Trout Vanishing from Himalayan Rivers

The condition of the Trout in the snow-fed streams of the Himalayas – the natural habitat of the fish – is getting worse and their number declining. Local conservationists say it is getting increasingly difficult to find trout in the Himalayan rivers where it once abounded. While natural calamities seem to have played a part in the dwindling numbers, so have human activities.



The story of the rarer brown trout is more dismal. The brown trout is found in rivers like the Beas, Tirthan, Sainj, Ravi, Uhl and Bapsa – all in Himachal Pradesh – besides certain spots in Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir. And locals with an interest in preserving them insist their numbers have rediced alarmingly.



Like all breeds of trout, brown trout spawns in winter, normally between October and January. The eggs are deposited in gravel dug-up by female fish. Excessive rainfall or floods wash the eggs away, which hits the trout population badly. Excessive silting in the aftermath of rains, floods, poaching and hydro-projects in Sainj river have dealt a further blow to the fish.

As for poaching, officials say it isn’t logistically possible to man the entire course of a river and monitor what the locals are up to. Fisheries department officials say they are trying to control poaching and plan to undertake seed stocking.



While these efforts by the Fisheries department are good, more efforts need to be made in order to preserve the trout and the environment I the long run. Locals need to be educated about the importance of saving the fish and its positive effects on the eco-system. Strict measures also need to be taken against poaching the fish.

Nightingales May Become Extinct in 30 Years...

The nightingale - made immortal in an ode by famous British poet John Keats - could become extinct within 30 years, scientists have predicted. Population of the bird that has been an inspiration for generations of poets and romantics, has drastically gone down by more than 90% in the last 40 years, says the study by the British Trust for Ornithology.



The bird would be upgraded to " red status" - signifying the highest degree of conversation concern. The nightingale's decline has been blamed on the population explosion of the muntjac deer, which has reduced the availability of the bird's habitat in the woods.

The muntjack is a small deer native to Asia, including Sri Lanka, India, China and Japan; and was introduced to Britain by accident when some escaped in 1925 from the Duke of Bedfordshire's estate. Pressures on its habitat in sub-Saharan African, where the bird goes during winters, as well as along its migration route to UK have contributed to the threat. The trust is searching for solutions to halt the bird's extinction. It has launched the Nightingale Appeal and a CD of the bird singing, profits from which will go to research.




Courtesy: TOI

Skimmer Birds Can’t Breed…

The Indian Skimmer or rynchops albicollis is one of the three species in the skimmer family. It is bright black, white and orange; and its pointed beak cleaves the water as it searches for its prey, mainly fish. It is about 40 centimeters long with a wing span of about 108 centimeters. The skimmer is found only around fresh water, and it may be the only bird that indicates the presence of fresh surface water.



But the population of this rare bird is declining due to global warming. The rise in temperature is responsible for the increased melting of glaciers that sends a spurt of water into the Ganges, submerging the islands and sandy pits where the bird lays its eggs. This is posing a threat to the breeding of the bird.

This crisis is the result of relentless destruction of environment. The rampant destruction of forests has resulted in many species of animals and birds coming to the verge of extinction. We do not have much time left and this beautiful world and its inhabitants could still be saved if we take corrective measures and implement them with sheer dedication and honesty. Otherwise, we will have only stories to tell to our children, and their children, about how there used to be beautiful animals and birds on this beautiful planet.

Killing of Rhinos continue…

A rhino was killed mercilessly outside Kaziranga National Park. Besides its horn, the poachers took away the animal’s bones and flesh. This is the fourth rhino killed in the only World Heritage Site of Assam, India this year. Last year, five rhinos were killed inside the same park.



At Corbett National Park of the Dhikala forst range, forest officials also recovered a tusker’s carcass recently. There are controversies regarding the death of the elephant, as the forest officials are claiming that the tusker died a natural death. At the same national park, a baby elephant was also found in a seriously injured state.

