Odisha’s Black Tiger Mystery unravel by Scientists
The enduring mystery behind the ‘black tigers’ of Similipal in Odisha may finally have been resolved with researchers identifying a single mutation in a gene that causes their distinctive stripes to broaden and spread into their tawny pelt, occasionally appearing entirely dark.
A team led by ecologist Uma Ramakrishnan and her student Vinay Sagar from the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Bangalore, have discovered that the coat colouration and patterning that make the wild cats appear dark boil down to a single mutation in the Transmembrane Aminopeptidase Q (Taqpep) gene.
The research shows that the Similipal black tigers may have arisen from a very small founding population of tigers and are inbred, providing an answer to the question that had perplexed so many.
The study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on Monday, noted that tigers in the Similipal Tiger Reserve are an isolated population in eastern India, and gene flow between them and other tiger populations is very restricted.
Rethinking tourism could save Udaipur from its pressures: Rajasthan
Udaipur is known for its tourism and the hospitality industry employs over ten thousand people fuelling the economy of the city. The city’s lakes and the Aravalli hills are the lifelines of Udaipur but they are at risk because of poor development practices and deforestation.
Because of rampant development and illegal encroachment, lakes have shrunk to 30-40% in size in the last ten years. The reduced size of the lakes has also hurt the entire ecosystem – migratory birds and aquatic life is endangered.
It’s not just the lakes that are bearing the side-effects of tourism-led growth. The Aravalli range that has played a crucial role in preventing the desertification of the state is being bulldozed to build swanky hotels and buildings.
Changing the narrative of the tourism that Udaipur is known for – from a focus on royal heritage to an ecotourism destination – could save the city. While tourism fuels economic growth and provides employment to thousands, the industry is also weighing heavy on the health of the lakes and hills of Udaipur. But there are indications that tourism itself, if practiced sustainably, can reduce the negative impact on the environment while keeping the associated economy thriving.
4 venomous Kraits rescued from a 20-ft borewell in Agra
Four venomous Common Kraits were rescued by the rapid response unit of a non-governmental organisation, Wildlife SOS on Tuesday from a nearly 20-feet deep borewell in Jugsena village at Acchnera in Uttar Pradesh’s Agra district.
In another incident, a four feet long Indian rock python entered the computer lab premises of the Ace College of Engineering and Management in Etmadpur at Agra.
All the snakes were later released back in their natural habitat.Kartick Satyanarayan, Co-founder and CEO of Wildlife SOS, said, “We are glad to see people adopting a more sensitized approach towards these largely misunderstood reptiles and instead of taking matters into their own hands, they contacted Wildlife SOS for assistance.
Snakes seldom bite, however, when dealing with venomous snakes, it is important to keep them very calm and maintain public safety to avoid unnecessary accidents.”
Animal-Based Food Generates Nearly Twice the Emissions as Plant-Based, Finds Study
Animal farming accounts for twice as many greenhouse gas emissions as plants grown for consumption, according to a study published on Monday that mapped agricultural activities worldwide. What humans eat accounts for a major chunk of the emissions behind climate-change — transportation, deforestation, cold-storage and the digestive systems of cattle all send polluting gases into the atmosphere.
The study, which modelled net emissions for over 170 plant and 16 animal products in nearly 200 countries, calculated that 57% of food-related emissions were from animal-based foods — including crops grown to feed livestock.
Plants grown for human consumption generated 29% of food emissions, the study published in Nature Food found, and the rest was attributed to other commodities like cotton and rubber. It did not include emissions from fisheries. Beef was the largest-contributing commodity, responsible for some 25% of food emissions, and rice was the worst plant offender, accounting for 12%.
Tougher Than Steel: Decades on, Odisha Villagers Still Struggle to Protect Their Land
Residents of Jagatsinghpur village in Odisha have alleged that JSW Utkal Steel Ltd. provided false information and fake letters of representation during a public hearing regarding the setting up of a greenfield integrated steel plant.
People from Dhinkia, Nuagaon, Gadakujanga and Balitutha gram panchayat have long since opposed the construction of the integrated plant fearing the destruction of the local ecosystem and livelihoods of indigenous groups. Therefore, members filed an FIR application with respect to the 1,082 written representations sent in favour of the project before, during and after the public hearing on December 20, 2019.
Their application revealed that many of the signatories in the representations are either illiterate or children, and in some cases did not even exist! Roughly a decade ago, villagers including coastal farmers, fisherfolk and other indigenous groups fought a similar battle with POSCO India Ltd. that resulted in the death of four people. The incident drew global attention against the illegal public hearing conducted by the administration.
Environment India 