Tamil Nadu
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A Match Made in Heaven: Traditional Wisdom and Modern Science
Community members monitoring ecology in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve integrate traditional knowledge with modern scientific methods to monitor climate impacts on their forests, rivers, and farms
Conservation
Birding Around the Salt Pans of Tuticorin
The nutrient-rich, shallow waters of the salt pans of Thoothukudi are interspersed with vegetation, forming a unique habitat that attracts a vast range of birds
Wild Vault
Species No Bar for Langurs
Primatologists are finding increased evidence of mixed species associations and hybridisation between Nilgiri and Hanuman langurs in the Western Ghats
Wild Vault
Blue-necked Reedtail: Facts, Habitat, Lifecycle
All you need to know about this rare damselfly
Infographic
Reforesting Arunachala Hill in Tiruvannamalai
After a long tryst with fires burning up its vegetation and numerous community conservation efforts, Arunachala Hill is finally a rewilding success
Conservation
Shola-Grasslands in the Palani Hills
1,600 m above sea level, shola forests and the adjoining grasslands are an important ecosystem found in the rippling montane regions of South India’s hills. These shola-grasslands are prime habitats for various native and endemic species of plants, birds, and animals.
Habitat
Artisanal Fishers of Rameswaram Stand Against Polluting Shrimp Farms on the Island
They allege that shrimp farms behind their village have polluted their groundwater, encroached their commons and that some farms don’t abide by government rules
Conservation
Biodiversity Hotspot: Walking Through Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve
Though tigers roam Tamil Nadu’s river sanctuary and its many habitats, it’s the tiny buds and creepy crawlies that reign supreme when it comes to diversity and abundance
Wild Vault
Nilgiri Laughingthrush: Habitat, Calls, Nests
All you need to know about this endangered shola forest resident
Infographic
Longwood Shola, the Only Urban Shola Forest in the Nilgiris
Home to the threatened Nilgiri marten and other rare fauna and flora, the forest patch is rich in biodiversity
Urban Jungle
Sea Cucumbers: Illegal trade and the Blame Game
How a blanket ban on sea cucumber fishing in India has created an illicit trade and impacted the livelihoods of artisanal communities who have historically harvested them
Conservation
The Endangered Nilgiri Tahr: What is Threatening South India's Only Mountain Ungulate
The incredibly biodiverse Nilgiris are home to southern India's only mountain ungulate - the Nilgiri tahr. Capable of scaling steep and rocky terrains, this mountain goat is the state animal of Tamil Nadu and a sure-footed presence in Western Ghats landscape. But why is its population endangered? Watch our film to find out.
Video
Intimate Connections: Falling in Love With a Walking Trail
A naturalist reminisces about familiar walking paths through national parks like Satpura in Madhya Pradesh and the Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu cement his relationship with the wilderness and give him a deep spiritual connection to the places
Wild Vault
#WorldElephantDay: The Story of Chilli Komban, a Beloved Elephant
Ahead of World Elephant Day, Pravin Shanmughanandam tells us the heartbreaking story of a loved elephant who was recently declared "a rogue" by the media.
This not a story of just one elephant, but elephants everywhere that are struggling to make sense of a world, that we are constantly changing and destroying.
Multimedia
Anaimalai Roadblock: On the Trail of a Tusker
A majestic elephant that has been migrating through forest patches in the foothills of Anaimalai hills for many years suddenly faces an obstacle
Wild Vault
How to Conserve Biodiversity as Wind Farms Expand in Tamil Nadu
Migratory raptors, such as harriers, are avoiding areas dominated by wind farms in Tamil Nadu, indicate initial observations
Conservation
The Mysterious Migration of Crimson Rose Butterflies
A recently observed migration of a large swarm of crimson rose butterflies from India to Sri Lanka has highlighted how little is still known about this natural phenomenon
Wild Vault
New Conservation Reserve Offers Glimmer of Hope for Dugongs
The biodiversity-rich waters of the reserve in the Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay is the most significant surviving natural habitat for dugongs globally
Conservation
Huntsman Spider: Apex Predator in a Microhabitat
Fast, gravity-defying, and adaptable, these impressive spiders are super stalkers that take camouflage to surreal levels
Species
Troubled Waters: Alien Plants and Water Stress in the Nilgiris
The unseen impact of exotic invasive plants on the ecology and water security of the Upper Bhavani region of the Nilgiris
Conservation
Sand Scavengers: Ghost Crabs in the Intertidal Zone of Chennai’s Elliot’s Beach
Living on the foggy cusp of land, sea, sand, and sky, ghost crabs are the beach clean-up crew, the vultures of sandy coastal ecosystems.
