Saturday 7 December 2013

INDIA'S DEADLIEST ANIMAL COUNTDOWN (BASED ON HUMAN KILLING PER YEAR)

              In this countdown we start from the least deadliest to the most deadliest animals. This countdown is based on the human deaths per year. So, here we go now-

10. Stray Dog:

                India has a large number of stray dogs in the cities. This Dogs normally do not attack the human, but at the time of mating and fighting season these Stray dogs sometimes become very dangerous and attack the human. Normally the children are attacked by them. Every year, there are 1000 dog biting cases are filed in India, though the death of human by dog biting is not huge in number. approximately 10-20 people are found dead by dog biting, every year. That's why this stray dogs are in number 10 in our countdown list.
Stray Dog

9.  Black Bear:

             In the Himalayan region of India, this black bears are found. They are very much aggressive, they can attack without any reason. This attacks normally occurs in the morning section. The number of human deaths by black bear are approximately 20 human per year in India. But they attack human more often than stray dogs, That's why they are the number 9 in our countdown.
Black Bear

8. Honey Bee:

               Honey bees are found everywhere in India. This honey bees are very much territorial, they attack everything that looks dangerous to them. The death of human per year due to honey bee attack is much greater than the stray dog attack. approximately 40-50 people are died every year due to honey bee attacks. That's why this stray dogs are in number 8 in our countdown list.

Honey Bee


7.  Scorpion:

Black scorpion
              In India, around 86 species of scorpion lived are found out of them 50 are very much deadly for the human. Scorpions are found everywhere in India, The death of human per year due to scorpion bites are much greater than the previous animals. Every year around 80 people are found dead due to scorpion attacks. That's Why, scorpions are our number 7 in this countdown. 

The next animal in this least leaves in water.... and they do not attack human for protection, they attack human for food.

6. Crocodile: 

              In India, crocodiles are well known human attacker. They lived in the Shallow water or lakes. These crocodiles attacks adult human. Crocodiles attack are very common where human and crocodile habitat coincide. They are sneak attackers. Every year  around 100 people died due to human attacks. They are our number 6 animal in this countdown.
Crocodile

Our next is known for it's sneak attacks, it attacks it's prey until they are at most 5 meters near of it.


5. Leopard:

Leopard
              Leopard is one of the big cat that found across everywhere in India. Leopards attacks are very much often in these years as the depleting of the forest causes their habitat loss. and for food they entered nearby human habitat for food. Leopards are found in the nearby village fields, and they often attack solitary human when they get chance. Every year around 150-200 human found dead due to leopard attacks. That's why leopards are our number 5 in the India's Deadliest Animal Countdown based on human killing per year.
             In the past there are a list of man eater leopards who kills people at a high rate. 
            The Panar Leopard kills around 400 human in his live span.
            The Kahani man eater kills around 200 human, and the Rudraprayag man eater kills 125 human.

4. Bengal Tiger:

Bengal tiger
            Bengal tiger is one of the deadliest man-eaters of in India. According to the wildlife researchers, bengal tigers are the only remaining man eaters in this world. though it is proven that only injured and old tigers become man-eaters. The Sundarbans is the place where this killing takes place mainly. Though there are other places where tiger kills human. Every year around 300 people died due to tiger attacks. Bengal tigers are our number 4 in this list.

Our next animal in this countdown is worshiped by the humans.

3. Elephant: 

             Elephants might looks like big and slow moving animal but they are very deadly when they get angry. The wild elephants entered the human habitat for food and destroy everything in there path. In the jungle of the wild elephants, those elephants destroy the homes and food of the humans. and often kills human. Every year 2,000 people are killed due to Elephant attacks.
Wild Elephant

2. Snakes:

            Snakes are considered to be the most deadliest animal on the earth. India is the home of the venomous snakes. The Cobra, The King Cobra, The Krait, Python, Russell Vipers,Saw Scaled Viper, Purple Pit Viper, Common Rat Snake all those deadly venomous snakes are in here. Every year almost 50,000 people found dead due to snake attacks. They are our number 2 in our countdown.

