Caiman young in toothpaste boxes seized at Bombay airport

Customs officers at Bombay’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj airport seized five caiman babies from two passengers who arrived on a Vistara flight from Bangkok, Thailand, late on Friday. The reptiles were found hidden in toothpaste boxes in the passengers’ cabin baggage. The reptiles, about 5-7 inches in length each, appeared to be dehydrated and distressed, according to a report from the Press Trust of India news agency. They were examined and treated by veterinarians from the...

World Rhino Day: Powerful beast still faces existential threat

Saturday was World Rhino Day. The rhinoceros, a powerful, majestic creature that is found in parts of southern Asia and Africa, is still threatened with extinction, impacting the stability of the five keystone species that play a crucial role in keeping our ecosystem and environment safe, according to a press release from luxury watchmaker Hublot, sponsor of Save Our Rhinos Africa and India, or SORAI, founded by former international cricketer Kevin Pietersen in 2018. According...

Wild Incubator Tech Program invites applications for funding round 2

The Centre for Wildlife Studies, Bangalore, in partnership with the Ashraya Hastha Trust, a philanthropic organization based in Bangalore, has announced the second round of their Wild Incubator Tech Program. India’s unique biodiversity faces specific conservation challenges, necessitating the development of innovative, technology-driven solutions tailored to its distinct environmental and socio-economic contexts, the Centre for Wildlife Studies said. While leading scientists have historically used technology for biodiversity conservation in India, there remains a notable gap...

Boehringer Ingelheim ties up with Indian firm to reach Tier 2 cities

Boehringer Ingelheim India has entered into a strategic partnership with Vvaan Lifesciences Pvt Ltd to distribute its pet parasiticide portfolio in Tier 2 cities of the country. The collaboration, an initiative under Boehringer Ingelheim India’s animal health accelerated growth plan, marks a significant step in expanding the company’s reach and enhancing customer value in the animal health sector. India’s pet health market is currently worth around €115 million ($129 million, or Rs1,078 crore). According to...

Stray dog barking at odd hour helps woman escape clutches of would-be rapist

This little report is likely to bother those who hate stray dogs, keep complaining about their barking at odd hours, and want them removed, relocated, or destroyed. The barking of a stray dog in a deserted, unlit bylane in Vasai town, about 60 km from Bombay, well past midnight startled a would-be rapist long enough to enable his intended victim to escape from his grasp, according to the local police. The incident took place at...

Over 130 wild animals die in floods in Assam’s Kaziranga National Park

More than 130 wild animals, including at least six rhinoceroses and over 110 deer, have perished in floods in the Kaziranga National Park in Assam in northeast India, according to news reports. The park, one of India’s more famous wildlife sanctuaries and home to the iconic one-horned rhinoceros, is facing its worst floods since 2017, when over 350 animals perished by drowning in the waters or being run over on roads passing through the park...

Royal Canin opens its first pet food packaging plant in India

Pet food manufacturer Royal Canin opened Asia’s second largest fully operational packaging plant at Bhiwandi, about 50 km from Bombay, at an investment of ₹100 crore last week, the French company said in a press release. The state-of-the-art packaging centre, marking Royal Canin’s maiden venture in India, is equipped with automatic packing machines and essential utilities to convert bulk products into retail packs tailored to meet the requirements of Indian pet owners, the company said....

IIT researchers discover remains of giant ancient snake, name it Vasuki

Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, have reported discovering the remains of a giant ancient snake in Gujarat, the Associated Press and CNN reported on Friday. The snake is believed to have been longer than a BEST double-decker bus operating in Bombay and may have weighed up to a tonne. Fragments of the backbone of the reptile, named Vasuki indicus after the snake king of Indian mythology, were found near a coal mine...

Consumers push to uncage the hens that lay those rich eggs

Eggs, what a wonderful breakfast option! Nutritious, delicious, affordable. And, not to forget, eminently Instagramable. But have you considered the living conditions of the birds that deliver this delectable, protein-rich diet? Just cast a look at your local chicken shop, or the vehicles transporting the birds. You don’t need to be vegetarian, or an animal lover, to hear the screams of filth and neglect. Indeed, if you are fond of a non-vegetarian diet, you should...