Flora & Fauna

World's fastest ant clocks nearly a metre per second

Lakes worldwide experiencing more severe algal blooms: Study

Reports of harmful algal blooms are growing, according to the researchers from Carnegie Institution for Science and NASA in the US. These aquatic phenomena are harmful either because of the intensity of their growth, or because they include populations of toxin-producing phytoplankton, they said.

Scientists a step closer to saving northern white rhino from extinction

Veterinarians have successfully harvested eggs from the last two surviving northern white rhinos, taking them one step closer to bringing the species back from the brink of extinction, scientists said in Kenya on Friday.Science is the only hope for the northern white rhino after the death last year of the last male, named Sudan, at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya where the groundbreaking procedure was carried out Thursday.Two females, Najin, 30, and daughter Fatu, 19, are the only survivors of the subspecies of white rhino, and live under 24-hour armed guard at Ol Pejeta.However neither is able to carry a calf. Fatu has degenerative lesions in her uterus and Najin has weak hind legs which could cause complications if she fell pregnant.But an international consortium of scientists and conservationists has been working on a project costing several million euros to save the northern white rhino using pioneering artificial reproduction techniques that have taken years of research and development.

Wildfires burn out of control in Lebanon and Syria

Fire engines were overwhelmed by the flames in the Mount Lebanon region early Tuesday, forcing the Interior Ministry to send riot police engines equipped with water cannons to help. Two small aircraft were sent from the nearby Mediterranean island of Cyprus and are helping in putting out the fires.

Botswana rhinos risk wipeout as poaching rises

Nine Bostawana rhinos have been poached since April, said the government. The thousands of rhinos that once roamed Africa and Asia have been culled by poaching and habitat loss. Very few are found outside national parks and reserves, where they remain threatened.

Tougher penalties to protect Sri Lanka elephants after mass deaths

Wildlife and Tourism Minister John Amaratunga said he will impose tougher sanctions on offenders to boost laws enacted three years ago but not yet implemented due to administrative delays.

Bats starving to death in Australia drought

There has been a "rapid increase" in the number of stricken native flying foxes found in areas of Queensland and New South Wales over the past two weeks, rescue group Bats Queensland told AFP.

India among hotspots of antibiotic resistance in animals: Study

'New electric eel species produces strongest animal shock'

What was once known as a single species of electric eel is actually three different species, with one of the newly classified organism producing the highest voltage discharge of any known animal, according to a study. The research, published in the journal Nature Communications, offers new insights into the origin and production of strong electric discharges in fishes.

Tree cover increased in last 5 years, says Prakash Javadekar

Addressing a gathering at the Forest Research Institute (FRI) which was celebrating their 5th Convocation, Javadekar outlined the profound memory of the sacrifice of the local people in saving trees. He also underlined the role of peoples' participation in forest and wildlife conservation.

Mysterious disease killing dogs in Norway

COP14: India identifies 130 wetlands for priority restoration

The highest number of such identified wetlands are in Uttar Pradesh (16) followed by Madhya Pradesh (13), Jammu & Kashmir (12), Gujarat (8), Karnataka (7) and West Bengal (6). Each of these wetlands will be restored under a comprehensive scheme of the National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Ecosystems (NPCA) for conservation and restoration of wetlands and lakes.

5 whales dead after mass stranding on Maui beach

Five whales died, including four that were euthanized, after a mass stranding Thursday on a beach on the Hawaii island of Maui. Ten melon-headed whales were found stranded alive early in the morning on Sugar Beach in the coastal resort community of Kihei.

Brazilian indigenous speak out as Amazon fires rage

Kayapo, one of the Bau people's leaders, helps organise a village watch group to protect the community's lands from encroaching flames as well as illegal loggers, miners and others seeking to exploit the area. With fires spreading quickly to wide swaths of indigenous territories in recent weeks, his task has grown more critical. So far in 2019, Brazil reported 83,000 fires, a 77 per cent increase from the same period last year.

'Otterly' adorable: Demand for cute selfies puts animals at risk

Social media users are fuelling a burgeoning appetite for acquiring wild otters and other endangered animals as pets, conservationists say, warning the trend could push species towards extinction.Popular Instagrammers posting selfies with their pet otter may simply be seeking to warm the hearts of their sometimes hundreds of thousands of followers, but animal protection groups say the trend is posing an existential threat to the silky mammal."The illegal trade in otters has suddenly increased exponentially," Nicole Duplaix, who co-chairs the Otter Specialist Group at the International Union for Conservation of Nature, told AFP.

US panthers hit with mysterious disease