The Krait
            Now it's the time for the number 1 animals which kills more human in India than others. Our number 1 animal of this countdown is..........

1. Mosquito:

             Mosquito is very much common insects of India. But mosquito bites are the cause of the deadliest viral fevers- dengue, malaria and more. Every year almost 200,000 people found death due to mosquito bites. That is why I choose the mosquitoes as the deadliest animal in this Deadliest animal countdown list. 

Mosquito

           Here you see the deadliest animal countdown based on human killing per year. leave your comment please about the countdown... we are eagerly waiting for your replies.



Thursday 5 December 2013

INDIAN MIGRATORY BIRDS.

          Indian subcontinent host a huge number of migratory birds in summer as well as in winter. It is estimated that almost one hundred species fly to India every year. There are a lot of sanctuaries that serve them as their temporary habitat. Usually birds starts migrate in search of food or due to extreme cold winter season. and once they start their migration no one can stop them except extreme bad weather.
          Here are a list of some important migratory birds of India-

BIRDS THAT COME TO INDIA IN SUMMER-

Black crowned night heron
Asian koel
Blue tailed bee eater
  • Asian Koel
  • Black crowned night heron
  • Eurasian golden oriole
  • Comb duck
  • Blue cheeked bee eater
  • Blue tailed bee eater
  • Cuckoos


Comb Duck


BIRDS THAT COME TO INDIA IN WINTER


Starling
Common teal
  • Siberian Crane
  • Greater flamingo
  • Ruff
  • Black winged stilt
  • Common teal
  • Common greenshank
  • Northern pintail
  • Yellow wagtail
  • White wagtail
  • Northern shoveler
  • Rosy palican
  • Gadwall
  • Starling
  • Wood sandpiper
  • Spotted Sandpiper
  • Eurasian wigeon
  • Black tail godwit
  • Spotted redshank
  • Bluethoart
  • Long billed pipit
    Rosy palican

Tuesday 3 December 2013

DAYING ERING WILDLIFE SANCTUARY IS BANS ENTRY WITHIN PREMISES


              Daying ering wildlife sanctuary is situated in Arunachal Pradesh, India. It is now bans entry within premises due to the recent salt lick ambush laid by hunters, killing a bird, and disappearance of of two camera trapping from the sanctuary. There had been restriction of hunting and poaching to some extent in the sanctuary in the past two years.
              This sanctuary is located at Pasighat. This is located on the island- boating through the river Siang is the only way to reach this sanctuary. It's spread over an area of 190 sq km and houses of varieties of animals and birds. It is divided into three ranges- Anchalghat, Sibiamukh and Barghuli. 75% of the Sanctuary is covered with alluvial grassland, 15% are the woods and 10% is covered by water.
              From September-February, a variety of migratory birdslike cranes, wild ducks, storks, water fowls and hornbills migrate here from far off places making it a bird's paradise. A few of the birds come here from Siberia and Mongolia.
              Deer, wild elephant, buffaloes and other small animals are found in this sanctuary. Aquatic birds such as spot-billed pelican, bear's pochards, Indian skimmer, lesser adjutant, lesser whistling teal, black-bellied tern and the darter also make the sanctuary as their home. More than 100 aquatic species such as water monitor lizards, pisces turtle and other reptiles live in the waters of the sanctuary. The Bengal tiger is the special features of this sanctuary. although, it is rarely seen.
             This ban is very much painful for those who love to capture the pictures of the birds.



Thursday 28 November 2013

FUTURE OF THE SIBERIAN TIGER

INTRODUCTION

          Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altiaca), also known as the Amur tiger is the largest living big cat and also ranked among the biggest felids that ever exists in the world. Amur tiger once found throughout the Russian Far East, north China and the Korean peninsular. By the 1940s, hunting has driven the Amur tiger to the brink of extinction- with no more than 40 individuals remaining in the wild. The subspecies was saved when Russia become the first country to grant the tigers full protection. By 1980s, the population increases around 500. Although poaching increases in these days, the number of the Amur tiger in the wild is now stable (400-500).

THREAT FOR THE SIBERIAN TIGER

         The main threats for these tigers today are the habitat loss, very low density of prey and poaching. 

