All posts tagged: endangered

Critically endangered Indian roofed turtle found in Rajouri

Critically endangered Indian roofed turtle found in Rajouri

Published by Parlour News

The wildlife department of Jammu and Kashmir, for the first time ever, recorded the presence of critically endangered Indian roofed turtle, scientifically called Pangshura tecta, in Munawar Tawi area of Rajouri district. The Indian roofed turtle. (HT Photo) “The Indian roofed turtle has been reported for the first time from this region. A family contacted us and informed us about the baby turtle. They had found it from the Naban area of Rajouri town,” said Nadeem Iqbal Mirza, wildlife warden Rajouri-Poonch range. Mirza informed that the turtle was again released into its natural habitat. “Now, we will conduct awareness programmes along the fringes of Munawar Tawi to educate the people about this particular species, which is endangered and falls under schedule 1 of the Wildlife protection act 1971. The official informed that the wildlife department will now set up camera traps on either banks of the Munawar Tawi, commonly known by the name Sukhto River, to record other family members of the baby Indian roofed turtle. The Indian roofed turtle is primarily omnivorous, though its …

Meet the endangered species that are surviving in India’s national parks | Pets-animals News

Meet the endangered species that are surviving in India’s national parks | Pets-animals News

Published by Parlour News

3 min readNew DelhiMay 26, 2026 11:00 PM IST India is one of the world’s richest biodiversity hotspots, home to forests, deserts, wetlands, grasslands, and mountain ecosystems that support a remarkable variety of wildlife. Many of the country’s national parks also serve as critical refuges for endangered species threatened by habitat destruction, poaching, climate change, and human-wildlife conflict. Here are some of the most fascinating endangered animals you may encounter in India’s protected wilderness areas.  Bengal Tiger The Bengal tiger remains India’s most iconic endangered species. Found in reserves such as Ranthambore National Park, Bandhavgarh National Park, and Jim Corbett National Park, these majestic big cats play a vital role in maintaining ecological balance. Conservation efforts under Project Tiger have helped improve tiger numbers, but habitat fragmentation and poaching remain major threats.  Snow Leopard Known as the “Ghost of the Mountains,” the elusive snow leopard inhabits the high-altitude Himalayan regions of India. Hemis National Park is one of the best places to spot this rare predator. Their population remains vulnerable due to climate change, prey …

Over 300 endangered turtles found hidden in AC First-Class coach of Patna-Indore Express | India News

Over 300 endangered turtles found hidden in AC First-Class coach of Patna-Indore Express | India News

Published by Parlour News

3 min readBhopalFeb 15, 2026 07:15 AM IST The AC First-Class coach of the Patna-Indore Express train should have been carrying business executives reclining in cushioned berths. Instead, on a sweltering afternoon at Sant Hirdaram railway station, forest officers discovered a different kind of passenger — over 300 endangered turtles, stacked like contraband in the shadows of India’s most expensive passenger compartment. RPF officials said they were on a routine check when they noticed the suspicious behaviour of Ajay Singh Rajput, a coach attendant aboard the Patna-Indore Express, who caught their attention. A search of his two bags revealed dozens of small, live Indian tent turtles — a fully-protected species under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW VIDEO Rajput, a four-year railway employee working through a private contracting agency, allegedly admitted receiving the bags from an unidentified contact in Lucknow. “As a first-class coach attendant, Rajput enjoyed privileges that made him an ideal courier. He had access to a private cabin and bedding storage compartments, spaces rarely checked during routine inspections. The bags …

311 Endangered Turtles Seized In Bhopal From AC First-Class Coach | India News

311 Endangered Turtles Seized In Bhopal From AC First-Class Coach | India News

Published by Webster

Last Updated:February 14, 2026, 16:35 IST The 311 turtles were seized from coach attendant Ajay Singh Rajput, who is suspected to have been acting as a courier for the smuggling network. Representational Image. (AI Generated) In a major crackdown on illegal wildlife trafficking, forest officials have seized 311 endangered turtles from an air-conditioned first-class coach of a train in Madhya Pradesh’s Bhopal. The private confines of AC First-Class coaches, long seen as the most exclusive and secure class of travel on Indian Railways, have emerged as an unexpected route for wildlife smuggling, with an inter-state racket using luxury compartments to transport endangered turtles from Uttar Pradesh to Madhya Pradesh and onward to western India. The operation was carried out jointly by the Madhya Pradesh State Tiger Strike Force (STSF), the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and the Bhopal Forest Division. The turtles were seized from the 19322 Patna-Indore Express at Sant Hirdaram railway station in Bhopal. According to the investigators, the racket sourced turtles from the rivers of Uttar Pradesh, primarily the Ganga and Gomti and …

Endangered deer population rises in Valley

Endangered deer population rises in Valley

Published by Parlour News

Published on: Dec 31, 2025 05:12 am IST The Hangul deer population in Jammu and Kashmir has risen to 323, up from 289 in 2023, due to successful conservation efforts. Srinagar: The population of the Jammu and Kashmir’s royal stag, also known as Hangul, a critically endangered species of red deer endemic to the Kashmir Valley, has logged a significant growth, officials and conservationists said. Endangered deer population rises in Valley According to the latest census which was conducted in March 2025, the animal’s number has increased to 323 from 289 in 2023, they said. Hangul once ruled the Valley but has become a critically endangered species with sightings mostly reported in Srinagar’s Dachigam National Park along with a few connecting pockets in south Kashmir like Tral Wildlife Sanctuary. Wildlife officials say that the stabilisation and increase in population is the result of conservation efforts aimed to protect the animal in Dachigam and improvement in the situation in the Valley for the past two decades. The census data was shared in the 6th meeting of …

