Flora & Fauna

The gentle Giraffe is facing a silent extinction

Populations of the world’s tallest mammals, the Giraffe are quietly, yet sharply, in decline. Giraffe numbers across Africa fell 40% between 1985 and 2015, to just under 1,00,000 animals, according to the best figures available to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Giant panda gives birth to rare twins at Belgian zoo

Climate change could wipe out California's Joshua trees by end of century

A team from the University of California at Riverside used data from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to assess the impact of warming on the distribution of Joshua trees (Yucca brevifolia) in their namesake Joshua Tree National Park.

Rare photo captures sea lion falling into mouth of whale

In a stunning photo, a wildlife photographer has captured a sea lion falling into the mouth of a humpback whale in what he calls a "once-in-a-lifetime" moment. Chase Dekker, who is also a marine biologist, took the spectacular shot during a whale-watching boat trip off the coast of Monterey Bay, in California, last week.

Colossal dinosaur bone find in France thrills scientists

Scientists have unearthed a 140-million-year-old thigh bone weighing 400 kg (880 pounds) at the vast Angeac-Charente palaeontological site near Bordeaux, France. Thanks to its remarkably good condition, the femur -- which scientists say probably belonged to a gigantic sauropod -- could help piece together an incomplete set of bones which the latest find resembles.

Rare photo captures sea lion falling into mouth of whale

A wildlife photographer and a marine biologist, Chase Dekker, captured a sea lion falling into the mouth of a humpback whale in what he calls a "once-in-a-lifetime" moment. He took the spectacular shot during a whale-watching boat trip off the coast of Monterey Bay last week. Dekker clarified that the sea lion managed to escape as the whale didn't close its jaws.

An open letter to PM Modi and Prakash Javadekar from tigers of India

Great Indian Bustard nearing extinction due to high voltage power lines: Environment ministry

Only 150 Great Indian Bustard are left, with the maximum number in Jaisalmer. They are dying at the rate of 15 per cent annually due to collision with high voltage power lines. The GIB population has been reduced by 75 per cent in the last 30 years.

Has the tiger population risen by 20% to cross 2,600?

The tiger population in the country is likely to show a rise of 400, which is an 18-20% hike over the 2014 number of 2,226. PM Narendra Modi is expected to announce the final figure on Monday, which is Global Tiger Day. People in the know told TOI that it would be in excess of 2600. In 2006, the tiger count was 1,411 followed by 1,726 in 2010.

Not just humans, chimpanzees too love to watch movies together

Humans create social closeness with others through activities in which they align their mental states towards a stimulus. Chimpanzees enjoy watching movies together and get a sense of closeness through shared experience. A study of apes watching videos suggests human social bonding may have deeper evolutionary roots than previously thought.

Order to cull Himachal Pradesh’s ‘vermin’ monkeys draws activists’ ire

Union environment ministry has declared monkeys (Rhesus Macaque) as ‘vermin’ in Himachal Pradesh, allowing local authorities to cull this animal in certain identified non-forest areas in Shimla for one year. The move has, however, attracted the ire of animal rights activists.

Florida expert captures elusive alligator at Chicago lagoon

The male gator, nicknamed 'Chance the Snapper,' was first spotted in a Chicago lagoon about a week ago. On Tuesday, Frank Robb, who has 24 years of gator catching experience flew from Florida to catch the 5-foot 3-inch animal using something that even cartoon alligators know to avoid: a fishing pole. Chance had become a daily news story keeping locals hooked.

9 deer at famed park in Japan die after eating plastic bags

Nine deer at a famed park in western Japan have died recently after swallowing plastic bags. Nara Park has more than 1,000 deer and tourists can feed them special sugar-free crackers sold in shops nearby. The crackers don't come in plastic bags, but people still carry them. A veterinarian says the deer may associate the plastic with food.

Pench tiger crossing NH-7 raises concern

Tigress, two cubs found dead in Maha; poisoning suspected

Over 9,000 arrested for wildlife poaching between 2012-2018: Environment ministry