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From wildfires in Europe to a spate in human-wildlife conflicts in Kerala, there is no dearth of news events that have made headlines this year.
With the threat of extinction of species running at an all time high, 2024 has witnessed vigorous reporting on issues pertaining to wildlife and biodiversity.
In such turbulent times, when governments, non-governmental organisations and conservation experts are scrambling to lessen the damage caused by an adversely changing climate, Down To Earth (DTE) curates the top 10 news pieces that report on issues pertaining to biodiversity.
Last year, in 2023, Europe, the Middle East and Africa collectively experienced their worst wildfires since 2000, according to a report published by European Union Commission’s Joint Research Centre
According to the Forest Fires 2023 report, nearly 500,000 hectares of natural land which is equivalent to about half the size of the island of Cyprus experienced wildfires during the year.
The report unequivocally asserted that the spate in instances of wildfires are a clear impact of climate change. It noted that the year also saw ‘megafires’, impossible to bring under control with conventional firefighting methods.
An astonishing 742 species of flora and fauna were discovered between 2013 and 2023 in the Congo Basin of Central Africa, the second-largest rainforest in the world, as per a new study by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).
The new finds include new orchids species and other flowering plants, new species of coffee, the first firefly species from the Central African Republic, air-breathing catfish, bats, blind snakes, bush vipers, chameleons, clawed frogs, cobras, crocodile, dragonflies, electric fish, endangered frogs, mice, a new monkey, owl, robin, shrews, spiders, a turtle and wasp, among others.
Although some of the new finds may have been possibly known to locals for centuries, they will be new to science, the report noted.
Asir Jawahar Thomas Johnsingh, also known as A J T Johnsingh, a distinguished Indian wildlife biologist and dedicated conservation activist, passed away in Bengaluru in the early hours of Friday, June 7, 2024. He was 78.
The ailing biologist-turned-activist died at around 1 am, according to a statement from his family. He leaves behind a rich legacy as a courageous environmental advocate and the strongest defender of the earth’s flora and fauna.
P O Nameer, a wildlife biologist and dean of the College of Climate Change and Environmental Science at the College of Forestry under Kerala Agricultural University, described Johnsingh’s passing as a significant loss for conservation in India, particularly in the face of opposition from vested interests.
Nothing much has happened in India during 2024, which was declared the Year of Camelids devoted to camels, alpacas, vicunas and guanacos by the United Nations, an organisation representing the Raika pastoralist camel breeders of Rajasthan has stated.
This is in stark contrast to the attention given to raising awareness about millets during the UN-declared International Year of Millets in 2023, a statement by the Lokhit Pashu Palak Sansthan (LPPS) noted.
“While there was a plethora of culinary events around millets, helping them to get (re-) established in local and international cuisine, so far NOTHING has happened with respect to camel milk, even though India’s camels desperately need this to survive into the future,” the statement read.
The polar bear (Ursus maritimus) is the largest and heaviest land carnivore in the world. Specially adapted to living in the Arctic, it has also become the poster animal of climate change, as the polar ice caps have slowly melted in the past century. But the polar bear may not have even been white in colour to begin with.
A new study has calculated that around 70,000 years ago, polar bears began to diverge from their closest relative, brown bears (Ursus arctos) by developing key features that we know them by today — huge behemoths with thick white fur and fully adapted to a life on the sea ice, complete with a lipid-rich diet.
“The divergence of polar bears from brown bears (Ursus arctos) and their adaptation to their Arctic lifestyle is a well-known example of rapid evolution. Previous research investigating whole genomes uncovered twelve key genes that are highly differentiated between polar and brown bears, show signatures of selection in the polar bear lineage, and are associated with polar bear adaptation to the Arctic environment,” the study noted.
Homo sapiens, the ancestors of present-day humans, were responsible for the extinction of megafauna, according to new research. Scientists have revealed that over the past 50,000 years, more than 150 of the world’s largest animal species were wiped out, leaving only bones and burrows behind.
The research highlighted that terrestrial megafauna in recent prehistory, specifically during the Late Pleistocene (129,000–11,700 years Before Present or BP) and Early to Middle Holocene (11,700–4,200 years BP), suffered widespread and severe extinctions.
These extinctions, scientists say, were driven by modern humans (Homo sapiens) who expanded across the planet during this period. The study established clear trends of megafauna species becoming extinct with the emergence of behaviourally modern Homo sapiens in Africa, their colonisation of other areas and subsequent cultural development.
The Government of Manipur has recently joined hands with various organisations and associations to save the Manipuri Pony or Meitei Sagol, its fabled equine, from vanishing into the pages of history.
“A joint meeting of the Manipur Horse Riding and Polo Association, Manipur Equestrian Association, Manipuri Pony Society and officials of state veterinary and animal husbandry department was held in Imphal in this regard on May 16) and took some resolutions,” Khogendrajit Singh, director of the state veterinary and animal husbandry department, told Down To Earth.
The decisions of the joint meeting include immediate response to herd the ponies; demarcation of an area to temporarily accommodate the animals; constitution of a task force; holding of consultations; preparation of a budget for pony management; surveying grazing grounds and permanent habitats of ponies; ownership of ponies and thereafter responsibilities, maintenance and care; finalisation of stud books for pony registration; and formalisation of census of ponies through stakeholders, Singh added.
As Namibia scrambles to solve its raging hunger crisis, wildlife conservationists have condemned the government’s decision to cull wildlife to ensure food, arguing that the measure fails to address the root causes of drought and food insecurity.
In response to the hunger crisis, the Namibian government announced a controversial plan on August 29 which entailed culling of 723 wild animals, including 83 elephants, hippos, buffaloes, impalas, wildebeests, and zebras, to feed the starving populations.
The move has sparked criticism from wildlife conservationists and nature lovers, who argue that it fails to address the root causes of drought and food insecurity and could potentially disrupt wildlife breeding patterns.
In Western Ghats, the pervasive invasion of non-native plant species is swiftly displacing indigenous vegetation, triggering a profound ecological imbalance. This insidious takeover is instigating a pressing food crisis as the invasive plants disrupt the natural habitat of crucial prey species. The ensuing scarcity compels wildlife to venture into human settlements, intensifying conflicts between communities and animals.
The scenic patches of the Western Ghats, particularly those adjacent to major roads like national highways, state highways and major district roads, are witnessing a transformation. The natural vegetation is being replaced by exotic species like Simarouba glauca, as well as economically valuable ones like coffee, areca, red sanders, teak, mahogany and rubber.
Invasive species such as Lantana, Eupatorium and Parthenium are causing additional ecological disruption. These aggressive invaders are decimating traditional forest fruit-bearing trees such as wild mango, wild jack, wild plantains, forest jack, and various berries, which are critical sources of food for animals, rodents and simians.
Only 25 per cent of the world’s tropical rainforests, home to more than 16,000 terrestrial species, are of high quality, a new study has revealed.
The findings, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, revealed that less than a quarter of the remaining tropical humid forests are of high integrity for mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians.
The situation is worse for threatened species or declining species as only 8 per cent of their habitat was found to be left in good condition.
High quality rainforests have a multi-layered structure with lower areas comprising of shrubs and small trees, mid-storey having medium trees with a canopy of taller trees. The emergent layer is where the tall trees outgrow through the sea of green.