Hope For The Hangul: Endangered Kashmiri Deer Shows Signs Of Revival | India News

Hope For The Hangul: Endangered Kashmiri Deer Shows Signs Of Revival | India News

Published by Webster

Last Updated:December 29, 2025, 22:33 IST The Hangul, scientifically known as Cervus hanglu hanglu, is the only surviving subspecies of the Red Deer in India. Native to the dense forests of Dachigam National Park and adjoining areas, the Hangul’s numbers had plummeted over the decades. (Photo via X) Once teetering on the edge of extinction, the Hangul or Kashmir stag — the only surviving red deer species in the Indian subcontinent — is making a slow but hopeful comeback. At the 6th meeting of the Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory Wildlife Board, chaired by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha at Lok Bhavan on Monday, officials reported that the Hangul population has increased from 127 in 2008 to 323 in the 2025 census. Native to the dense forests of Dachigam National Park and adjoining areas, the Hangul’s numbers had plummeted over the decades due to poaching, habitat loss, and fragmentation caused by human encroachment and livestock grazing. Years of armed conflict in the Valley further disrupted conservation efforts, pushing the species to the brink. The Hangul, scientifically …

Assam releases 35 critically endangered vultures in Kaziranga

Assam releases 35 critically endangered vultures in Kaziranga

Published by Parlour News

Silchar: The Vulture Conservation and Breeding Centre (VCBC), Assam, on Monday released 35 captive-bred vultures into Kaziranga National Park & Tiger Reserve under the Bishwanath Wildlife Division. Assam remains the last stronghold of the slender-billed vulture in India, with small but surviving breeding populations around Kaziranga. The batch includes 30 White-rumped Vultures (Gyps bengalensis) and 5 Slender-billed Vultures (Gyps tenuirostris), both listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List and protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act. Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma wrote on social media, “Glad to announce the release of 30 White-rumped & 5 Slender-billed Vultures from VCBC, Rani into Kaziranga National Park’s 6th Edition.” He added, “Like Jatayu soaring in the Ramayana, these guardians of our health return to the wild, marking a triumph of our dedicated conservation efforts.” He said the initiative reflects Assam’s renewed commitment to restoring ecological balance and strengthening wildlife protection. According to the director of Kaziranga National Park, Sonali Ghosh, Assam remains the last stronghold of the slender-billed vulture in India, with small but …

Jaguar spotted in Arizona, 5th sighting of the endangered big cat in 15 years | World News

Jaguar spotted in Arizona, 5th sighting of the endangered big cat in 15 years | World News

Published by Parlour News

This photo, made with a remote camera and provided by the University of Arizona Wild Cat Research and Conservation Center, shows a spotted jaguar in southern Arizona, Nov. 2025. (University of Arizona Wild Cat Research and Conservation Center via AP) A group of researchers at the University of Arizona Wild Cat Research and Conservation Center has said that they have spotted a Jaguar, a species considered locally extinct in the US. According to the researchers, the animal was captured by the camera as it visited a watering hole in southern Arizona in November. Based on the rosette pattern on the jaguar, researchers have concluded that the camera-trapped animal has not been recorded previously. 5th jaguar spotted in 15 years According to them, the distinctive spots on the jaguar set it apart from previous sightings in the area. This is only the fifth time in the past 15 years that jaguars have been spotted in the area after crossing the US-Mexico border. The Santa Rita Jaguar was first detected in the Whetstone Mountains by houndsman Donnie …

Assam To Reintroduce 12 Critically Endangered Slender-Billed, White-Rumped Vultures Into The Wild | India News

Assam To Reintroduce 12 Critically Endangered Slender-Billed, White-Rumped Vultures Into The Wild | India News

Published by Webster

Last Updated:December 05, 2025, 07:30 IST India began captive-breeding vultures after their numbers plummeted due to the widespread use of the cattle drug diclofenac, which had pushed the species to the brink of extinction The goal is to reintroduce these magnificent birds to the forests they once called home before they were driven to the brink of extinction. Pic/Vandan Jhaveri Assam is preparing for a historic conservation milestone—its first reintroduction of captive-born, critically endangered vultures into the wild. After raising over 800 vultures in its Conservation Breeding Centres across India, the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) will release 12 of them in Assam early next year. The release from the Vulture Conservation Breeding Centre in Rani, Kamrup, is planned at two separate sites and will commence in early January, marking a major step in India’s vulture recovery efforts. “We have identified two separate locations for the release—six will be released in Kamrup and six others in Biswanath in the state. Both species—slender-billed and white-rumped vultures—are critically endangered and have been successfully bred in captivity. The …

Study warns of chemical pollution threat to endangered Gangetic dolphins

Study warns of chemical pollution threat to endangered Gangetic dolphins

Published by Webster

A recent study published in the journal ‘Heliyon’ by the Wildlife Institute of India reveals that Gangetic dolphins are being exposed to harmful endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) through their diet. Researchers assessed the dietary risk from 39 EDCs present in fish species commonly consumed by these freshwater mammals. The study found significant bioaccumulation of industrial chemicals like di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP) in the dolphins’ prey. Additionally, traces of banned pesticides such as DDT and Lindane (γ-HCH) were detected, highlighting weak enforcement of environmental laws in the Ganga basin. The Gangetic dolphin population has dropped by over 50 per cent since 1957, and their habitat range has decreased by nearly 25 per cent, despite their status as India’s national aquatic animal. With only five species of river dolphins remaining worldwide, the study warned that India could risk a repeat of the Yangtze River tragedy, where a similar species went extinct due to unchecked human activities. The study identifies multiple sources of chemical contamination affecting Gangetic dolphins, including agricultural runoff, untreated effluents from the textile …