Karnataka
104 Results
The Stare of the Snake and the Gaze of the Gaur
A teenager’s stay at the Kalinga Centre for Rainforest Ecology results in close encounters with a gaur, a leopard, and a checkered keelback. An excerpt from Ishan Shanvas' first book 'The Light of Wilder Things'
Book
Frogs Among the Coffee Plantations of Madikeri
Frogs have managed to build a well-adapted relationship with Coorg’s plantations, though each species has its own preferred microhabitat or environmental niche
Photo Story
Namma Ankasamudra: Jewel of North Karnataka
The 300-year-old wetland at Ankasamudra is home to over 150 avian species. From painted storks and pelicans to an assortment of ducks and wild geese, a symphony of birds ensures that this wetland remains a thriving ecosystem.
What happens when the local community notices the threats to the wetland and comes together to understand and preserve its inhabitants?
Find out in "Namma Ankasamudra", a heartwarming tale of compassion, community, and conservation.
Video
Land of Bears and Boulders: Sloth Bears of Daroji
The rolling boulders of Daroji, Karnataka, are home to Asia's oldest sloth bear sanctuary. The rocks and caves of the deccan plateau provide the perfect home for bears to hunt, relax, and raise their young.
Video
The Wilds of Daroji
The millenia old landscape of Daroji in Karnataka is home to a stunning number of species. From adorable otters to ambling sloth bears, the banks of the Tungabhadra are teeming with biodiversity.
Video
The Art of Camera Trapping the Indian Brown Mongoose
Wildlife photographer and camera trap specialist Yashpal Rathore shares his experience documenting an elusive species of mongoose from the Western Ghats.
Photo Story
Bangalore University Campus: The Unsung Carbon Sink
Accessible to the public, the 1,200-acre campus with over five lakh trees is Bangalore’s unnoticed green lung
Wild Vault
Finding a Tranquilised Wild Tiger
Wildlife biologist K Ullas Karanth shares an adventurous real-life story from the emerald jungle of Nagarahole
Book
Under Fire: Smooth-coated Otters on the Cauvery
The habitat of smooth-coated otters is severely threatened by numerous activities. As they adapt to changes, they come into increased conflict with humans
Conservation
Dying River: Declining Water Quality and Fish Stocks on the Cauvery
From pollution to global warming, many factors adversely impact the Cauvery’s water quality. As a result, native fish populations are impacted, affecting on the entire ecosystem that depends on this river
Conservation
Fishers’ Quandary: Strain and Survival on the Cauvery
With the Cauvery’s depleting fish stocks, the lives of fishers who depend on this river for their livelihoods have become increasingly uncertain, forcing them to adapt to different methods of fishing
Conservation
Bridge to the Past: The Rocky Landscape of Daroji
The boulder-strewn landscape of Daroji has a long and volatile history. The rocky scrub jungles here harbour an incredible diversity of life, from small invertebrates to megafauna like sloth bears and leopards
Habitat
Hide and Seek: On the Scent of a Leopard in Tiger Country
When spots, not stripes, steal the show on a safari through Bandipur Tiger Reserve
Wild Vault
Olive Ridley Turtles Threatened by Upcoming Port in Karnataka
An upcoming port and the corresponding road and railway network could destroy a turtle nesting region in Honnavar in Uttara Kannada district
Conservation
Love and Let Live: Saving Puttenahalli Lake
A neighbourhood environmental group comes together to preserve a dying lake, providing a variety of birds and insects a place to thrive, and glimmer of hope for Bangalore city
Urban Jungle
The Blessed Bears of Daroji Sloth Bear Sanctuary
Near the famous rock temples of Hampi, the boulder-strewn landscape is a protected haven that helps preserve these magnificent animals
Species
Forest Fugue: The Seasonal Sounds of Avalahalli
Always alive with natural melodies, Avalahalli State Forest is an ever-changing landscape marked by avian choruses and a tapestry of varied acoustics
Urban Jungle
Escape From the City: How I Found a Home in the Wilderness
While living in Bangalore, this nature lover longed for the wilderness. He wanted to live somewhere in the shadow of a mountain or close to a river, someplace he could soak in birdsong and monsoon rain. And he finally moved
