Biodiversity Quiz—results
The Inglorious Bustards

The Inglorious Bustards

Active conservation efforts of the state government and the Bishnoi tribe together are yielding positive results in rescuing the famous Great Indian Bustards.

Where does electricity come from? Most of us have not seen the power stations where it is generated but we have all seen the wires that deliver electricity to our homes. Yes, those wires, hanging overhead on the streets, which seem to have been built for pigeons and crows to perch upon...

 

Lady Tarzan

Lady Tarzan

An inspiring story of an ordinary Adivasi woman, Jamuna Tudu, who used the superpowers of diligence and persistence to defeat the timber mafias in Jharkhand.

I am sure all of you have seen Tarzan cartoons. What if I told you that we have a real Tarzan in India and that too a lady! Jamuna Tudu of the Santhal tribe of Central India, began her journey towards becoming ‘Lady Tarzan’ in 2000. This was when she got married, barely at the age of 17, and moved from her childhood home in Odisha to her husband’s village in Jharkhand...

 

What is the History of Cheetah Re-Introduction in India?

The Cheetah is the fastest terrestrial animal on earth, capable of galloping at speeds of up to 100 km/h. The Cheetah, which was extinct in the 1950s in India, is about to make a comeback later this year. About 10 cheetahs, 5 of them females, will be brought to Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno-Palpur Wildlife Sanctuary in November 2021.

Tiger and Deer at the Waterhole
Girl and Butterflies in the Garden
The Globe-Trotting Chicken’s Ancestor

The Globe-Trotting Chicken’s Ancestor

Indians were probably the first to domesticate the red jungle fowl and realize its medicinal and nutritional worth. 

Goodbye Zoos!

Goodbye Zoos!

The lockdown has given us an opportunity to review our take on the prisons we built for our recreation.

The Trial

The Trial

Some trace the origin of COVID-19 virus to bats but these creatures of the night are more than virus carriers.

A Letter From the Jungle

A Letter From the Jungle

The forest, capable of meeting our basic needs of food, shelter and fuel, can act as a model of sustainable living for all of us.

Secret Diary of a Virus

Secret Diary of a Virus

Thanks to the trade and imperial ventures of humans, these disease-causing organisms could cross regional boundaries and spread infection.

Humans are really strange. They love giving awkward names to other living beings. For example, I am called a 'virus'. In Latin, it means poison or poisonous liquid. Well, humans do seem to enjoy giving names carrying negative connotations. My other name, 'pathogen', is not encouraging either. So, what is a pathogen? If you Google it, you will get the following explanation: 'Pathos' is the Greek word for disease and genes means 'born of'.

Rise of the mosquitoes

Rise of the mosquitoes

Scientists have mapped how increasing temperatures will impact the population and distribution of the disease spreading mosquitoes in the world

The Dead-line for Humans

The Dead-line for Humans

Stop behaving like humans. Set a final deadline for our human eradication programme. 

Fishcraft

Fishcraft

Learn how to create a mini aquarium model and watch the vibrant colours of the sea enhance the look of your house

Why Do We Need Tigers?

Why Do We Need Tigers?

What tigers eat and the space they occupy protects the health of their entire ecosystem.

Life Without Bees

Life Without Bees

Bees are indispensable pollinators and exist in all types of climate—from forests in Europe, deserts in Africa to the Arctic Circle. But what would happen if all of them just disappeared one day? Here's a look.

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What if one day you step into your house and find there is no food. The refrigerator is empty and you switch on the television to know more. A news channel tells you that there is a food crisis and the reason for this is that there are no bees left in the world...

The Dusty Bee!

The Dusty Bee!

40 per cent insect species are declining, a third are endangered. 

Aravalli: Story of a Dying Mountain Range

The Aravallis, with their vast landscape and biological diversity, have shaped the northern landscape of India in more ways than one. But despite all this, the mountain range is under severe threat from mining and large-scale real estate developments. 

 

Anti-ageing Nematodes from the Arctic Era

Anti-ageing Nematodes from the Arctic Era

About 30,000 years ago, a squirrel chose a home for itself in Siberia, Russia. Today, the home is 30m below the surface in a layer of permafrost. The squirrel is long gone, but tiny roundworms, a type of nematode have survived in this home. They lasted for all these years, frozen and immobile. Russian scientists have now revived them and are making the worms the first multicellular organisms to have survived being frozen in the Arctic permafrost.

Precaution Against Dengue and Chikungunya

Precaution Against Dengue and Chikungunya

Water storage vessels like bottles, drums and pots should be cleaned and kept covered...

Use mosquito nets. Don't wear clothes that expose your hands and legs and use a mosquito repellent cream.

Save the Sparrows: How to Build a Nest With Rakesh Khatri

Mr Rakesh Khatri has actively promoted sparrow conservation. Since 2007, he has been building nests for sparrows using natural material like bamboo, jute and coir. He trains young people to build these nests so that they could put them up around the city.

A Home for the Little Birds

A Home for the Little Birds

An easy and eco-friendly way to build a nest for small birds such as the sparrow.