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Are India’s critically endangered bustards migrating to Pakistan?

Recent sightings of three Great Indian Bustards (GIBs) in the Cholistan desert of Pakistan have environmental activists suggesting that the endangered birds may have flown across the international border from Desert National Park in Rajasthan. The state bird of Rajasthan is considered India's most critically endangered species. Desert National Park's population of about 150 accounts for 95 per cent of the GIB's total world population. Tourism & Wildlife Society of India (TWSI) secretary Harsh Vardhan said it would be ideal for India and Pakistan to develop a protocol through diplomatic channels to collaborate on the conservation of the GIB.

Read more: Are critically endangered Great Indian Bustards now migrating to Pakistan? | The Hindu

Critically endangered Great Indian Bustards in Desert National Park
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"Recent sightings of three Great Indian Bustards (GIBs) in the Cholistan desert of Pakistan have environmental activists suggesting that the endangered birds may have flown across the international border from Desert National Park in Rajasthan." Photograph by Dr. Raju Kasambe via Wikimedia Commons under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license

National Green Tribunal halts Pakhro Tiger Safari project in Corbett

After media reports of illegal tree felling in Uttarakhand’s Corbett Tiger Reserve, the National Green Tribunal (NGT), on its own volition, has halted the Pakhro Tiger Safari project. More than 6,000 trees over 16.21 hectares were felled for the proposed tiger safari. NGT has put together a three-member committee comprising the DG, Forest Department, DG, Wildlife Department and DG, Project Tiger, “to identify the violators and the steps required for restoration of the environment.” The tribunal also ordered the action taken report to be submitted to the Union Environment Ministry by January 31, 2023.

Read more: Corbett illegal tree felling: Green tribunal halts tiger safari project | Hindustan Times

Filming of a Royal Bengal Tiger in Jim Corbett National Park | Nature inFocus
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"More than 6,000 trees over 16.21 hectares were felled for the proposed tiger safari." Photograph by Soumyajit Nandy via Wikimedia Commons under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license

Fossil fuel combustion-related and heat-related deaths on the rise in India

The Lancet report Countdown on health and climate change estimates that in 2020, more than 3,30,000 people died in India from exposure to particulate matter from fossil fuel combustion. In India, biomass accounts for 61 per cent and fossil fuels account for 20 per cent of household energy consumption. “With this high reliance on dirty fuels, average household concentrations of particulate matter exceeded the WHO [World Health Organisation] recommendation by 27-fold nationally and 35-fold in rural homes,” the report said. The study also shows that deaths caused due to heat had increased by 55 per cent in the last 17 years. In 2021, exposure to heat caused a loss of 167.2 billion potential labour hours among Indians, resulting in income losses equivalent to 5.4 per cent of the national gross domestic product.

Read more: Heat-related deaths in India increased by 55% in 17 years, finds Lancet study | Scroll.in

Firewood burning in a forest area
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In 2020, more than 3,30,000 people died in India from exposure to particulate matter from fossil fuel combustion, according to the Lancet stufy. Photograph courtesy of Pxhere

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International

Juvenile bird sets world record for 13,560km continuous flight

A juvenile Bar-tailed Godwit, known by its satellite tag number 234684, has flown from Alaska to the Australian state of Tasmania without stopping, covering a distance of 13,560km and setting a new world record for marathon bird flights. The five-month-old bird set off from Alaska on 13 October and appeared to have stopped nowhere over 11 days and one hour. The previous record was held by an adult male of the same species, which flew 13,000km in 2021, beating its previous record of 12,000km the year before.

Read more: Bar-tailed godwit sets world record with 13,560km continuous flight from Alaska to southern Australia | The Guardian

Near-threatened Bar-tailed Godwit photographed on a grassland
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"The previous record of the longest flight was held by an adult male Bar-tailed Godwit, which flew 13,000km in 2021." Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica). Photograph by Andreas Trepte via Wikimedia Commons under the CC BY-SA 2.5 license

Eurasian Jays exhibit self-control in cognitive tests, suggesting higher intelligence

Members of the Corvid family, Eurasian Jays are nicknamed the ‘feathered apes’ because of their ability to rival non-human primates in their cognitive abilities. A new study by Cambridge University has shown that the birds shun an immediate reward for a tastier but delayed treat. What’s more? The birds that showed the most self-control also scored higher in cognitive tests. Dr Alex Schnell, the first author of the study, said the relationship has previously been seen in chimpanzees and cuttlefish—species that diverged long ago. “For the first time, we show a link between self-control and intelligence in birds,” said Schnell. 

Read more: Eurasian jays shun reward for tastier delayed treat, study finds | The Guardian

Eurasian Jay eating a peanut
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“A new study by Cambridge University has shown that the birds shun an immediate reward for a tastier but delayed treat.” Eurasian jay (Garrulus glandarius). Photograph by Grzegorz Chrupala via Wikimedia Commons under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license

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