MANGALDAI, March 18 – Much to the delight of nature lovers in the State, the Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park in Darrang district recorded a total of 100 rhinos in a census conducted by the State Forest department on March 15. The figure, informed SK Dyla, DFO, Mangaldai Wildlife Division, shows an increase of 36 rhinos in comparison to the count conducted three years back.

Reckless stone quarrying in eight sites within the limits of Malemahadeshwara and Edeyarahalli reserve forests in Kollegal taluk in the district, is posing a threat to the elephant corridor that falls within its boundaries.

Wild elephants found in the Biligiriranganathaswamy Tiger Reserve Forest in Chamarajnagar district. Sub-section 2 of Section 41 of the Karnataka Forests Act, 1969, prohibits any kind of non-forest activities within 100 mts of the reserve forest area.

Jorhat: The International Fund for Animal Welfare -– Wildlife Trust of India (IFWA-WTI) today signed an MoU with the Bhutan government to carry out conservation of wildlife in the Himalayan kingdom. The development is seen as a big boost to conservation of wildlife at Manas National Park in Assam as experts were of the view that there was a need for trans-border management of the park, a World Heritage Site and Royal Manas National Park of Bhutan to enhance the long-term conservation prospects of both.

Environment ministry stops Ansals housing project at Dadri in Greater Noida as the area is home to migratory birds. The BSP government in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh is once again caught in a controversial land sale. The state government sold 2,400 acres of wetlands in Greater Noida to a private builder even though the law bars the sale of such areas. The state government failed to notify this area around Bil Akbarpur as wetlands.

VALMIKI NAGAR (BIHAR): Bihar is planning to create more grasslands in its only tiger reserve to help support more prey animals for the big cats that currently number 11. At present, just five percent of the 880-sq km Valmiki Tiger Reserve is under grasslands. The park management hopes more grassland will support more prey animals that will in turn support more tigers.

The Centre is inching towards signing an MoU on wildlife cooperation with Bhutan. A source said a draft MoU highlighting the areas of cooperation and the way for implementation had been prepared.
“It will take some time but this is going to happen. Relations with Bhutan have always been at the best and in wildlife sector it is improving,” the source said.

GUWAHATI, Manas Wildlife Sanctuary is no longer in the list of World Heritage Sites in Danger. During the 35th session of the World Heritage Committee (WHC) held recently, it was decided to remove Manas Wildlife Sanctuary from the list citing significant improvement in preservation.

GUWAHATI, July 31 – With the World Heritage site status restored, the Manas National Park is on an upgrade drive vis-à-vis its area, wildlife, infrastructure, management, tourism, and community participation in conservation. Foremost among the plans is to extend the park’s 520 sq km area by another 360 sq km.

JAIPUR: Shahgarh or Ramgarh? African or Iranian? Several questions dog the ambitious project on re-establishing the cheetah in Rajasthan. The problems seem to only grow with time putting a question mark on the already jinxed project.

The Union ministry of environment and forests has expressed concern over environmental degradation along the hills of Karbi Anglong in proximity to Kaziranga National Park.

Former Union environment and forest minister Jairam Ramesh had written to Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi last month, saying the ministry had been receiving a number of complaints on environmental deprivation in the hill ar