World Wetlands Day

Recently, the State Governments and Union Territory administrations in India celebrated World Wetlands Day (WWD) at all 75 Ramsar.

About World Wetlands Day:

World Wetlands Day is observed on 2nd February every year all over the world to commemorate the signing of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance in 1971.
India is a party to the Convention since 1982 and has so far declared 75 wetlands as Ramsar sites covering 23 states and Union Territories.
At present, the state of Tamil Nadu has a maximum number of Ramsar sites (14), followed by UP which has 10 numbers of Ramsar sites.
The 2023 theme for World Wetlands Day is Wetland Restoration.
The theme of 2023 highlights the urgent need to prioritize wetland restoration. It is a call on an entire generation to take proactive action for wetlands, by investing financial, human and political capital to save the wetlands from disappearing and to revive and restore those that have been degraded.
India has the largest network of Ramsar Sites in Asia, making these sites a critical ecological network for the conservation of global biological diversity and supporting human well-being.

Cytotoxins

Recently, scientists have traced the mechanisms of the toxic action of cobra venom.

About Cytotoxins:

The Cytotoxins (CTXs) are an essential class of the non-enzymatic three-finger toxin family and are ubiquitously present in cobra venoms.
These low-molecular-mass toxins, contributing to about 40 to 60% of the cobra venom proteome, play a significant role in cobra venom-induced toxicity, more prominently in dermonecrosis (local effects).
Some CTXs are also responsible for depolarizing neurons and heart muscle membranes, thereby contributing to cardiac failures frequently observed in cobra-envenomed victims. Consequently, they are also known as cardiotoxins (CdTx).
Interestingly, the proportion of cobra venom CTXs varies dramatically across different cobra species.
Usually, venoms from African spitting cobras have a higher proportion of CTXs than the Asiatic cobra ones, indicating geographical variation in snake venom composition.

Key facts about the Cobra

Cobras (genus Naja) are widely distributed over Asia and Africa.
Cobra bites are responsible for large mortality and morbidity on these continents, including the Indian sub-continent.
Cobra venoms are neurotoxic. However, they also exhibit local cytotoxic effects at the envenomed site, and the extent of cytotoxicity may vary from species to species.

White-tailed deer

A recent study has found widespread infection of white-tailed deer with the SARS-CoV-2 virus across New York.

Key facts about White-tailed deer:

They are the smallest members of the North American deer family.
Scientific name: Odocoileus virginianus
Distribution: They are found in North America from southern Canada through Central America.

Habitat:

- Includes areas along streams and rivers, mixed woodlands, farms, forests, and burned shrub fields.
- Open areas are used only when thick shrubs or forests are nearby.

Features:

- It is tan or brown in the summer and grayish brown in winter.
- It has white on its throat, around its eyes and nose, on its stomach, and on the underside of its tail.
- Only male deer grow antlers, which are shed each year.
- They are excellent runners. They can run at speeds of up to 30 miles an hour.
IUCN Status: ‘Least Concern’

Orang National Park

Recently, a Royal Bengal tiger was found dead in Assam’s Orang National Park due to age-related problems.

About Orang National Park:

It is located on the north bank of the Brahmaputra River in the state of Assam.
It was established as a sanctuary in 1985 and declared a National Park on 13 April 1999.
It is also known as the mini Kaziranga National Park (IUCN site) since the two parks have a similar landscape made up of marshes, streams and grasslands and are inhabited by the Great Indian One-Horned Rhinoceros.
It is also a Tiger Reserve of the country which was notified in 2016.
Fauna: Rhinoceros, Tiger, Elephants, Hog Deer, Wild Pig, Civet Cat, One-Horned Rhinoceros.

Asiatic black bear

Recently, a new study revealed that the Kashmir Valley has bucked the trend of Asiatic black attacks on humans rarely reported throughout the animal’s global range.

About Asiatic black bear

The Asiatic black bear is known as the Moon bear.
The Asiatic black bear has 7 subspecies, out of which we find the Himalayan Black Bear subspecies in India.
Features: The Asiatic Black Bear has a coat of smooth black fur and can be distinguished by a V of white fur on its chest.
Range: The Asiatic black bear lives in a narrow band stretching from south-eastern Iran to Myanmar, across the Himalayan foothills.
In India, it is found in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Sikkim, and the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
The Asiatic black bear is omnivorous.

Conservation status

- IUCN Red List: Vulnerable
- CITES: Appendix I
- Wild Life Protection Act 1972: Schedule II

Asiatic Black Bear

The Kashmir Valley has bucked the trend of Asiatic black attacks on humans rarely reported throughout the animal’s global range.

Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) is also as Moon bear.
The Asiatic black bear has 7 subspecies, out of which we find the Himalayan Black Bear (Ursus thibetanus laniger) subspecies in India.
Features – The Asiatic Black Bear has a coat of smooth black fur and can be distinguished by a V of white fur on its chest.

asiaticblackbear

Distribution – The Asiatic black bear occupies a narrow band from south-eastern Iran to Myanmar, across the foothills of the Himalayas.
In India – Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Sikkim, and the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).
Diet – Omnivorous. Mainly comprises of fruits.
Threats – Hunting, poaching, habitat loss and climate change.
In Kashmir Valley, the conversion of the bear’s natural habitat to orchards and farmlands is a major threat.

Conservation

asiaticblackbeariucn

Red Sanders

The recent trade database of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) has recorded 28 incidents of Red Sanders confiscation, seizure, and wild specimen being exported from India.

What is Red Sanders?

It is a flora species that are endemic to a distinct tract of forests in the Eastern Ghats region of Andhra Pradesh.
Geographical conditions required: It usually grows in rocky, degraded and fallow lands with Red Soil and a hot and dry climate.
Protection Status:
- IUCN Red List: Endangered
- CITES: Appendix II
- Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972: Schedule IV

Key facts about the CITES

It is an international agreement to which States and regional economic integration organizations adhere voluntarily.
It was drafted as a result of a resolution adopted in 1963 at a meeting of members of IUCN (The World Conservation Union). It entered into force in July 1975.
It aims to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten the survival of the species.
Although CITES is legally binding on the Parties – in other words they have to implement the Convention – it does not take the place of national laws.
The CITES Secretariat is administered by UNEP and is located in Geneva, Switzerland. The Conference of the Parties to CITES is the supreme decision-making body of the Convention and comprises all its parties.

Bar-headed goose

A bar-headed goose, which was tagged in Mongolia in July 2014 has recently been spotted in Koonthankulam – Kadankulam Bird Sanctuary in Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu.

About Bar-headed goose:

They are large pale grey birds which are considered one the world’s highest flying birds.
They are known for their migration spanning distances of over 1,600 km in a day. They are also known for reaching extreme altitudes of 29,500 feet during their twice-yearly migrations across the Himalayas.
Scientific name: Anser indicus
Distribution: Native to central Asia, where the species breeds, they are found in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Kazakhstan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Japan and other nearby regions.
Habitat: They breed around lakes and marshes on highland plateaus; winters in lowland wetlands and fields.

Features:

- This species is gray and white with two horseshoe-shaped, brownish-black bars on the back of its white head.
- The bill and legs are pink, orange, or yellow.
IUCN Status: ‘Least Concern’

Conservation initiatives in the Budget

During the Budget speech Union finance minister announced multiple schemes towards the protection and conservation of India’s natural heritage, including mangroves and wetlands.

Key schemes announced in the budget are:

MISHTI (Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats & Tangible Incomes)

- It is a new programme that will facilitate mangrove plantations along India’s coastline and on saltpan lands.
- The programme will operate through “convergence between MGNREGS, Campa Fund and other sources.”
- This new programme will aim at the intensive afforestation of coastal mangrove forests.

Amrit Dharohar

- This is a scheme that will be implemented over the next three years to encourage the optimal use of wetlands and enhance bio-diversity, carbon stock, eco-tourism opportunities and income generation for local communities.
- Amrit Dharohar will emphasise the importance of wetlands and their preservation, with an outlook that is inclusive of local communities as caretakers of the ecosystem.

Yaya Tso Lake

Recently, Yaya Tso Lake was declared Ladakh’s first biodiversity heritage site under the Biological Diversity Act.

Why in news?

The Biodiversity Management Committee, the panchayat of Chumathang village, along with the SECURE Himalaya Project recently resolved the issue and declared Yaya Tso Lake a biodiversity heritage site.

Key facts about the Yaya Tso Lake

Lake Yaya Tso is known as a bird’s paradise for its beautiful lake located at an altitude of 4,820 metres in Ladakh.
It is a nesting habitat for a large number of birds and animals, such as the bar-headed goose, black-necked crane and brahminy duck
It is also one of the highest breeding sites of the black-necked crane in India.

What is the Secure Himalaya project?

It is funded by the Global Environment Facility.
It supports the government’s efforts for the conservation of snow leopard and its habitat by developing and implementing a landscape-based approach for Himalayan ecosystems, and addresses key issues of habitat degradation, threatened livelihoods and illegal trade in wildlife.
It was launched in 2017.

Project Landscapes:

Changthang, Ladakh Landscape, Jammu & Kashmir
Lahaul-Pangi and Kinnaur Landscapes,
Gangotri-Govind and Darma-Byans Landscapes,
Khangchendzonga-upper Teesta Valley.

Red-headed vulture

Recently, The Red-headed vulture was spotted in the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary.

