JANUARY 2015


JANUARY 1, 2015 (THURSDAY)

India lost 64 tigers in 2014: January 1, 2015
Cold wave intensifies in Kashmir - Night temperatures  continue to fall: Thursday, Jan 1, 2015
Poachers kill rhino in Orang, shoot park staff: Thursday, January 01, 2015

JANUARY 2
Sri Lankan snake sighted in Seshachalam: January 2, 2015
Open-billed storks flock to Raiganj WLS: January 2, 2015
Death of vultures and some wild animals in Mudumalai , a cause for concern: January 2, 2015 
Kawal Tiger Reserve in Adilabad district has 25 to 30 leopards : January 2, 2015
Leh coldest at minus 17, Srinagar shivers at minus 4.8: Srinagar, Jan 2, 2015 (IANS)

JANUARY 3
Rare plant species found in the Dhoni hills and Elival hills of Muthikulam, Palakkad district: Jan 3 <http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/rare-plant-species-found-in-palakkad/article6750999.ece?homepage=true>
 The threshold population of 25 to 30 leopards in the Kawal TR remains constant: Jan 3
Rain, snowfall intensify cold in  Uttarakhand: Jan 3
ITBP sounds high alert after heavy snowfall in the high-altitude Himalayan border region: Jan3
Fresh snowfall in Shimla, Kufri: Jan3, 2015
Dal Lake freezes as mercury drops to -5.4°C: Jan 3 2015
KFRI Scientists discover twin of Camphor Plant in Agasthyamala and Kollam’s Rosemala : 3rd Jan
China diverts Yangtze water, is Brahmaputra next target? Saturday, Jan 03
Migratory aquatic birds start flocking the water bodies of Daying Ering Memorial WLS and adjoining areas of the Siang river: Jan 03, 2015
Yesterday's weather - Northeast: Saturday, Jan 03, 2015 

JANUARY 4
 Fresh snow in HP: Jan 4, 2015
Rain, snowfall continue, severe cold in Uttarakhand: Jan 4 2015 
 Leopard caught in Trap Saved by Vandalur Team: 4th January 2015
Nagpur birder sights rare king vulture in Bor Reserve: TNN | Jan 4, 2015
Gujarat forest dept ropes in BSF, FSL experts to curb poaching: Jan 4, 201
Why India needs a conservation act: Saad bin Jung, January 4, 2015
Big role for Gorumara NP  in saving threatened butterflies: January 4, 2015
Panic grips tribal villages in Silent Valley after attack by suspected Maoists: January 4, 2015 
Forest guard of Orang NP arrested on charges of killing his colleague  to abet criminals to poach a rhino on Dec 31: Sunday, January 04, 2015
Sharp shower hits city, more rain likely today: Sunday, 4 Jan 2015

 JANUARY 5
Dense fog hit Chennai airport on Sunday morning: Monday,  Jan 5, 2015
Year’s first rhino poached in Kaziranga: Monday, January 05, 2015
Rose-ringed parakeets are sold in many pet shops in the city: January 5, 2015

JANUARY 6
Gulmarg gets first snowfall of season as Valley shivers under sub-zero temperatures: Jan 6, 2015  <http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/community/gulmarg-gets-first-snowfall-of-season-as-valley-shivers/26554.html>
Govt approves Neutrino Project in Bodi West Hills: January 6, 2015
Turtle Festival' at Srikurmam temple Srikakulam district starts today: 06th January 2015

JANUARY 7
Late fog over Chennai airport: 7th January 2015
WWF-India to conserve turtles in Ramganga: TNN | Jan 7, 2015

JANUARY 8 (THURSDAY)
Centre aborts Cheyyur and Bedabahal UMPP bids to avoid Public sector: Thursday, 8 Jan, 2015
 Ranganathittu's 'Bird Man': Mysuru, Jan 8, 2015
J&K reels under intense cold wave: Thursday, Jan 8, 2015

JANUARY 9
78 tigers killed in 2014, says NTCA report: Chamarajanagar, Jan 9, 2015

JANUARY 10
Kargil freezes at minus 17.2 degrees Celsius: Saturday, January 10, 2015
More birds visit Chilika Lake this winter: Jan 10, 2015
Second rhino killed in Assam in 2015 - in Nagaon district: Saturday, January 10, 2015