Wild Vault
Ankasamudra Bird Conservation Reserve: A Sweet Symphony of Waterbirds
Only an hour from arid Hampi, is a lake dotted with half-submerged acacia trees —a wetland ecosystem with over 150 bird species like ducks, herons, and pelicans
Habitat
Pincers and Claws: Crabs of the Konkan Coast
An incredible variety of crabs, ranging from tiny pea crabs to massive mud crabs, inhabit the diverse habitats of India’s Konkan coast
Photo Story
The Fog Clears: Unwinding Under a Fig Tree
When time spent with family and friends in nature helped relieve some of the lingering symptoms of Covid-19
Wild Vault
Urban Cacophony of the Heartening Kind
A safari of birds and animals can be seen and heard without stepping out of this apartment home set at the edge of the Avalahalli forest in a north Bangalore suburb
Urban Jungle
Fishy Quandary: A Nexus of Livelihoods and Native Fish
Without healthy freshwater ecosystems, there is neither hope for indigenous fish species nor humankind
Conservation
Protecting the Sacred Fish of the Cauvery
Religious lore, temples, and the impact of inadvertent conservation in the Cauvery basin
Species
King Cobra: The Ruling Serpent of Fields and Forests
The longest of all venomous snakes in the world is also very shy, unless it’s time to hunt
Video
The Land of Naga Bana
Herpetologist Gowri Shankar, who has spent a lifetime studying and protecting the king cobra, demystifies the remarkable relationship between serpent and human
Video
Hump-backed Mahseer: Facts, Habitat, Threats
All you need to know about this critically endangered freshwater fish
Infographic
Studying Snakes through Radio Telemetry
Emerging as an easier and more precise way to track and study snakes than traditional observation methods
Wild Vault
The Nitty-gritty of Releasing a Leopard
When a leopard is captured near Chalamasandra village, a team assembles to release it in the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary
Book
Sharavathi: Lament of a River
Tropical evergreen forests and Myristica swamps once cloaked this river’s landscape on its westward journey to the sea. The river’s rhythm, once decided by tides, is now interrupted by dams and a port built to serve people elsewhere
Photo Story
Last Stand: The Kolar Leaf-nosed Bat and its Forgotten Cave
A citizen scientist strives to protect the only known habitat of a rare, critically endangered species of bat in Karnataka
Conservation
Humpback Mahseer: Big Fish in a Small World
The once abundant “tiger of the Cauvery” has now shrunk to a few small pockets in the Cauvery basin. Protecting this fish is not just about the mahseer, it’s linked to the conservation of the larger riverine ecosystem
Species
Life on the Vertical: Exploring Nature on City Walls
The ecology of urban walls includes a variety of life, from ferns and figs, to paper wasps, stingless bees, and two-tailed spiders
Urban Jungle
Disappearing Predators: Wolves of the Deccan
Indian grey wolves have a long history of living in human-dominated landscapes, but their survival is now challenged by the rapid, unsustainable change taking place in these traditional habitats
Conservation
At Home with Herps: Living with Reptiles
How a herpetologist fell in love with the natural world by observing snakes, lizards, frogs and other reptiles around his home
Urban Jungle
Jungle Sleuth: Wild Encounters and Animal Signs
Tracking wild animals based on the secondary evidence they leave behind — from pugmarks to dung piles and scrape marks
Wild Vault
Nature Underfoot: Wild Flora and Fauna on City Pavements and Waysides
A rich diversity of plant and animal life is hidden in the cracks and crevices of our streets, and a closer examination can reveal some incredible interactions
Urban Jungle
A Family Saga: To Bee or not to Bee
The author and her father are fascinated by the leaf cutter bee’s nest in their garden, while her mother remains unmoved
Urban Jungle
Ramadevarabetta: A Vulture Sanctuary in Rapidly Urbanising Ramanagara
Close to the metropolis of Bangalore, the Ramadevarabetta Vulture Sanctuary is a pristine protected space in which people can learn about reptiles, dragonflies, endangered vultures, and all kinds of other birds
Habitat
Living Waters: The Resistance and Resilience of the Cauvery
