Documenting India’s civilisational and natural heritage.
Many of these trees have suffered damage over an extended period, while more than 500 appear to have been girdled recently. Forest authorities believe the freshly damaged trees offer better prospects for recovery because some of their living tissues may remain capable of supporting restoration.
The survey documented 165 bird species, 174 butterfly species and 56 dragonfly and damselfly species. The 36 additions comprised eight birds, 22 butterflies and six dragonflies and damselflies. These were additions to existing local records rather than species newly discovered by science.
The tiger’s presence was confirmed through camera-trap photographs captured on 20 August 2026 in the Brahmgaon forest range of Ashti tehsil. Forest officials reported the development on 19 October 2026, highlighting the importance of the sighting for understanding tiger movement across central Maharashtra.
The Cheer Pheasant is a distinctive member of the pheasant family native to the western Himalayan region. Known locally as Chir Tittar, the bird inhabits steep mountain slopes characterised by tall grasses, scattered shrubs, rocky outcrops and patches of open woodland.
Gomarda Wildlife Sanctuary, located in Chhattisgarh’s Sarangarh-Bilaigarh district, contains a mixture of forests, grasslands, scrub vegetation and natural water sources. These habitats support a variety of wildlife and provide suitable ecological conditions for herbivorous species such as blackbucks.
Barda Wildlife Sanctuary lies across the Porbandar and Devbhumi Dwarka districts of Gujarat, covering approximately 192.31 square kilometres. Located in the Saurashtra region, the sanctuary contains a mosaic of dry forests, grasslands, scrub vegetation and rugged hills that provide habitats for several species of wild animals.
The Ramsar Convention Secretariat separately confirmed the inclusion of both wetlands, recognising their ecological importance and their role in supporting diverse wildlife, particularly resident and migratory waterbirds.
The opening of the new headquarters strengthens India’s position as a centre for international biodiversity cooperation. Through scientific exchanges, veterinary training, conservation capacity building and institutional partnerships, the alliance seeks to address challenges such as habitat fragmentation, illegal wildlife trade, human-wildlife conflict and declining populations of vulnerable big cat species.
The development highlights the importance of sustained habitat management and scientifically planned wildlife reintroductions. It also offers an encouraging example of how a species that disappeared from part of its historical range can gradually recover through coordinated conservation efforts.
The new assessment is particularly important because Karnataka contains some of India’s most productive tiger habitats, including the connected forests of Bandipur, Nagarahole, Biligiri Ranganatha Temple (BRT), Bhadra and Kali Tiger Reserves.