JANUARY 11
Temperature Plummets across Odisha : 11th January 2015
Lambasingi in Vishaka agency shivers at Zero degree Celsius: Jan11, 2015
Deadly trap for wildlife - NH-209, esp. the 28km stretch from Hasanur to Dimbum: Jan11, 2015
Bid to save birds during kite-flying fete: January 11, 2015

JANUARY 12
Greenpeace activist stopped at Delhi airport: January 12, 2015
Environmental Groups Come Together to Develop Origin of River Shalmala : 12th January 2015
Migratory birds throng Koraput Reservoirs : 12th January 2015
Kashmir valley continues to reel under dry weather, awaits snow: Jan 12 2015
Poachers killed two more rhinos at KNP, army help sought : Monday, January 12, 2015

JANUARY 13
Frost in Munnar Tea Plantations to Impact Production: 13th January 2015
Herd of 13 elephants  strike terror near Kuppam: January 13, 2015
Delhi records 4 degree Celsius: January 13, 2015
Idamalayar irrigation project to go on stream after 34 years’ delay: January 13, 2015
Forest Minister, Rakibul Hussain blamed for unabated killing of rhino: Tuesday, January 13, 2015
Rare Rusty-spotted cat spotted: January 13, 2015
Elephant-proof trench in Mudumalai core zone shocks naturalists: January 13, 2015

JANUARY 14
Uttarakhand under threat of avian flu: Jan 14, 2015
Trained elephants led by Balarama chase away wild elephant  in Mysuru district: Jan 14, 2015
  Flamingos have started flocking to Dhanushkodi: TNN | Jan 14, 2015
NGOs against Tipaimukh Dam: Wednesday, January 14, 2015
Kaziranga guards kill 3 poachers in encounter: January 14, 2015
Nippy weather continues in Chennai: January 14, 2015

JANUARY 15 (THURSDAY)
Forest owlet sighted in Madhya Pradesh: January 15, 2015
Shimla receives fresh snowfall: Jan 15, 2015

JANUARY 17
Odisha HC Stays Auction of Non-Coal Mines: 17th January 2015
Dismal tiger count in Buxa Tiger Reserve - may be home to around five tigers: TNN | Jan 17, 201
PAKKE PAGA Festival begins: January 17, 2015
The first Pakke Paga Festival began on Jan.16 at General Ground, Seijosa in East Kameng.
The festival has been initiated primarily to popularize the role played by the local Nyishi people in conserving hornbills in Pakke and surrounding areas. The festival also seeks to focus on the importance of conservation of hornbills and wildlife in the state as well as to create interest and awareness among urban Indians and foreign visitors about the cultural and wildlife heritage of Arunachal Pradesh especially of Pakke Tiger Reserve and its surrounding areas. Paga means hornbill in the Nyishi language. It is also to focus on the importance of conservation of hornbills and wildlife in Arunachal Pradesh (the need to reduce hunting and logging and come up with policies to provide alternative source of income).


Aparajita Dutta of Mysore-based Nature Conservation Foundation which has played a pioneering role in conservation of hornbills in Pakke had earlier said "We hope that through this festival there is increased pride and support for the conservation efforts in and around Pakke tiger reserve"
Today the Boro Students Union, All Assam Students Union, and members of Nyishi Elite Society appreciated the initiative to conserve the precious hornbills and to maintain the brotherhood feelings with the neighbouring state. Takum Nabam of the Ghora Abhe Society which is working with various organizations to host the event appraised audiences and villagers how the concept of the festival emerged.
The inaugural programme also included war dance, play, screening of short films, 10 km race, local games and sports like segia ganam (arrow-shooting), local shot put, stick wrestling, sight-seeing and drawing competition. Addressing the  gathering at the festival, PHED Minister Takam Pario said "Arunachal Pradesh is blessed with abundant fauna and flora, wildlife and unique species which needs to be globalised". Pario added that "we need to popularize our resources and we should conserve by maintaining peace and brotherhood with Assam". "Conservation and preservation of natural resources will also boost the economic development of the state and will help the culture and traditions of the state grow globally", he added. The festival will conclude on Sunday.
<http://www.arunachaltimes.in/#Pakke> Jan17, 2015
  