Species
Hump-backed Mahseer: Facts, Habitat, Threats
All you need to know about this critically endangered freshwater fish
Infographic
Vasanth Bosco: Choosing the Promise of the Present
Leaving behind a career in alternative energy, he has chosen to dedicate his life to rewilding the depleted shola grasslands in the Nilgiris with native trees, shrubs and grasses
Hero
Lake Life: Pulicat, the Bird Haven
This brackish water lagoon just north of Chennai is rich in marine life that has made it an important bird habitat and crucial source of livelihood for hundreds of fisherfolk
Habitat
Cherish the Grove: A Foray into the Forests of the Coromandel Coast
Tropical dry evergreen forests, distinct to the coastlines of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, now exist only in fragmented patches. We need to conserve their biodiversity and engage with communities to preserve and protect the native forests of this eco-region
Habitat
Choosing Between Elephants and Humans in the Nilgiris
The implementation of the Sigur Elephant Corridor connecting the Eastern and Western Ghats faces opposition from human rights activists
Conservation
Finding Philautus: Bush Frogs in the Western Ghats
A researcher’s journey through the mosaic of sholas and grasslands in the Upper Nilgiris of the Western Ghats to study its herpetofauna
Column
Gulf of Mannar’s Corals Endangered by Marine Debris
Abandoned nets, plastic fish traps, ropes and lines make corals susceptible to injury, fragmentation, and disease, say researchers
Conservation
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
Tamil Nadu to Investigate Cause of Mysterious Elephant Deaths
Poisoning and disease emerge as prime suspects for the deaths of elephants in the state's forests in the last seven months
Conservation
Plants as Parasites: Connecting to the Host with the Most
Using specialised structures, parasitic plants tap into the root system of specific host trees to draw water and nutrition
Wild Vault
Why Do These Starry-eyed Frogs Disappear into Bamboos?
A peculiar behaviour exhibited by white-spotted bush frogs prompted a researcher and his colleagues to unravel a mystery that’s stranger than fiction
Book
Food First: A Hand for a Handout
Juvenile bonnet macaques in the Bandipur National Park, Karnataka, have developed an almost human way of communicating their request for food
Column
The Blue Mountains: Love and Longing for the Shola Grasslands
The Nilgiris are known for their enchanting diversity, but hide a fascinating past — of colonial invasion, mindless reforestation and a raging debate on the origins of its montane ecosystem that lasted for over half a century
Column
The Private Lives of Kingfishers in My Urban Garden
Watching a white-throated kingfisher family breed and grow in an urban garden in Chennai
Urban Jungle
No Laughing Matter: Nilgiri Laughingthrush and its Habitats at Risk
Named after the Nilgiri mountain range, the Nilgiri laughingthrush was once a common sight across the extensive shola forests of the Western Ghats. Today, perhaps, less than 2OOO individuals survive
Species
Sights and Sounds from the Tree Canopy
Exploring the last biological frontier, the treetops in Tamil Nadu’s Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve
Wild Vault
Dismantling a Misnomer: Do Fallen Leaves Litter?
A source of rich nutrients, the padding of leaves on the forest floor conceals a busy ecosystem
Wild Vault
The Mangroves of Andaman Islands and Tamil Nadu
In times of rapid climate change, protecting the mangroves of India is more crucial than ever before
Habitat
The Guide: Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary
Though it is a small sanctuary, spread over only 21.5 square kilometres, Point Calimere has mangroves, tropical evergreen forests, and grassland ecosystems. Here’s how to explore this potpourri landscape
Habitat
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
Pallikaranai Marshland: An Urban Wetland on the Brink
Besides hosting over 5,OOO resident birds, Chennai’s Pallikaranai marshland is a stopover point for over 4O,OOO migratory birds. It desperately needs to be saved from encroaching toxic waste
Urban Jungle
A Half Century of Sea Turtle Conservation
Contrary to popular belief, sea turtles are doing better than they have in decades, and we may need to rethink how to conserve them
Column
Tamil Nadu’s Seaweed Harvesters in Rough Seas
An unusual activity of the fisherwomen of Bharathinagar in Tamil Nadu keeps them more in the water than on boats. But climate change and overexploitation of marine resources are eroding their livelihoods
News
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
Pushed to The Edge: Lion-tailed Macaques and the Case of Disappearing Forests
Destruction of forests is pushing a growing population of the shy lion-tailed macaques to look for food in human settlements
Conservation
Conflict and Coexistence: Leopards and the Residents of Valparai
How leopards adapt to human presence and communities learn to live in close proximity to the big cat, in the Anaimalai Hills of Tamil Nadu
Conservation
Lion-tailed Macaque: Facts, Habitat, and Threats
Everything you need to know about the lion of the tree canopies
Infographic
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
The Tamilian Warrior is Now a State Butterfly
Tamil Nadu becomes the fifth Indian state to declare a state butterfly to boost conservation practices
News
Mapping Mysterious Reptiles in Misty Meghamalai
For four years, five researchers travelled through dense forests, waded through streams, risked attacks from leopards and enraged elephants to record the rich herpetofauna of Meghamalai, Tamil Nadu’s rain-soaked, misty mountain range
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
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
Saving the Lion-Tailed Macaque, One Step at a Time
Curtailed to live in the tiny forest fragment of Puthuthottam in Valparai, the lion-tailed macaque needs all the help it can get
Conservation
Cornered but not Defeated
Sustained conservation efforts and community engagement is critical to save the lion-tailed macaque and its disappearing habitat
Conservation
An Appeal to Tourists: Stop Feeding the Nilgiri Tahr
It’s time to raise the consciousness of tourists driving on highways that run through forests
Conservation