Members of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) agreed on Wednesday on cattle breeding rules, its first ever deal on livestock production.

The deal, approved by OIE's 178 members apart from South Africa, includes measures such as ensuring cattle beefs' health, breeding environment, genetic selection, Director General Bernard Vallat told reporters at the 80th General Assembly.

The state’s maiden vulture breeding centre in Muta, 22km from Ranchi, may not have taken wing as yet, but Bhagwan Birsa Biological Park in Ormanjhi, closer to the capital, may soon boast a special winged guest. Forest officials and wildlife experts in Hazaribagh have nursed back to health a two-year-old Himalayan Griffon Vulture (Gyps himalayensis), which was found in a village 8km from town two weeks ago, and plan to give it a new home at Birsa zoo.

Asked to shape up or face de-recognition of the Deer Park at Hauz Khas by the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) this March, the Delhi Development Authority has in its reply on Monday defended its work at the park stating that remedial work has already been initiated there.

The CZA had issued a notice to the DDA in March stating that there were a number of shortcomings in the park, including hygiene, which needed urgent attention. It also cautioned them about over-population in the small park area, which the CZA noted was the main and a very serious issue.

BERHAMPUR: Emu, the flightless bird from Australia, is gradually changing the trend of poultry farming in south Odisha. Considered to be the second largest bird in the world after ostrich, though these amazing birds weigh 50 kg and run at 40 miles per hour, emus are far from being intimidating. This is the prime reason why emus are proving to be a boon to farmers in the State.

Ornamental fish, which is rapidly gaining in popularity, has now become an employment generator in Assam. With profit margins on the rise, a large number of educated youths have taken to its breeding in and around urban settlements where markets are expanding. Such has been the trend in recent times that imports of various ornamental species for aquarium use have almost halved in recent times, according to sources in the Department of Fisheries. Till last year, aquarium fish worth Rs 5 lakh was being brought from distant metros to Guwahati every week, which no longer is the case.

Ahmedabad: Greater Flamingos, which fly thousands of miles from Siberia to breed in the warm marshes of the Khadir region in Kutch, are landing into a death trap. In the past 10 days, at least 400 of these graceful birds have been electrocuted by high tension cables near their breeding grounds.

D K Sharma, chief conservator of forests, admitted to at least 130 deaths, but locals and ornithologists have been recording much higher numbers. The flamingos have landed in record numbers this year, with one estimate putting their strength at five lakh, the highest ever.

Total 50 bisons would be translocated to Bandhavgarh National Park from Kanha National Park in February 2012. About 435 other surplus wild animals will also be shifted to other parks for breeding from Van Vihar next year.
The Forest Department has initiated the procedure of translocating several animals in the Ratapani, Kanha National Park, Bandhvagarh National Park and Ratnagiri area.

Dhubri, Oct. 10: An NGO working for the preservation and protection of forests and environment has demanded vulture habitat centre status for Rajapara reserve forest.

According to Aranya Suraksha Samiti, the NGO, Rajapara is the largest natural habitat of the birds after the vulture captive breeding centre at Rani reserve forest in Kamrup district of Assam.

National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has launched an initiative to document various cattle breeds native to Tamil Nadu and undertake conservation measures.