JANUARY 18
Telangana government is set to embark on a multi-faceted survey of its forests: Jan18, 2015
Arrival of Lesser Flamingos declines at Sambhar Lake: Jan 18, 2015
Death marks beginning of nesting season of Olive Ridley turtles in Chennai : Jan18, 2015

JANUARY 19
Birds back at Hauz-e-Shamsi in Mehrauli  after ASI cleans up reservoir: Jan 19
Gandhisagar WLS in MP has emerged as second best nesting site for vultures: Jan 19
Carcass of suspected ship-struck Bryde's  whale washes ashore near Chennai: Jan 19
Biting cold wave conditions in most parts of Himachal  as icy winds blow: Jan 19, 2015
Climate change takes toll on winter snowfall in Kashmir says study: Monday, Jan 19, 2015
Chadar trek closed for tourists in Ladakh: Monday, January 19, 2015
Tourism Ministry objects to Demwe Lower HE Project on the Lohit River: Jan 19, 2015

JANUARY 20
Highest number of waterbirds recorded at Vembanad: Jan20, 2015
Two elephants fall to death in Coonoor range and Kemparai area of North Bargur  RF: Jan 20, 2015
Tiger population rises to 2,226 : January 20, 2015
2 elephants killed by poachers: Tuesday, Jan20, 2015
Hornbill Monitoring Evolves into Bid to Conserve Ecosystem: 20th Jan 2015
Census conducted in 2014 counted at least 2,226 tigers in forests across the country, around 500 more than were counted four years ago. Environment minister Prakash Javadekar  said more than 9,700 cameras were used to count the cats accurately: 20th January 2015
NGT disposes of petition seeking to restrain IIT-M from constructing new bldgs, but MoE clearance must for felling trees: Tuesday, 20th January 2015 
 The Hindu: January 20, 2015
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has given conditional clearance to the lIT - M for constructing buildings on its campus. On Monday, the tribunal disposed of a case seeking to restrain the institution from building new structures on its campus. This follows a government notification exempting educational institutions from getting environmental clearance for, construction activities. However, the NGT Bench restrained lIT - M from felling trees on the campus without permission as required by law. The Bench also said regulation of activities on the campus was not under its jurisdiction. The Bench was hearing a petition filed by E. Seshan, an environmental activist, who had asked the court to restrain lIT-M from executing the construction work, and to regulate activities and stop felling of trees on the campus.
In March 2014, the NGT passed an interim injunction restraining IIT-M from cutting trees or building new structures until further 0rders. This was based on the Environmental Impact Assessment (RIA) notification, 2006, mandating environmental clearance for buildings constructed on over 20,000 square metres of land. However, a subsequent notification in 2014, issued by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, amended this. It states that projects such as industrial sheds, schools, colleges and hostels for educational institutions are exempted from the EIA notification. Citing this, the Bench observed that the NGT could not restrain further construction on the lIT - M campus.
In 2008, IIT-M embarked on a plan to accommodate increased intake of students and faculty and planned 7 new buildings and sought 250 acres for expansion. The State Government had agreed to assign half the requirement of land outside the city. IIT-M director Bhaskar Ramamurthy said: The master plan submitted in the affidavit states that not more than a few acres will be converted (into buildings). We would only be removing invasive species ('veli kaathan') of vegetation. We inherited a unique ecosystem and we are committed to maintaining it. We don't want to change the basic character of the campus.                            
Seshan, Petitioner: I feel the notification exempting educational institutions from getting env. clearance is discriminatory.    I will be going for an appeal with the Madras HC or SC.
 Karnataka leads country in tiger count: New Delhi, Jan 20, 2015 (PTI)

