Batagur baska, commonly known as the Northern River Terrapin, belongs to the family Geoemydidae, a group of freshwater turtles widely distributed across Asia. It is a close cousin of the Southern River terrapin (Batagur affinis). The species was first described by John Edward Gray in 1830.
Tag: Environ
Guardian of the Greens
Sunil Limaye (ex- Forester and Wildlife Conservationist) is a tad amused when we say that forest rangers have occupied a larger-than-life persona in pop culture for years. From ‘The Forest Rangers’ (1942) starring Fred MacMurray to ‘Sherni’ (2021) starring Vidya Balan, forest officers in their myriad roles have captivated viewers as they tackled conflicts in deeply hostile forests. Limaye agrees that most forest rangers deal with intense pressures and obstacles of all kinds which is probably why they are amazing role models across generations, but his own role as an Indian Forest Service Officer involved a good deal of administrative duties, instilling awareness in rural and urban groups about conservation and sustainability, and devising strategies to mitigate human-animal conflicts.
What Lies Ahead for the Royal Bengal Tiger?
In 2023, India celebrated 50 glorious years of Project Tiger. When the nation became independent in 1947, the tiger count in the country was estimated to be between 40,000 – 50,000. But, when the first official tiger census took place in 1972, the results were appalling – the animal was tethering on the brink of extinction with an abysmal count of less than 2000. The first all-India tiger census figure via pugmark tracking identification, the traditional method used at the time, put the number at 1827.
Dazzling Western Ghats
India’s famous ornithologist and naturalist flopped down on the protruding roots of a giant tree and reached for his bottle of orange juice that he was carrying with him. After all the tiring work he had done over the past couple of hours, it was nearly a tumble. Dr. Ali was thirsty and gulped down the fluid. The year was 1987 and this was just a few months before the “Bird Man of India” breathed his last at the age of 90.