FUTURE OF SIBERIAN TIGER

         The future of these tiger completely depends on the human. If we do not care, then these tiger will extinct in future. At present these Amur tigers are Endangered species according to IUCN 3.1 Red List. 

WHAT TO DO

       To save these creature the best we can do is to do nothing i.e. leave them in the wild, do not interface their life. But all of us know that is impossible today. So we have to do a lot to save them. 

MY THOUGHT TO SAVE AMUR TIGER

       Here is my thoughts to save them. 
1. We use camera traps to watch whole movement of the Amur tigers.
2. Use radio- collars for their exact locations.
3. Capture some of the pregnant tigress and transfer them to a safe location or area where we can monitor them 24 hours. But those tigress must not feel caged.
4. When the tiger cubs are old enough we transfer them to the wild.
5. To deal with the poachers, the government must enforce new laws and strict punishment for the poachers.

PROBLEMS AND HOPE

       Still there is no solution for the habitat loss and the low prey density though we knew the cats are the best in adaptation and evolution. So we hope the life will find its way and these Amur tiger find there way of life and will not extinct in future.

Tuesday 26 November 2013

A TRIP TO ANDAMAN ISLAND



Sunset point at Port Blair



Jailer Barry's Chair at Cellular Jail

Cellular jail

Gallows at Cellular Jail

Mangrove At Andaman ISland

Limestone Cave

Museum at Port Blair
Andaman Island is situated in the southern India. It is famous for its coral reefs, water sports, historical back ground, for the various tribes of the Andaman and two dead volcanoes.



















Ross Island


Chital at Ross island

HOW TO REACH


  By Air- there are plenty planes services from these cities of India- Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai to Port Blair- the capital of Andaman Nicobor Island. It is almost a 2 to 4 hour plane journey. It’ll take 2 hours from Kolkata to Port Blair.
Ross island
Bunkers used in world war 2
 Indian Airlines- fly from Delhi, Kolkata, and Chennai to port Blair.
 Spicejet- fly from Chennai to Port Blair.
Places at Ross Island
 JetLite- fly from Chennai to port Blair. Also fly from Delhi to Port Blair via Kolkata.
These flights are not so much low-cost, if compared to the same airlines’ mainland flights.

By Sea- you also can travel by ship. There are ships routes from Kolkata, Chennai, and




Green lizard at Havelock Island

Scuba Diving at North Bay
Visakhapatnam to Port Blair. It takes almost 4 days to reach Port Blair. This trip is much less cost than travelling by air.
          This travelling becomes boring as you have nothing to do without watching the sea.

PLACES TO VISIT:

Sunset Point
 1.       Havelock Island:  The most visited of the islands, with the most infrastructures (although still minimal). It is famous for its beautiful beaches. The Radhanagar beach is one of the famous beach of India as well as the world.
a island in Mahatma Gandhi National Park
seat and see the Sunset at sunset point
2.       Rutland Island: it is a quite non-polluted and least visited island. Famous for its beautiful mangrove forest and coral reefs. There is a 45 acre Totani Resort which has quaint little huts which can be used as a base camp for exploring the island. It is a ideal place for Eco-tourists.
3.     Neil Island: when you enter this island you may think that it is a waste of time and waste of money, but believe me, it is one of those place which you remembered for the rest of your life. This island has a reach coral beach. If you watch the water on the coral beach you can see and can touch the star fish, but remember, do not take out of the water for long time, unless they die. You can also see sea-cucumber and sea-plants.
4.   Baratang Island: Mud volcano, Limestone cave and Mangrove creeks in the black waters are the main source of attraction here.
5.  Barren Island: it is the only volcano of India.
6.  Long Island: if you see Cast Away and imagine if you were in the same position, what you will do, then you can try it here. Nothing you can get here, it's very much adventurous place.
7.  Cellular Jail: it’s a historical place, here the British rulers of the India sent most of the notorious rebels and torture them in extreme ways.
8.  Viper Island: It’s also a historical place, before the creation of the cellular jail, most of the rebels were send here to die.
ready for scuba diving at North Bay
9.  Ross Island: It’s also a historical place, it is very close to Port Blair, and can be easily spotted from the top of the cellular jail.
10. North Bay: this place is only for those who love Water sports, here you can do, Scuba diving, Snorkelling, water-glass boating to see the Coral life, though for the increasing of this water sports.
At Neil Island