For a large part of its course, the Cauvery River is exploited and abused. However, a few pockets of wilderness, including a 110-km stretch that runs through the protected Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary, provide a sliver of hope
Photo Story
From Treetops to Trash: The Lion-tailed Macaques’ Fight for Survival
Lion-tailed macaques live on treetops and need connected canopies to travel, but the destruction of forests is forcing them to descend to the floor and look for food in the trash
Video
The Guide: Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary
Every summer, the river waters recede to reveal tiny islands that welcome the sanctuary’s biggest attraction — large congregations of graceful and gregarious river terns
Travel
The Guide: Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary
Little islets on the River Kaveri make up this all-season haven for birds and birdwatchers
Habitat
Tall Tales: Trees from Nagarhole
A glimpse into the ecological and cultural linkages of eight important tree species from the moist, dry deciduous forests of Nagarhole Tiger Reserve
Habitat
Missed Connections: How Disconnected Forests Threaten the Grizzled Giant Squirrel
Continuous forests, with connected canopies, are essential for the tree-dwelling species to travel for food, shelter and survival
Conservation
What Frog Songs Tell Us
Frogs sing every monsoon to charm a mate, but new disturbances are drowning out their songs
Multimedia
Painted Storks: The Winged Daughters of Kokkarebellur
Every year, for about six months, the village of Kokkarebellur is taken over by painted storks. Locals believe the loud and beautiful visitors are like their own children
Species
Evolutionary Anomalies: Killing and Eating Your Kind
When king cobras eat other king cobras — strange stories of animal cannibalism
Column
Dark Waters: The Disappearing Myristica Swamps
Exploring these intriguing freshwater swamps reveals many reasons why we need to preserve them. They host not just a primitive family of plants, but also a fascinating array of creatures
Habitat
How to Savour a Forest: Gratitude for the Abundance of Nagarhole National Park
A treasure trove of biodiversity, Nagarhole has much to offer beyond the tiger
Habitat
Death Knell for the Sharavathi?
Environmentalists fear a new hydropower project in the heart of the Sharavathi valley that demands diversion of 360 acres of pristine forest land would spell doom to the valley
Conservation
Kartik Shanker: Researcher, Ecologist, Storyteller
Kartik Shanker juggles many roles — ecologist, children’s writer, founder of Dakshin Foundation, editor of a conservation magazine — all rooted firmly in decades of field research
Hero
Lives in the Balance: Unravelling Koppal’s Shared Spaces
The rocky outcrops and grasslands of Koppal are under threat causing a decline of large carnivore populations and disrupting human-wildlife coexistence
Conservation
The Story Behind the ‘Hardship Allowance’ for Karnataka’s Frontline Forest Staff
An account of the behind-the-scenes struggle to give forest guards and watchers protecting some of India’s best tiger landscapes their due
Book
A Secret Forest: The Hidden Lives of Agumbe
Look beyond the king cobra — under the rocks, in the gaps of roots, trees crevices, in gurgling streams and puddles — to discover a hidden world of astounding small creatures
Photo Story
The Wild World of Krithi Karanth
Multi award-winning conservation scientist Krithi Karanth has moved beyond a focus on science, and engages in conservation interventions that reduce human-animal conflict and bring about change
Hero
Deep Wells of Danger: Karnataka’s Leopards in Peril
A study finds that between 2OO8 and 2O17, Karnataka witnessed 7O instances of leopards falling into open wells
Conservation
Hidden Kingdom: Fantastic Plants and Where to Find Them
The book Hidden Kingdom champions the mystical plants of Western Ghats through sensuous, powerful illustrations set to enchanting rhyme
Book
Tulasi Gowda: How She Brings Forests to Life
In the last 50 years, 83-year-old Gowda has worked at the forest department’s nursery in Honnalli village in Karnataka, where she has planted hundreds of thousands of trees and helped regenerate many indigenous varieties
Hero
Hesaraghatta Lake and the Savannah of Silicon City
Are well-meaning birders, photographers, and visitors destroying the very lake and landscape they so love?
