindu, July 30, 2019
The tiger population is growing in Kerala with
190 big cats roaming its forests and the State scoring maximum points
in mean Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE), according to the
Status of Tigers in India-2018 report.
Kerala scored the highest mean MEE score of 90.23 among the 18 tiger States of the country.
The latest Kerala tiger figures mark an increase of 54 individuals...
Silent Valley’s core areas took the brunt of 2018 floods
Abdul Latheef Naha, Palakkad
The Hindu, July 15 2019
The rain and floods that devastated the State in August 2018 have
struck an unimaginable blow to core areas of the Silent Valley National
Park. Much of the damage inflicted by nature’s wrath still remains
unassesed and unstudied.
Little did the outside world know about
the 50-odd...
Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary is tiger kingdom of the State
E M Manoj, Kalpetta
The Hindu, May 15, 2019
Here tigers roam without fear, and it shows in their numbers.
A
monitoring programme of the Forest Department for 2017-18 has found
that the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (WWS) , a biodiversity hotspot in
the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, holds the largest tiger population in the
State.
The...
GPS survey for elephant sanctuary in Idukki
Giji K Raman, Idukki
The Hindu, 14 May 2019
The Forest Department has completed the Global Positioning System
(GPS) survey for setting up the first elephant sanctuary in the State.
The survey has covered the Anayirangal and Chinnakanal areas in the
Munnar region.
The region has witnessed man-animal conflicts
claiming over 30 lives...
Otters re-emerge in Kadalundi estuary
Abdul Latheef Naha, Malappuram
The Hindu, May 14, 2019
Otters have re-emerged in the estuarine region of the Kadalundipuzha,
giving fresh hope to ecologists focusing on the Kadalundi-Vallikkunnu
Community Reserve.
Groups of otters were recently seen in the
mudflats and mangroves in the Kadalundi estuary, which is home for
thousands...
Homebound passerines bid adieu to Ghats
E.M Manoj, Kalpetta
The Hindu, May 13, 2019
It’s mid-May with monsoon just around the corner, and the migrant
wildlife in the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary is planning to go back home.
Bigger
mammals like elephants and gaur will soon be returning to their home
turfs in the forests of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Whereas the migratory
passerines...
Bat survey in Kerala discovers seven new species
Giji K. Raman, Idukki
The Hindu, May 10 2019
A bat survey conducted in the Munnar Wildlife Division has found seven new species for the first time.
The
survey, conducted in two phases in the protected area in April, could
spot 20 species belonging to six families including 11 species in
general categories. These include 17 insectivorous...
In 4.5 acres, she nurtures a dense forest
The Hindu, May 5, 2019
Sam Paul A, Alappuzha
President Ram Nath Kovind after presenting her the Nari Shakti
Puraskar on March 8, 2019, wrote this on one of his social media
accounts, “Her contribution towards the environment has been a driving
force of change and has raised awareness and consciousness of people.”
At
the age of 85,...
Protect trees at estuary: Greens
The Hindu, May 4, 2019
Alappuzha
Environmentalists and local residents have expressed concern over the
government move to cut down a large number of trees close to the
Thottappally estuary.
A high-level meeting on Thursday had
decided to cut trees immediately by invoking various sections under the
Disaster Management Act....
Kerala forests home to new spider species
Aathira Perinchery, Kochi
The Hindu, Arpil 6 2019
A group of jumping spiders that mostly occur in Eurasia and Africa,
has been spotted for the first time in Ernakulam’s Illithodu forests by
arachnologists from Kochi’s Sacred Heart College, Thevara. The team also
found that the spider belonging to the genus (a taxonomic
classification...
Greens come to rescue of Olive ridley turtles
Sam Paul A, Alappuzha
The Hindu, April 6, 2019
Overcoming the challenges posed by the August deluge, heatwave and
other impediments, environmentalists and local people have incubated and
released 226 hatchlings of endangered Olive ridley turtle to sea at
Thottappally coast. The last of the hatchlings of the current nesting
season...
Fire ravages Kurinji sanctuary, Pampadum Shola
Giji K Raman, Idukki
The Hindu, April 2 2019
The wildfires that started at Anchunadu and Vattavada four days ago
reached the proposed Kurinji sanctuary and Pampadum Shola National Park
on Tuesday, causing large-scale destruction.
Sources in the Forest
Department said large plantations of grantis and eucalyptus were
destroyed in...
Kerala is home to two new plant species
Aathira Perinchery, Kochi
The Hindu, April 3, 2019
A small ironwood tree that bears clumps of white flowers on its
stalks, and a new species of wild fern are the latest additions to
Kerala’s flora.
Researchers at the University of Calicut’s Department of Botany discovered the new species of ironwood, Memecylon idukkianum, from the...
Dilution of norms for quarries irks Greens
T. Nandakumar, Thiruvananthapuram
The Hindu, March 25, 2019
In a decision that has raised the hackles of regulatory experts and
environmental activists, the State Environment Impact Assessment
Authority (SEIAA) has cut the minimum distance for quarries from
forestland by half, to 50 metres.
The 87th meeting of SEIAA in
January took...
Forest fire detrimental to ecosystem, warns KFRI
E M Manoj, Kalpetta
The Hindu, March 21, 2019
Scientists at the Kerala Forest
Research Institute (KFRI), Peechi, have warned that recurring forest
fire will lead to degradation of the ecosystem in forest areas,
especially grasslands, of the State.
