Flora & Fauna

Whale found dead with 100kg ‘litter ball’ in stomach

Country's tiger population up by 750 in 4 yrs to 2,976: Prakash Javadekar

10 animals killed in barn fire at Ohio wildlife park

'Nemo' fish may not adapt to changing climate: Study

Heartbeat of blue whale recorded for first time

Scientists have recorded the heart rate of the blue whale for the first time, and revealed surprising operating extremes of the heart that may limit the size of the largest animal on the Earth. The data suggests that a blue whale's heart is already working at its limit, which may explain why blue whales have never evolved to be bigger, the researchers said.

Dog years are a myth and puppies are middle-aged

The idea that dogs age 7 years for every one human year is wrong, scientists have claimed. Researchers at the University of California say they have found puppies are middle-aged by the time they are 2, with dogs tending to then age more slowly in life later on. By the time they get to 3, dogs are roughly equivalent to a 50-year-old human, according to the study.

NGT seeks report on carcasses of migratory birds at Sambhar lake

US-born Bei Bei settles into new home at Chinese panda base

He is now settling into the Ya'an Bifengxia Base of the Giant Panda Conservation and Research Center in southwest Sichuan province. Bei Bei will be quarantined for one month while he adjusts to the time difference, learns to eat local foods and picks up Sichuanese dialect, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

To protect Great Indian Bustard, Environment Ministry to declare their habitats as conservation reserves

During a meeting held by a committee under the ministry, constituted in pursuance to the directions of the National Green Tribunal, it was also decided to have time bound action plan for the implementation of mitigation measures such as installation of bird diverters and their regular maintenance and monitoring by power agencies.

Panda Bei Bei says bye bye to US, heads 'home' to China

Bei Bei will travel on a specially equipped direct flight from Washington to Chengdu inside a steel and plexiglass crate, accompanied by his keeper and a veterinarian, zoo officials said. The 4-year-old cub, whose name means "precious, treasure" in Mandarin, was destined to head to China under Beijing's "panda diplomacy." FedEx is paying for the flight and the special outfitting of the Boeing 777.

Brazil Amazon deforestation soars to 11-year high in 2019

Environmental DNA test may reveal where birds flock together: Study

The study, published in the journal Endangered Species Research, noted that eDNA -- which is DNA collected from environmental samples like soil, seawater, or even air rather than direct sampling from an individual organism -- can be used to detect the presence of threatened terrestrial species in an ecosystem.

India wants global protection to Asian elephant

A proposal for including the mainland Asian elephant or Indian elephant in Appendix 1 of the Convention of Migratory Species has been submitted by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

Tune differences between bird species linked to genes: Study

The researchers, including those from Hokkaido University in Japan, said species-specific songs by birds were dependent on differences in the structure and development of regions in the brain which influenced behaviour, but the genetic mechanism underlying these differences remained elusive until now.

Bats, unlike other mammals, do not show dependence on gut bacteria: Study

Earlier studies have established that in several mammals, including humans, gut bacteria, help in digesting food and maintaining healthy immune systems, and researchers are still learning about the relationship between microbes and skin, gut, and oral health in other animals.

Rare deer-like species photographed for first time in wild

Images of the silver-backed chevrotain, commonly called the Vietnamese mouse deer, were captured in the wild by trap cameras, Global Wildlife Conservation said. It said the rabbit-sized animal is not a deer or a mouse, despite its nickname, but is the world's smallest hoofed mammal.