Urban Jungle
Fade to Black: When Big Cats Hide
How the coat colour and design of wild cats allows them to blend into a diverse range of habitats, at different times of day or night
Column
The Ever-Changing Lives of the Soligas in BR Hills
In southeastern Karnataka, indigenous communities like the Soliga renegotiate their relationship with their forest home
Hero
Marina Juliet: A Conservationist in the Making
Marina Juliet defies gender stereotypes as she trains to become a grassroots conservationist in rural Karnataka
Hero
Problem Elephant or Elephantine Problem?
The words we use to label animals involved in human-animal conflict situations can make a big difference to their conservation status
Conservation
A Lost River and the Wetland Paradise of Hoskote Lake
Bengaluru’s Hoskote Lake and its surrounding marshlands host a wide variety of bird life and provide the city with a vital carbon dioxide sink. Efforts are on to revive the river system that once fed this vibrant water body.
Urban Jungle
Airworthy Athletes: Here Fly Dragons
When a creature with cyptic colouring hurls itself off a branch — sailing through the forest, flying between trees
Column
Unprotected Areas: Lalbagh Southern Bengaluru Charm
Every city needs a green lung where citizens can mingle with nature and relish a breath of fresh air. With several water bodies, over 1,OOO species of plants, and many gorgeous birds, Lalbagh is an oasis for Bengaluru’s citizens
Urban Jungle
There’s a Caterpillar on Your Palm Plant, Daddy
They are many a gardener’s bane, but with a little time, caterpillars can bring great benefits to their habitat
Urban Jungle
The Guide: Nagarhole National Park
One of the few national parks in the country that is open all-year-round, Kabini is rich with big cats, elephants, gaur, dhole, deer, and more
Travel
Crisis in Kodagu: Can Humans and Elephants co-exist?
Kodagu’s people live in constant fear of elephant encounters, but strengthening wildlife corridors and educating locals can mitigate the situation. This is the second story in a two-part series on human-elephant interactions in Kodagu
Conservation
Crisis in Kodagu: Reports from the Epicentre of Human-Elephant Conflict
Escalating human-elephant clashes in Kodagu are causing economic loss, and endangering lives of both, man and animal. This is the first story in a two-part series on human-elephant interactions in Kodagu
Conservation
How a Colonial Hunter Inspired Conservation Efforts
Though India-born British hunter Kenneth Anderson’s books are about his hunting exploits, they also discuss the importance of conservation and upholding the rights of the forest dwelling communities
Conservation
Life Under Monsoon Clouds
Witness how the rains transform the pristine forests of Agumbe, which are increasingly facing the pressures of human encroachment
Video
Cubbon Park: The Lungs of Central Bengaluru
In the heart of this bustling city, Cubbon Park is an oasis of biodiversity that provides citizens a respite and a place to unwind
Urban Jungle
Lion-tailed Macaque: Facts, Habitat, and Threats
Everything you need to know about the lion of the tree canopies
Infographic
Singing in the Rain: Frogs of Agumbe Get Ready for the Monsoon
The rains in Agumbe set the scene for a croaking romance. Frogs and toads not only wake up from long slumber, but most also get ready to mate
Video
The Flying Dragons of South India
Draco, also known as the southern flying lizard, is a master of disguise. But it has another astounding trick up its sleeve
Video
Leaps and Bounds: The Fascinating Frog World of Agumbe
A variety of amphibians reveal themselves on a night trail through the monsoon forests of Agumbe
Wild Vault
The Guide: Agumbe, the Exalted Rainforest Paradise
Contiguous national parks and reserved forests in and around Agumbe make it one of richest and most biodiverse places in the Western Ghats
Travel
Small-clawed Otter: The Secret Surprise by the Stream
Our lives are implicitly intertwined with this shy, mostly nocturnal creature. The destruction of its riverine habitat could spell danger for an entire ecosystem
Conservation
How Sacred Sites in Bengaluru Safeguard Trees
As many as 121 species of plants thrive and protected by Bengaluru’s sacred sites such as temples and kattes, contributing to the city’s biodiversity
Urban Jungle
Malabar Grey Hornbills: Gardeners of the Rainforest
The Malabar grey hornbill is endemic to and emblematic of the rainforests of the Western Ghats, which often resonate with their calls and cackles
Species
Will Agumbe Remain One of Wettest Places in India?