According to the data with
the Forest and Wildlife Department,...
Hero to nature lovers, this messiah of trees is down-to-earth
Abdul Latheef Naha, Plakkad
The Hindu, March 21, 2019
If the hottest, largest district in the State is looking for a hero
to celebrate World Sparrow Day (March 20), World Forest Day (March 21)
and World Water Day (March 22), here is one man who can beat the
competition by miles.
Nature lover Shyamkumar M. has more...
Wardens on their toes after elephant killings
G Anand, Thiruvananthapuram
The Hindu, March 18, 2019
The discovery of two wild elephant carcasses in the buffer zone of
the Silent Valley National Park in February has put wildlife wardens on
their toes.
The killings have also spotlighted the threat posed by
poachers who hunt wild elephants to harvest tusks and the powerful
inter-State...
Drought forcing animals out of interior forests
Radhakrishnan Kuttoor, Pathanamthitta
The Hindu, March 17, 2019
The Pampa river is facing acute water scarcity in the foothills of Sabarimala despite the Kerala State Electricity Board periodically releasing water from its Kullar dam in the upstream forest reaches.
But the KSEB is not in a position to release huge quantities...
Grizzled giant squirrel scores a century in Chinnar sanctuary
Giji K. Raman, Idukki
The Hindu, March 11, 2019
The number of Grizzled giant squirrel has crossed one hundred in the
Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, its only natural habitat in the State.
The
latest survey conducted from February 12 to 14 recorded the direct
presence of 76 Grizzled giant squirrel and including those indirectly...
Post-floods, Vazhachal’s winged species hit a low
Aathira Perinchery, Kochi
The Hindu, February 22, 2019
The results of a two-day survey in Vazhachal’s riverine stretches,
including areas affected by last year’s floods, seem disquieting. It
records a ‘low’ abundance of some insect taxa – butterflies and odonates
(damsel and dragonflies) – as well as birds, especially along the
Chalakudy...
Wayanad sanctuary yields a new spider
Mini Muringatheri, Thrissur
The Hindu, 16 February, 2019
A new species of spider has been discovered from the Wayanad Wildlife
Sanctuary, a major biodiversity hotspot in the State. The new species, Cocalus lacinia,
spotted in the Kurichiad forest range of the sanctuary, is
taxonomically related to an Australian species, described...
Blink and miss: Kerala’s mystery frog
Aathira Perinchery, Kochi
The Hindu, February 14, 2019
Forget dense forests. Even roadsides could be harbouring new species
that are hard to find. Scientists from the University of Delhi have
discovered a new amphibian — a mysterious narrow-mouthed frog, that
makes only a four-day appearance in seasonal roadside puddles every year
...
Rare butterfly species found
Sarath Babu George, Thiruvananthapuram
The Hindu, February 11, 2019
Garhwal Large Branded Five-ring, a rare butterfly species, was
rediscovered in the Himalayas over five decades after it was initially
recorded.
The species, scientifically known as Ypthima hannyngtoni Eliot,
was recorded and photographed by nature conservationist...
Kole Fish Count records 82 species
The Hindu, February 3, 2019
Kochi: The Kole Fish Count, conducted on February 2 in connection with World
Wetland Day across the Kole wetlands of central Kerala, recorded 82
aquatic species. These include 71 fish species (18 species of brackish
water fish and 53 species of freshwater fish), five shrimp species, four
crab and two mollusc...
Vellarada set to take on quarries
Sarath Babu George, Thiruvananthapuram
The Hindu, February 3, 2019
After a lull of two years, the ecologically fragile Vellarada and
adjacent areas have again come under the threat of quarrying. Concerned
over repercussions, local people are gearing up for another long-drawn
agitation to conserve their land.
The many hill ranges,...
Delayed start for CRZ regime in State
K.S. Sudhi, Kochi
The Hindu, January 24, 2019
Kerala may have to wait for some time to take advantage of the new
Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification for want of an approved
Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP).
For the new notification to
come into play, coastal States, including Kerala, will have to get their
CZMPs prepared...
New notification for coastal areas in force
K.S. Sudhi, Kochi
The Hindu, January 23, 2019
The Union Ministry of Environment and Forest released the Coastal
Regulation Zone (CRZ) 2019 notification on Friday, opening up the
coastline of the country for construction and tourism activities.
The
new notification could result in reduction of No Development Zones
(NDZ) significantly. This may pave the way for a construction boom along
the coastline.
Tourism sector is...
‘VIP’ sighting at Kadalundi enthuses birders
Abdul Latheef Nahan MalappuRAm
The Hindu, January 20, 2019
The sighting of a lone Great thick-knee at the Kadalundi-Vallikkunnu
Community Reserve last week has enthused researchers studying the annual
migrant bird visits to the estuarine sanctuary.
Sujesh P.K. and
Athira T.R., who have been studying the foraging habits of the
shorebirds...
Jackal spotted for the first time in PTR
Giji K. Raman, IDUKKI
The Hindu, January 17, 2019
The presence of a jackal was reported for the first time in the
Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) recently. Patric David, a researcher at the
Periyar Tiger Conservation Foundation (PTCF), noticed the animal near a
penstock pipe carrying water from the Mullaperiyar dam to Tamil Nadu on...
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