Same way, the tigers are being killed by poachers and their body parts smuggled to China and Tibet, and all over the world. Apparently, the government is not doing enough to protect these majestic animals, who belong to this planet as much as we do.



These rampant brutal killings of our lower cousins need to stop immediately. The government needs to take stringent measures for the safety of these animals. The forest guards need to be equipped with modern gadgets and weapons for surveillance and safety of animals. The people living in the areas close to these national parks need to be taught about the importance of how the existence of these animals is necessary for our eco-system and our Earth. This mindless violence needs to stop immediately if we want carry on living on this planet.

The Conflict between Tigers and Humans

India’s tiger population is on the rise but their habitat is shrinking and we are poised for a conflict between humans and the big cats. Tigers are territorial animals and their rising numbers usually go hand in hand with an increase in their territory. Due to the shrinking of their habitat, tigers are increasingly moving closer to human populations, increasing the chances of conflict and harm to all concerned – the striped predator, livestock and humans.


The shrinking of forest areas also threatens the tiger – and wild flora and fauna – in other ways. Experts say it will lead to the isolation of the ‘source populations’ of the tigers. Source populations are tigers found in stable numbers at the particular geographical area – in India’s case, various tiger reserves and national parks. Source populations are the well springs that sustain tiger numbers. But if they are cut off from other tiger areas, increasing inbreeding weakens the predator strain.

There has been a steep decline in territories occupied by the tiger in India – from 93,600 sq km in 2006 to 72,800 sq km today. The growing population of tigers has less space to expand and has to move into forests categorized as multiple-use areas. Policymakers and the authorities concerned will have to urgently recognize and overcome this problem, otherwise, where will these big cats go? A task force immediately needs to be constituted to suggest and implement new ways of conservation of forests that would safeguard the interests of wildlife and animals.

Stray Animals and Their Conflict with Man

Stray dogs are a harried lot in India and elsewhere in the world. In absence of an effective sterilization campaign, the population of  stray dogs is multiplying and so have the cases of dog bite. With more and more dog bites everyday, the conflict and animosity between man and animal has reached new heights.


According a government report, there are close to 2,60,000 stray dogs in Delhi alone and their population is increasing everyday. Although the government claims to have engaged Non Governmental Organizations for the sterilization of these dogs, nothing remarkable has been achieved so far.

Lack of funds and extremely limited number of sterilization centers are cited as the main reasons behind the growing number of dogs. They also claim not to have enough space to keep these dogs for sterilization or any other medical treatment that they need. In fact, a proposal to the Animal Welfare Board of India to create a special dog home was turned down by the authorities concerned.


In all this process of irresponsibility and insensitivity, dogs and other stray animals are the worst sufferers. They have nowhere to go, nothing to feed on, and no scope for any medical help or assistance. We can’t deny or overlook our responsibility towards our lower cousins as this world belongs to them as much as it belongs to us. We hope, people of the civil society would wake up to this grave situation and take pains to look after these helpless animals who have nowhere to go.

Leopard Burnt Alive

In a barbaric act, an angry mob burnt a leopard alive after threatening to kill forest department officials who tried to stop them in a forested area near Kotdwar in Uttarakhand’s Pauri district in India a few days ago. The mob of around 400 angry residents threatened them with stones and sharp-edged weapons as the officials were trying to tranquilize the seven year old leopard.


The residents were angry as the leopard had mauled three people from the village the previous week. They doused the leopard with kerosene and burnt it alive, and all the forest department officials were forced to be silent witnesses to the ghastly act.

Man’s cruelty and selfishness knows no bounds. First he grabs all the forested land and when he has a clash of interests with animals, he kills them. Innocent animals are being killed all over the world for no fault of theirs. Human beings have built an empire of greed over the dead bodies, blood, bones and skins of their lower cousins, the helpless animals.


This barbaric and unjust treatment of innocent animals must stop immediately. The authorities concerned and the people of this planet must ensure the safety of animals as they have been here before we came into existence. We all must remember that if there would be no animals on the earth, there will be no earth for us to live on.