Traditionally stable weather systems have changed and the rainfall pattern in Agumbe has become erratic — the effect of both global and local factors
Conservation
On the Fly: An Afternoon with the Dragon Lizards of Agumbe
You can never tire of watching the smooth, precise gliding motion of draco lizards as they ‘fly’ from tree to tree
Species
Forced to Join the Boys’ Club: Male Elephants Adapt to Change
Known to lead solitary lives once they reach adolescence, male elephants in South India are now responding to habitat changes by altering their behaviour and hanging out in all-male groups
News
High and Dry: The Cauvery’s Otters Need Their River Back
A polluted vestige of its former self, the over-exploited Cauvery River has left otters, fishermen, and other many river residents bereft
Conservation
Anatomy of a King Cobra Rescue in Agumbe
Witnessing a kalinga snake being rescued, it becomes apparent that communication and cooperation are essential to conservation
Wild Vault
Out of Place: Invasive Species in the Western Ghats
When plants and animals are relocated from their native habitat to new sites and environments they can cause havoc and be detrimental to local communities, habitats, and wildlife.
Conservation
Flying Wizard: Draco the Gliding Lizard
With a little yellow dewlap flag for communication, wing-like extensions to parachute through the forest, and cryptic camouflage, the southern flying lizard is no ordinary reptile
Species
King Cobra: The World’s Longest Venomous Snake
How does the cannibalistic, snake-eating king cobra manage to multiply and survive?
Species
With its Habitat in Danger, the Grizzled Giant Squirrel Struggles to Survive
A survey in Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary reveals that the population of grizzled giant squirrel, a species endemic to southern India and Sri Lanka, has fallen by 78-85 per cent
Conservation
Secret Serpent: The Life and Times of the Malabar Pit Viper
Though it is the most common and widespread of pit vipers in south India, the Malabar pit viper is only seen in the wet season, disappearing mysteriously in dry weather
Conservation
Jungle Theatrics: Along the Sitanadi at Someshwara Wildlife Sanctuary
Off the beaten path, this little-known wilderness in Karnataka’s Western Ghats, offers raw nature at its best
Habitat
When the Monsoon Awakens Agumbe
As the southwest monsoon makes landfall over Karnataka’s Malnad region in the Western Ghats, this rainforest, known for its immense biodiversity, comes alive
Habitat
Gowri Shankar: Snake Man Under the Spell of the King Cobra
In the heart of the rainforests of Agumbe there’s a man on a mission — to share his knowledge of the wild with students, and contribute to the preservation of reptiles
Hero
Flying Solo with a Planthopper in Agumbe
Whether at the nymph stage when it is a funky looking white creature with powdery tentacles sprouting from the body, or in adulthood, when it looks like a butterfly, this tropical planthopper is truly fascinating
Species
Kokkare Bellur: The Blessed Bird Village of Karnataka
In A Tigress Called Machhli, Supriya Sehgal shares fascinating stories of various animals that inhabit our forests, cities, and backyards — including a curious tale of a village in Karnataka that is taken over by cackling storks
Book
How Bus Stands in Kali Reserve Got Their Groove Back
When art and nature meet, the result can be quite eye-catching
Wild Vault
That Worm in your Garden could be a Snake
Home gardens host a lot more biodiversity than we suspect
Wild Vault
Edwin Joseph, The Sparrow Whisperer
Bengaluru’s Sparrow Man is passionate about saving the little birds from extinction
Hero
Tiny Tentacles in the Mighty Kaveri
Hovering like surreal little spaceships, diaphanous freshwater jellyfish are the secretive, benign inhabitants of the sacred river of southern India
Photo Story
The Ripple Effect: Leo Saldanha on Bengaluru’s Lakes
Environmental activist Leo Saldanha on the city’s birds, bees, and pesky humans
Hero
Meet Shaaz Jung, the Leopard Man of India
The jungles offer a wealth of experience, for those quiet enough to listen.
Hero
Wild Eye: Shaaz Jung on Photographing Kabini
The big-cat tracker and wildlife photographer shares pictures of the forest that
shaped him
Photo Story