Down To Earth brings you the top happenings in the world of global ecology
New beaked whale discovered in Japanese waters
A new type of beaked whale has been discovered in water off the coast of Japan, according to a media report.
As the name suggests, the key distinguishing feature of a beaked whale is the presence of a 'beak'.
The remains of six beached whales that had become stranded on the coasts of the Okhotsk Sea were studied by researchers from Japan’s National Museum of Nature and Science and Hokkaido University.
They found that while the specimens resembled Baird’s beaked whale in some respectes, on the whole, they were a new species.
The new species has been given the scientific name Berardius minimus. It measures between 20.3 to 22.6 feet long.
Flyover to be built over national highway in Kaziranga National Park
The Central and Assam governments will construct a 36 kilometre-long flyover above National Highway number 37, which passes through the Kaziranga National Park to prevent wild animals from becoming roadkill.
The flyover will have a breadth of 11 metres and would be constructed at a cost of Rs 2,625 crore. Work on the flyover will begin from the next financial year, according to a media report. Once prepared, it will be India’s longest flyover.
Animals, especially deer fall prey to moving vehicles when they try to cross the highway during the monsoon, while moving to higher grounds in search of safety. A total of 17 animals were killed by vehicles this year.
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