Crab at Neil Island

Coral reef at Neil Island

Sea Cucumber at Neil Island

Sunset point
Star fish in hand
11. Middle Strait: here you can see nothing. Then why you need to visit this? Because of the Jarowa tribes. To reach here you have to cross almost 45 km Jungle by road (in car) and in these jungle you can see the Jarowa tribes. But never take any picture of them as it is illegal here and if you do so, you may be fined a huge amount of money and jail up to 5 years.
12. Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park: There are 15 islands though only 2 are open for the tourists- Jolly Buoy and Redskin island. Redskin island is famous for its reef wall, high diversity of corals and saltwater crocodile habitat. And the Jolly Buoy is known for its large shoals of fishes. Also it have good diversity of corals and reef wall.

DO:

1.        Scuba diving: Havelock island and north bay is known for diving. Though they are very much ordinary diving sites respect to the natural beauty of Andaman. They best sites for diving are- Barren island (active volcano), Narcondam island (extinct volcano), Invisible Bank (an extensive seamount approx. 100 miles southeast of Port Blair). These diving sites are little expensive but surely money worthy.
2.        Snorkelling: it’s very much fun, much good for those who do not know swimming. This activity done in north bay, Havelock beach and mau terra beach.
3.        Surfing:  done in little Andaman island.
4.        Glass bottom boat: done in North Bay, Redskin Island, Jolly Buoy Island and Neil Island.

EAT:

 Seafood is the order of the trip. From upscale restaurants of Port Blair to the small dhabas of the small islands, fish abounds. The foods are little expensive for the Indian standard but the food is money worthy.

DRINK

Fresh coconuts are popular and widely available. Alcohol is available in some restaurants too. But there is no pub culture or even dance club.

IMPORTANT FACTS:

1.        From Port Blair to Havelock there are passenger ferries and seaplane service. Seaplane service is money worthy but awesome experience.
2.        Main language of Andaman is Tamil and Bengali.
3.        There are youth hostels and Ramakrishna Mission’s lodge, if you can arrange it, then you can get very less expensive rooms.
4.        Scooters and Motorcycles are available in the islands for rent, per day charge is around Rs. 150 to Rs. 200 with a deposit money, of Rs. 750 to Rs. 1000.
5.        Taxies and autorickshaws are also available in the island.
6.        Never try to capture any photographs where it is prohibited.
7.        While doing water sports, you should follow the instructor for your own safety.
8.        Don’t bring any kind of corals with you. It is a crime.

CONTACTS:

 For more detail information and if you have interested in travelling Andaman, contact us bshwetadri@yahoo.com









Friday 20 September 2013

DOMESTIC CATS CAN BE DANGEROUS TO MANKIND?

        Scientists mapped the genomes of the tigers, lions and snow leopards in a conservation project to save the endangered species. The researches get a huge break through while working on this. they found that the tigers shares 96% of its genomes with the domestic cats. this research also shows that how the white lions get its pale coat and how the snow leopards adapted to the snowy mountain ranges. according to the researchers, cats are very much capable of adoption. they can change their habits when the environment calls for it.
         But a big questions arises now- if 96% of the tiger genomes matched with the domestic house cats then is it possible that these house cats may be very dangerous for us? Since they have many genomes  common with the ultimate predator- The Tigers, it may be possible that that some day these cats attack the human, and if it happens in future it may be a huge trouble to mankind as we all know cats are very common.
         So, we should keep a safe distance from them, for the good of both ends.