JANUARY 21
Uttarakhand is No. 2 in tiger population: January 21, 2015
Aranmula wetlands a very good waterbird habitat: January 21, 2015
Periyar TR wins NTCA award  for encouraging local participation in managing the reserve: Jan 21
Environmental Appraisal Committee to consider proposal mooted by KSEB on Athirappilly project: Jan 21, 2015
India lost 66 wild tigers in 2014: January 21, 2015
First boat race in Kolleru to be conducted on February 2: January 21, 2015
MoEF approves tiger conservation plan for Karnataka: Jan 21, 2015
Kasturirangan report: Cabinet panel hikes ceiling for eco-sensitive area: Jan 21 , 2015,
HP to double area under coffee plantation in Kangra, Mandi and adjoining areas: Jan 21, 2015
Survey finds 198 bird species in Megamalai Wildlife Sanctuary: TNN | Jan 21, 2015,
Tadoba, Pench, Melghat tiger reserves adjudged ‘very good’ as per MEE: TNN | Jan 21, 2015,
Tiger number falls in Odisha: TNN | Jan 21, 2015,
 A Leap Forward in Population of Tigers in Tamil Nadu:  Divya Gandhi & Aravind Kumar /Jan 21
Tamil Nadu's population of wild tigers has tripled in just eight years, finds the latest official count. From 76 tigers in 2006, the number of big cats shot up to 229 in 2014, says the report on the Status of Tigers in India 2014 by the National Tiger Conservation Authority. The 2010 survey recorded 163 tigers.    

The forest complex of Mudumalai, Bandipur, Nagarhole and Wayanad tiger reserves has "the world's single largest tiger population" now estimated at over 570, says the report. With the addition of Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve in 2013, Tamil Nadu has four Tiger Reserves, including Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve and Anamalai Tiger Reserve. For the survey, researchers and volunteers sampled 7033 km of forest trails and analysed images from 578 camera traps. The trend in Tamil Nadu's tiger reserves is consistent with other tiger habitats in the Western Ghats, which together have seen the biggest growth in tiger numbers compared to other ecological zones in the country. The four States that make up the tigers Western Ghats Landscape Complex saw a jump in tiger numbers from 402 tigers in 2006 to 776 in 2014.Tiger expert Ullas Karanth, Director, Centre for Wildlife Studies attributed the growing numbers to the improved forest protection in this region in the last decade. “Apart from the contiguity, the prey base and protection measures in this landscape will ensure the tigers will live here for many, many years," says  K. Sankar, senior scientist, Wildlife Institute of India (WWI).
The connectivity of this landscape with Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve, through Moyar gorge, is pushing the number of tigers up in this newly formed tiger reserve. Tigers must have inhabited the Sathyamangalam forests for long but not many dared to go inside when forest brigand Veerappan was alive. With easy access now, more tigers are being sighted, say activists. Meanwhile, the estimates by the Forest Department put the number of tigers between 270 and 320. While most are inside the four tiger reserves, it is estimated that 15 - 25 tigers reside in the reserve forests outside the protected areas. The rising number of big cats also raises the apprehension over their survival outside the protected habitat. In 2014, Tamil Nadu topped tiger deaths in the country. "The sub-adults move out to carve out new territories for themselves and could resort to cattle lifting making them vulnerable to poisoning and poaching. There is a need for continuous monitoring outside protected areas," says Mr. Sankar. The finer details of the analysis on the tigers and their habitats will be known by March, he adds.
  
JANUARY 22 (THURSDAY)
Call to revoke MoEFs order allowing tourists in core forest: January 22, 2015
Tiger-rich Wayanad yearns for support: January 22, 2015
Royal Bengal tigers spotted at Papikondalu: January 22, 2015
Annual bird census in Andhra Pradesh  to begin tomorrow: January 22, 2015
Rare visitor to Punchakkari wetlands: January 22, 2015
Tiger Row: NTCA Finds Just 6 Camera Trap Photos: by Siba Mohanty , 22nd January 2015
Fresh snowfall in some districts of Uttarakhand: PTI | Jan 22, 2015
Rain in Punjab, Haryana: Jan 22 2015
Lake created out of Phuktal river poses threat in Kargil- Landslide fallout: Jan 22 2015
Light fresh snowfall occurred in upper reaches and rains in plain areas in Kashmir:Thu, Jan22
Two years after birth, Oliver, a small clawed otter does a twist in Kaziranga waters:Thu, Jan 22