About Red-headed vulture

This is one of the 9 species of Vulture which are found in India
It is also called the Asian King vulture or Pondicherry Vulture was extensively found in India but its numbers drastically reduced after diclofenac poisoning.
Conservation status
- IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
- Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule 1

Key facts about the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary

It is located on the Southern Delhi Ridge of the Aravalli hill range on the Delhi-Haryana border and in Southern Delhi as well as northern parts of the Faridabad and Gurugram districts of Haryana.
It is at the end of an important wildlife corridor that starts from Sariska National Park in Alwar, Rajasthan.
Flora: Wide variety of trees, shrubs, herbs and grasses.
Fauna: A large number of mammals, reptiles, amphibians, butterflies and dragonflies

Heimang

Despite recent studies highlighting the Heimang’s remarkable adaptability, it hasn’t yet been used much in commerce.

Key facts about Heimang

The Heimang tree grows widely in Manipur and other north-eastern regions
Its fruit have a citrus-like tartness and, it is packed with nutrients such as polyphenols, flavonoids, and antioxidants.
Traditional healers of Manipur called Maibas or maibis, prescribe heimang for common gastrointestinal problems like diarrhoea and dysentery.
It is also recommended to eat water-soaked fruit for indigestion and stomach ulcer.
The research found that compounds isolated from the stem of the heimang tree can significantly suppress HIV-1 activity in vitro.
Local communities in the state also use heimang leaves to prepare a herbal shampoo called chinghi by boiling them with rice water.

Munroe Thuruthu: The sinking island of Kerala

A recent study revealed anthropogenic interventions as the main reason for the plight of Munroe Thuruthuresidents, Kerala’s first set of climate refugees.

Munroe Thuruthu is slowly going under water
Munroe Island is located 27 km away from the heart of Kollam.
It is a string of eight islets at the confluence of the Ashtamudi Lake and the Kallada river.
The island’s decline began with the construction of the Thenmala dam.
Located 70 km away and constructed in the 1960s under the Kallada Irrigation Project, the dam blocked the flow of fresh water as a result of sediments from the Kallada river — the main determinant of the land’s fertility.
Today the whole area has turned saline

Sariska Tiger Reserve (STR)

After successful reintroduction of tigers at the Sariska Tiger Reserve (STR), the forest department is planning to relocate a pair of sloth bears at the reserve.

About Sariska Tiger Reserve (STR):

Location: It is located in the Aravalli hills in the Alwar district of Rajasthan
This area was a hunting preserve of the erstwhile Alwar state.
It was declared as a wildlife reserve in 1955 and then a Tiger Reserve in 1978 under Project Tiger.
It is the first reserve in the world which successfully relocated tigers.
Sariska is also famous for old temples, palaces and lakes such as Pandu Pol, Bhangarh Fort, Ajaibgarh, Pratapgarh, Siliserh Lake and Jai Samand Lake.
Topography: Grasslands, dry deciduous forests, cliffs, and rocky landscapes.
Flora: salar, kadaya, dhak, gol, ber , Banyan , gugal , bamboo , kair , adusta etc
Fauna: Bengal tigers, leopard, jungle cat, Indian jackal, chital, chinkara, four-horned antelope, Indian peafowl, grey partridge, Indian peafowl, Indian eagle-owl etc.

Sloth Bear:

Sloth bears are one of the eight bear species found across the world.
Scientific name: Melursus ursinus
Distribution: They mainly inhabit the region of India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bhutan.
Features:
- They have long, shaggy dark brown or black fur and curved claws, which are the longest out of any of the bear species.
- It feeds on fruits, ants and termites.
Conservation Status:
- IUCN: “Vulnerable”
- Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule 1

Senna Spectabilis

The Nodal Centre for Biological Invasions (NCBI) at the Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI) has recently come out with a management plan to eradicate Senna spectabilis.

Why in news?

Based on the results of the experimental study done at the Periyar Tiger Reserve, the plan envisages landscape-level management of the tree.
The two key factors considered in developing the management protocol were the fast nature of the spread of the tree in natural forests, and the restoration of natural forests based on landscape.

What is Senna spectabilis?

Senna spectabilis is an invasive species.
It is introduced as an ornamental species and for use as firewood from South and Central America.

Key facts about the Periyar Tiger Reserve

It is nestled in the southern region of Western Ghats in the state of Kerala.
It is drained by the rivers Mullayar and Periyar.
Flora: tropical evergreen, semi-evergreen, moist deciduous forests and grasslands.
Fauna: Tiger, Elephant, Lion-tailed macaque, Nilgiri Tahr etc.

Soliga ecarinata

Recently, the scientific community has named a new genus of wasp after the Soliga community.

About Soliga ecarinata:

The Soliga ecarinata is a new wasp that belongs to the subfamily Metopiinae of the Darwin wasps family Ichneumonidae.
These are seen only in the Palaearctic region, Neotropical and Nearctic regions.
This is the second genus of this subfamily reported from India and the first from South India.
Scientists have named this wasp after the Soliga community.

Who are Soligas?

Soligas are an indigenous tribe of Karnataka, inhabiting the peripheral forest areas near Biligiri Rangana Hills and Male Mahadeshwara in the Chamarajnagar district of Karnataka.
The Soligas were dependent on hunting and shifting agriculture traditionally.
They are the first tribal community living inside the core area of a tiger reserve in India to get their forest rights officially recognised by a court of law.

Key facts about the Biligiri Rangan Hills

It is located northwest of the Western Ghats and on the westernmost edge of the Eastern Ghats.
The unique geographical positioning and diversity of habitats make BRT one of the richest areas for biodiversity in India.
The Kapila and Cauvery Rivers flow through these hills.

Albinism

Recently a partial albino dhole (Cuon alpinus) has been photo-documented in Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary.

About Albinism:

Albinism is the result of cells that can’t produce melanin, the pigment needed to colour skin, scales, eyes and hair.
This genetic condition gets passed to offspring when both parents carry the recessive gene. When albinism is present, the animal can appear white or pink.
The production of melanin occurs within melanocytes, specialized cells that are present but not fully functional in albino mammals.

Key facts about Dhole

The dhole or Asiatic Wild Dog is found in three clusters across India namely the Western and Eastern Ghats, the central Indian landscape and North East India.
The Western and Eastern Ghats is a stronghold regions for dholes.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Endangered
The Wildlife Protection Act 1972: Schedule II
CITES: Appendix II

About Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary.

It is extended over three districts, namely, Chamarajanagar, Mandya and Ramanagara in
The sanctuary provides a vital link between Bannerghatta National Park in the north and BRT Tiger Reserve and Male Mahadev Hills Wildlife Sanctuary in the south.
The area is drained by three rivers, namely, Cauvery, Arkavathi and Shimsha.
Flora: The forest is primarily of dry deciduous and scrub types, but a wide range of forest types including moist deciduous, semi-evergreen, evergreen, shola, riverine, Hardwicke forest, etc.
Fauna: Important animals found in the sanctuary are tigers, elephants, leopards, bison, wild dog etc.

Black-Headed Ibis

The campus of Mangalore University is home to three species that are listed as near-threatened on the red list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, according to a nine-year study on the avifaunal variety of the area (IUCN).

About Black-Headed Ibis:

It is a large wader bird with a white body and bare black head and neck. Males and females look similar and both have greyish tail feathers.
These are called wader birds due to their adaptability to a wide variety of aquatic environments.
They are found primarily around wetlands including agricultural fields and occasionally around coastal areas.
It is found in South- and Southeast Asia from India to the west and as far east as Japan.

Conservation status

IUCN Red List: Near Threatened
The Wildlife Protection Act 1972:Schedule-IV

k-necked stork

The black-necked stork was recorded for the second consecutive year in Porbandar’s Bardasagar reservoir.

About Black-necked stork:

The black-necked stork is a tall long-necked wading bird in the stork family.
Scientific name: Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus
Distribution: It is distributed in the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia and Australia.
Habitat: They inhabits wetlands, such as floodplains of rivers with large shallow swamps and pools, and deeper permanent bodies of water.
Features:
- They are large birds, measuring 110 to 140 cm in length and weighing 4,000 grams.
- Their wingspan is 190 to 220 cm.
- The male and female birds look alike but female is distinguished by its yellow eye.
IUCN status: “Near Threatened”

Bardasagar reservoir:

It is located in the Porbandar district, Gujarat.
The Bardasagar dam is created to store rain water for agricultural purpose.
The Bardasagar dam and farms on its periphery are the ideal winter escape for thousands of cranese. Common crane and Demoiselle crane.
Bardasagar is regular nesting ground for elegant Great crested Grebe like Mokarsagar. The “weed ceremony” and dancing ritual of Great crested Grebe can be seen here

Kawal Tiger Reserve

During the recent Asian Water Bird Census (AWC) 2023, more than 340 birds of various species, were counted in the water bodies within the core area of the Kawal Tiger Reserve.

About Kawal Tiger Reserve:

Kawal Tiger Reserve is located in North Eastern part of Telangana (Old Adilabad district) having the Godavari river on one side and the Maharashtra border on the other side.
Government of India declared Kawal wildlife sanctuary as Tiger Reserve in 2012.
This sanctuary is the catchment for the rivers Godavari and Kadam, which flow towards the south of the sanctuary.
It is a central Indian Tiger Landscape having – a southern Tropical Dry Deciduous Forest.
Flora: It consists of predominantly teak and bamboo are found here.
Fauna: Mammal species that have been sighted include tiger, leopard, Indian gaur, cheetal, sambar, nilgai etc