While all of us are familiar with the most common canid found in India – our very own domestic dog, only a few can name the eight species of wild canids also inhabiting the country. These are the dhole, golden jackal, Indian wolf, Tibetan wolf, Indian fox, red fox, desert fox, and Tibetan fox. Wild […]

Urban ecology is a branch of ecology, also involved with the study of living organisms with each other and their surroundings, but in an urban backdrop. This environment would contain urbanized landscapes such as cities and towns, thus incorporating not only the environment point of view, but also the socio-economic aspect of the ecosystem. Urban

The process of reversing degradation of ecosystems, such as landscapes, lakes and oceans, to regain their ecological functionality and to improve the productivity and capacity of ecosystems to meet the needs of society is termed as ‘ecosystem restoration’. This is done by initiating natural regeneration of overexploited ecosystems. This method not only encompasses planting trees,

The subject of dinosaurs has always fascinated the curious mind. Realising that they are now extinct renders the heart rather broken. However, all is not lost, when it is revealed that some animals who co-existed with dinosaurs, still walk on this very planet. This living fossil are the seven species of marine turtles! Quite unbelievable,

Evolution, simply put, is the change in the physical and/or anatomical structure of a species due to external environmental factors. Every organism has evolved since the beginning of time. Along with natural terrestrial changes like the Ice Age, volcanic eruptions, droughts and floods which took place over the course of 4 billion years, species have

The species found in the Indian subcontinent is the Bengal tiger: undoubtedly an orange tiger with black stripes. However, some photos flooding on global social media platforms have indeed taken the Internet by storm. This includes photos of a golden tiger from Kaziranga National Park. Despite claims from netizens, they are indeed legitimate. Agreed, due

Compentation schemes are commonly used human-wildlife conflict (HWC) mitigation strategy used across the globe. These schemes provide economic reimburshments to victims of HWC.  These compensation schemes cover crop damage, livestock predation, human injury and/or death. As discussed earlier, victims of HWC are likely to retaliate and harm wildlife. The compensation schemes hope to pacify the

On 17 September 2022, the cheetah, the fastest land mammal, was reintroduced to India at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh. Cheetahs would once again roam India. The big cats formerly shared the landscape with tigers, leopards, lions and wolves. The cheetah is the only large native species which was driven to extinction in India. But

Humans have been responsible for the transportation of flora and fauna from water body to water body since the Bronze Age when communities colonised inside and outside wooden sailing ships. With the increase in international trade, recreational boating, and aquaculture in this era, we can safely assume that the transport of non-native species has increased.

The feral dog are amongst the most destructive threats to wildlife. From transmitting diseases to wild canids to hunting wild ungulates, the 35 million feral dogs are causing ecological havoc. It is therefore neccessary to apply some mitigation strategies. Without urgent action, species, such as the Great Indian Bustard, may never be able to recover.