JANUARY 23
The rare Broad-tailed Grass bird seen near a reservoir near Rajapalayam during bird count: January 23
Tiger population triples in TN in less than a decade: January 23, 2015
‘Report underestimates tiger count in Sunderbans’: January 23, 2015
Top marks for the Anamalai Tiger Reserve: January 23, 2015
Snowfall, rains in Kashmir, Jammu:   Friday, January 23, 2015
NGT asks West Bengal government to demolish illegal structures in Sunderbans: Jan 23, 2015
Tallest cactus breaks its own world record - is now 105.8 ft. tall: Dharwad, Jan 23, 2015
Rain lashes Malwa region, Punjab - raises hopes of bumper crop: Jan 23, 2015
Rain, snowfall revive severe cold conditions in Uttarakhand: Jan 23, 2015
Man-animal conflicts rise in winter months - Uttarakhand: Jan 23, 2015
Kashmir receives season’s first snowfall: Jan 23, 2015
Kufri, Narkanda, Manali wrapped in snow: Jan 23, 2015

JANUARY 24
Uttarkashi village sinking: Jan 24, 2015
State says ‘no’ to tiger reserve in Kudremukh: January 24, 2015
Kargil shivers at minus 17 degree C: January 24, 2015 
This weekend, birders to flock to count wetland birds in Kochi region: January 24, 2015
Tiger Population in North East up:Guwahati, Jan 23 (PTI)
Tiger population in North Eastern hills and Brahmaputra flood plains has increased to 201 in 2014 from 148 in 2010, according to the latest status report on tigers.Assam registered the highest number of 167 tigers, an increase from 143 in 2010, while 28 tigers were estimated in Arunachal Pradesh, showing an increase over 14 in 2006, the report said. The survey was not held in Arunachal Pradesh in 2010.
Besides Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, the other areas included in the status report are Mizoram and north Bengal. The region includes seven tiger reserves - Manas, Kaziranga and Nameri in Assam, Pakke and Namdapha in Arunachal Pradesh, Dampa in Mizoram and Buxa in West Bengal. Kaziranga National Park in Assam has the highest tiger population of 125, while the minimum number of four each were recorded in Namdapha National Park in Arunachal Pradesh, the report said.
Another report 'Connecting Tiger Populations for long term conservation', released simultaneously on January 20, said the population of big cats in the area have historical evolutionary significance as they share the connecting gene pool with south east Asian tiger population and represent the entry point of tigers into the Indian sub-continent.
The region has two tiger conservation units (TCUs), one comprising Manas Tiger Reserve, stretching across Bhutan to Arunachal Pradesh in the north east while the other includes Kaziranga in Assam and stretches upto Meghalaya.
The Kaziranga Tiger reserve along with other protected areas surrounding has a tiger population of 125 in the region.  It is connected to the southern parts of the North East landscape via Karbi Anglong Hills for which it acts as a major source but has lost its connectivity to Pakke in the north due to intensive agriculture on the northern banks of Brahmaputra River.
Kaziranga is contiguous with Orang National Park and connected through island systems of the Brahmaputra. Nameri too is connected through riverine corridors which is an important connectivity maintaining gene flow between the plains and the hill populations of tigers in Arunachal Pradesh, according to the report. These connectivities between the various national parks and wildlife sanctuaries form the crucial element for targeting conservation efforts.
Manas Tiger Reserve was camera trapped and tiger density was estimated to be 1.8 tiger per 100 square kilometre but the region has higher potential and with control of poaching of prey, tiger densities are likely to increase substantially, especially in its southern parts.
Nameri in Assam is contiguous to Pakke in Arunachal Pradesh and the tiger population in them is small with about nine together, the report said. The area, it said, has potential for higher densities and ability to sustain a larger population of tigers but depletion of prey by poaching and other disturbances have led to decrease in tiger population. (PTI)

JANUARY 25
Trapped in a Metropolis ~ The  Jackals of  SALT LAKE: 25 Jan 2015
As real as it gets: 25 Jan 2015
Dr Dhrubajyoti Ghosh, who first brought international attention to the East Kolkata Wetlands, arguably the world’s largest peri-urban wetlands and now a Ramsar site ~ which is under constant threat from realtors ~ revisits the region in a conversation with Aditi Roy Ghatak
Use of critically endangered medicinal plants to be phased out: January 25, 2015
Eco-tourism recommended in the uninhabited islands in the Gulf of Mannar Marine NP: January 25, 2015
 JANUARY 26
Khamranga Beel struggling for survival: Monday, January 26, 2015
3 rhino carcasses found in Jaldapara NP: Monday , January 26 , 2015