Wednesday 18 September 2013

RAINFORESTS ARE VALUABLE FOR CONSERVATION


                      New research has found rainforests that have been logged several times continue to hold substantial value for biodiversity and could have a role in conservation.
                   The research, which monitored bats as an indicator for environmental change on Borneo, is the first of its kind to have wildlife in forests logged more than two times. The findings are particularly important because across the tropics forest that has been intensively harvested is frequently targeted for conservation to agriculture and is perceived to hold little value for timber, carbon or biodiversity.
              Recent studies have emphasised similar numbers of species living in unlogged and logged sites, but what is surprising is that just how resilient some species were, even in sites almost unrecognisable as rainforest.
             Only by viewing forest sites along a gradient of logging disturbance, ranging from pristine to heavily degraded, were the team able to detect a gradual decline of some key bat species.
             The research confirmed the most vulnerable bats were those that tend to live in the cavities of old growth trees. By linking bat captures with vegetation measurements from nearby plots, the researchers were able to reveal how these animals declined as successive rounds of logging took their trolls on forest structure and crucially, the availability of tree cavities.
              Although logging damage was clearly detrimental to some of the species studied, the findings also offer some hope for forest restoration efforts.


ARCTIC ICE DECREASING AND ANTARCTIC ICE INCREASING

         Much attention is paid to melting sea ice in the Arctic. But less clear is the situation on the other side of the planet. Despite warmer air and oceans, there is more sea ice in Antarctica now than in the 1970s- a fact often pounded on by global warming sceptics. The latest members suggest the Antarctica sea ice may be heading toward a record this year.
           A researcher of the University of Washington says the reason lie in the winds. A new modelling study to be published in the Journal of Climate shows that stronger polar winds lead to an increase in Antarctic sea ice, even in a warming climate.
           “The overwhelming evidence is that the Southern Ocean is warming”, said the author Jinlun Zhang, an oceanographer at the UW Applied Physics Laboratory. “Why would sea ice be increasing? Although the rate of increase is small, it is a puzzle to scientists.”
            His new study shows that stronger westerly winds swirling around the South Pole can explain 80% of the increase in Antarctica sea ice volume in the past three decades.
           The polar vortex that swirls around the South Pole is not just stronger than it was when satellite records began in the 1970s, it has more convergence, meaning it shoves the sea ice together to cause ridging. Stronger winds also drive ice faster, which leads to still more deformation and ridging. This creates thicker, longer-lasting ice, while exposing surrounding water and thin ice to the blistering cold winds that cause more ice growth.
         In a computer simulation that includes detailed interactions between wind and the sea, thicker ice- more than 6 feet deep– increased by about 1% every year from 1979 to 2010. While the amount of thin ice stayed fairly constant. The end result is a thicker, slightly larger ice pack that lasts longer into summer.
         When the model held the polar winds at a constant level, the sea ice increased only 20% as much. A previous study by Zhang showed that changes in water density could explain the remaining increase.
       “People have been talking about the possible link between winds and Antarctica sea ice expansion before, but I think this is the first study that confirms this link though a model experiment.” Said by Alex Schweiger, a polar scientist at the UW Applied Physics Lab. “This is another process by which dynamic changes in the atmosphere can make changes in sea ice that are not necessarily expected.”
     The research was funded by the National Science Foundation.
   Though, it is still a mystery why the southern winds have been getting stronger, some scientist have theorized that it could be related to global warming or to the Ozone depletion in the southern hemisphere or just to natural cycles of variability. Difference between the two poles could explain the opposite behave. Surface air warming in the Arctic is more uniform. Another difference in the Arctic is that, the Northern hemisphere is protected basin, while the Antarctic sea ice floats in open oceans where the ice can expand freely. Many of the models are unable to explain why the Antarctic ice increases.

“If the warming continues, at some point the trend will reverse

WORLD NOT ON TRACK OVER CLIMATE CHANGE


           One of the top UN official said that international leaders are failing to fight global warming, appealing directly to the world’s voters to pressure their politicians into taking tougher action against the build up of green gases.
Halldor Thorgeirsson told the journalists Tuesday that, “We are failing as an international community” and that the world is “not on track” to prevent potentially catastrophic climate change.

           Thorgeisson, a senior director with UN framework convention on climate change, was speaking with two hours left to go before the world powers gather in Paris for another round of negotiation over the future of the world’s climate. Which scientists warn will warm dramatically unless action is taken to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions.