Kashmir Grey Langur, Dachigam National Park, Jammu & Kashmir

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On a recent trip to Dachigam National Park, I encountered a large troupe of these langurs (~50) crossing the main road. I was intrigued with the morphology of the monkey and was keen to understand more. This note is a summary of some of the research studies on the animal.

Kashmir (or Dark-eyed Himalayan) Grey Langur (Semnopithecus ajax) is a species of leaf-eating monkey formerly considered as a subspecies of S. entellus. However, recent studies have confirmed its status … Read More

Plastic reaches Ladakh

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A female Himalayan Marmot (Marmota himalayana) gathering plastic as part of its nesting material. This photograph was taken enroute to Diskit from Leh. Plastic and other litter irresponsibly disposed by careless tourists on these remote roads can create serious problems for wildlife.

Himalayan Marmots live in alpine meadows with very low rainfall, typically inhabiting slopes where soil can be readily excavated (Molur et al. 2005; Smith and Xie 2008). It lives in colonies and excavates unusually deep burrows, … Read More

Bar-headed Geese Flock To Gharana Wetlands Near Indo-Pak Border

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Bar-headed geese, some with neck collars, have flocked to the Gharana Wetland Conservation Reserve situated on the international border in the RS Pura sector of Jammu. So far, over 8000 migratory birds have arrived, of which Bar-headed geese number around 5000. Some birds have red coloured bands around their necks with numbers written in white. These may have been collared in foreign countries to monitor their migration patterns. The Jammu and Kashmir government has contacted scientists around the world to … Read More

Two Endangered Bird Species Sighted in Pir Panjal Range, Jammu and Kashmir

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The rare Western Tragopan, a medium sized and brightly colored pheasant, has been sighted at two sites in the Pir Panjal range. The birds were sighted by a team from the species division of the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI). Its status is a Schedule I species on the Wildlife Protection Act and ‘Vulnerable’ on the IUCN Red List. The Tragopan is a victim of rampant poaching for its meat and plumage. The team also sighted another rare species, … Read More