JANUARY 27
Recorded alarms that keeps wild animals at bay: January 27, 2015
Bird migration to South Karnataka down by half as lakes disappear: Mysuru, Jan 27, 2015
Red sanders grown in Telangana won’t be of the same quality as in Rayalaseema: 27th January

JANUARY 28
Forest staff inspecting the carcass of a rhino with its horn gouged out by poachers, in the Kohora range of  Kaziranga NP on Sunday (Image): Wednesday, January 28
Prey base vital to sustain tiger population in ATR, say wildlife experts and activists: January 28
Conservationist Valmik Thapar berates Bengal on Buxa tiger census figures: Wed, January 28
Black-legged Kittiwake's sixth recorded appearance in India, on Balasore coast: Wed, Jan 28
Jharkhand's first ever bird survey planned in 22 water bodies: Wednesday , Jan 28 , 2015
Cold continues in Punjab, Haryana; Amritsar freezes at minus 1 deg C: Jan 28, 2015
Cold wave back in Kashmir region: Jan 28 2015
Rain, snowfall continue to disrupt life across Himachal: Jan 28, 2015
“Save natural sand dunes in Rajakkamangalam”: January 28, 2015
Nature Trails in Chennai: January 28, 2015
Sariska, Panna get improved MEE rating, while Ranthambore remains same: TNN | 28 Jan, 2015

JANUARY 29 (THURSDAY)
Supernatural stream found at Donghaph hill near Parokhowa under Diphu subdivision: Jan 29
Temperatures plunge across Kashmir, Leh freezes: Thursday, January 29, 2015
Elephant herd from Chandil on rampage in Dalma wildlife sanctuary:Thursday, January 29
Season's first snowfall in Kashmir's plains: Jan 29, 2015
No letup in the biting cold conditions in Himachal Pradesh: Jan 29, 2015
India's 1st fenced sanctuary for captive elephants comes up in Biological park, an extn of the Bannerghatta NP: Jan 29
NGT orders  closure of 39 quarries  in Erode district within the “no development zone” of  Sathyamagalam TR: January 29,

JANUARY 30
Large-scale felling of trees in the core area of Kawal Tiger Reserve: January 30, 2015
Rare bat species found at Rombo hill,West Pasighat: January 30, 2015
RUKSIN, Jan 29: A rare bat species has been found in Ralung village near Rombo Hills of West Pasighat area today. A young school boy found the bat at  a bamboo groove in the premise of Govt. Primary School, Ralung. The bat, identified as 'Painted Bat (Kerivoula picta)' will be sent to State Forest Research Institute, Itanagar for further study. 
 The Painted Bat belongs to the Lower risk or 'Least Concern' category in the red list of threatened species prepared by IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources). It is found throughout China, India and parts of Southeast Asia and Indonesia.
According to Prof Daniel Mize of Rajiv Gandhi University, existence of Blame Forte Fruit Bat and Hurley Queen Bats among three colourful bat species have been reported in Arunachal, Sikkim and West Bengal, but presence of the Painted Bat has not been reported so far as nobody has conducted special study on Bat in the state.   
Artificial Lake on Phuktal river in Zanskar, J-K ~NDMA team to assess threat: Friday, January 30
The 40-day-long harshest winter period of “chillai kalan” ends today in Kashmir: January 30
Srinagar received first snowfall on Thursday
  Kullu, Manali valley reels under intense cold: Jan 30, 2015
ZSI to digitise its collections, which include documents dating back to the 19th century and more than 200-years-old  specimens by July1: TNN | Jan 30, 2015
BSF seizes 185 rare Asian Black Spotted turtles from India-Bangladesh border: TNN | Jan 30

JANUARY 31, 2015 (SATURDAY)
‘Rhino Protection Force’ to be raised soon in Kaziranga: Saturday, January 31, 2015
Cold wave conditions persist in Punjab, Haryana: Jan 31, 2015
‘Chillai Kalan’ ends in Kashmir: Srinagar, January 31
Cold weather continues in Kashmir, Met forecasts more snow: Jan 31, 2015
Kumaon region in grip of severe cold wave: Jan 31, 2015
Over 30,000 hectares affected in Neugal river near Palampur, claims environmentalist: Jan 31
Book on flora and fauna of the Pong Dam wetland, “Avi-Fauna of Pong” released: Jan 31, 2015
Two new bird species sighted in Uttarakhand: Jan 31, 2015
'Save Indian Species First, Then Cheetah' Say environment experts: 31st January, 2015
Jackal research and translocation project launched: TNN | Jan 31, 2015,
Supreme Court refuses to lift night ban on vehicles plying through Bandipur TR: January 31
NH 212 and 67 both pass through Bandipur NP and will remain closed at night from 9 p.m to 6 a.m.
Mysore to Kalpetta (Kerala) roads through Bandipur & Nagarhole NPs
 Poisoning a river of purity - Vrishabhavathi river, a tributary of the Arkavathy : Jan 31, 2015
 <http://www.deccanherald.com/content/456954/poisoning-river-purity.html>

ADDITIONS:
Forest Rights still a dream in Tamil Nadu:The Hindu, January 20
Not a single person or group from the tribal community in Tamilnadu has been given their rights under the Forest Rights Act 2006. Of the 21, 781 claims from 2006, no title deeds has been issued so far. The reason given is a Madras HC order of 2008 following a petition by a former forest officer challenging the FRA. However the court order says all claims for deed can be radied but can be issued only after court clearance. According to MoTA figures, only 3, 723 deeds have been readied. The FRA has been contested in courts in several states, but has not come in the way of the State Govt implementing the rights. Kerala has distributed 65.5% deeds  against claims received (37, 535), AP 41.2% (4.1lakh) and Karnataka 2.87% (2.6 lakh), whereas TN is at the bottom of the ranking with 0% 21,781). The case is coming up for hearing again on January 27.

Pongal Bird Count: Tuesday, January 20
The Pongal bird count was organised across the state between January 15 and 18. The bird count, involving individuals and groups, culminated with bird-watchers thronging wetlands located near the city, including the Pallikaranai marshland, Chembarambakkam and Thenneri (near Sriperumbudur) on Sunday.The data collected by the individuals and groups during the four-day project has been fed into the website www.ebird.org (an initiative of Audubon and ,Cornell Lab of Ornithology).K. Gnanaskandan, member, Madras Naturalists' Society, said the Pongal bird count, which is based on the Onam bird count held in Kerala every year, was executed on a mass scale in the State for the first time with nature enthusiasts participating in large numbers. Mr. Gnanaskandan, who is the State coordi- nator for the bird count programme, said the members not only counted birds individually, but also went in groups to lakes or wetlands located nearby. Some of the water bodies the members visited were Amarampedu, Siruthavur, Sholinganallur, Kelambakkam and Nayapakkam, he added. The bird count at Pallikaranai marshland was done by volunteers of The Nature Trust.
Founder of the group, KVRK Thirunaranan said 18 volunteers, divided into separate groups, spread out in four directions to cover the area. Volunteers identified some rare species like the Indian-spotted eagle and the great white pelican. A list of 104 species was recorded on Sunday. A group of volunteers also sighted the Heuglin's gull among the 60-70 species found in Royapuram, Korukkupet and Sembium. An update of day-to-day happenings during the bird count project is available at www.birdcountin
Beating the odds, for love of Nature: Jan 20, 2015
Many of the volunteers of The Nature Trust who participated in the Pongal bird count, came from underprivileged families in north Chennai. Amidst the uncertainties regarding their future and career, it was the intervention of KVRK. Thirunaranan, founder of the trust, which led these youth to take up volunteering. His Police Boys Clubs have played a vital role in areas like R.K. Nagar, Korukkupet, Royapuram and Sembium. Mr. Thirunaranan, a well-known environmental activist, initiated the Police Boys Clubs in north Chennai a few years ago. K. Thyagarajan, a resident of R.K. Nagar, is one of the young men who benefitted from the initiative. A student of zoology in a private college, he hopes to become a biologist and credits the Police Boys Club in his locality for directing his energies towards education and nature. Similarly, many boys who are struggling to continue .their education amidst poverty are doing their bit for society as wildlife enthusiasts. 
 A flock of flamingos take flight at the Chilka lake in Odisha’s Khorda district on Monday (Image below). According to some estimates, more than 7 lakh migratory birds of different species visited the lake this season: January 20
                            



Tiger survey method by NTCA draws criticism: January 22   













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