The post Animals have not remained untouched by the viral infection : Study appeared first on The Edge Media.
]]>Researchers analysed the samples collected after the pandemic began in what could be the first detection of the virus in a wild animal population. Researchers targeted white-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus, for sero-surveillance based on evidence that these deer have receptors with a high affinity for SARS-CoV-2.
The study published in yet to be peer-reviewed preprint on bioRxiv states that antibodies were detected in 40 per cent of the samples suggesting that white-tailed deer have been exposed to SARS-CoV-2.
“It’s an intriguing observation but still needs to be interpreted with caution,” Nature quoted Aaron Irving, an infectious diseases researcher at Zhejiang University in Haining, China as saying.
Previous laboratory experiments had shown that the deer can become infected with SARS-CoV-2 and transmit the virus to other deer. The findings are raising concerns over the possibility of animal populations harbouring the SARS CoV-2 virus as reservoirs, even after humans are vaccinated. Researchers fear that these reservoirs of viruses could allow Covid-19 to spread to other species and back to people.
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]]>The post Seven accused behind the killing of 36 monkeys were arrested in Hassan. appeared first on The Edge Media.
]]>According to the district administration, a total of seven people- five by the police and two by forest officials were confirmed to be arrested.
A forest official added , “ the residents of Ugane village had been facing monkey menace for the past few months, they were suffering from huge losses due to the damage caused by the monkeys.”
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]]>The post 40 Asiatic lions from Sakkarbaug Zoo to be given in exchange of other wild animals appeared first on The Edge Media.
]]>Notably, a record 46 lion cubs were born in Sakkarbaug Zoo, situated on the outskirts of Junagadh city, between April 2020 and July this year, said D T Vasavada, chief conservator of forest, Junagadh Wildlife Circle.
“Sakkarbaug Zoo has been authorised by the Central Zoo Authority for captive breeding of Asiatic lions and six other species. As many as 46 lion cubs were born in the zoo between April 2020 till July this year, which itself is a record for the facility,” Mr Vasavada said.
Now, under the animal exchange programme, 40 Asiatic lions of this zoo will be traded with zoos across the country for different wild animals, range forest officer of the zoo Nirav Makwana said, adding that the zoo is the only breeding centre in the country for the captive breeding of Asiatic lions.
In the last five years, the birth rate of lions has gone up significantly. Since the newly opened zoo in Kevadia needs more wild species, we have decided to trade 40 of our lions with other zoos to get various wild species under the CZA’s exchange programme,” Makwana told reporters.
The list of animals that Gujarat will receive in exchange is still being finalised, as the process has just commenced, he added.
Till now, around 80 lions have been sent to different national and international zoos, including those in London, Zurich and Prague. Zoos situated in 21 states in the country have received Asiatic lions from Sakkarbaug in exchange for rare animals such as hippopotamuses and bison, the official said.
In October last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the “Sardar Patel Zoological Park”, popularly known as Kevadia Jungle Safari near the 182-metre Statue of Unity in Narmada district.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by the Edge Media staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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]]>The post Critically Endangered Sumatran Elephant found beheaded in Indonesia. appeared first on The Edge Media.
]]>On Sunday, The rotting carcass was discovered at a palm oil plantation in Sumatra’s Aceh region and a subsequent autopsy found that the animal had also been poisoned.
“The remains of the wild elephant were found in a tragic condition with its head gone,” Said Rosa Rika Wahyuni, a doctor at the Aceh conservation agency.
“We found the poison in its digestive system,” she added.
It was not clear how long the male elephant, estimated to be about 12 years old, had been dead.
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]]>The post Critical Endangered gharials babies found in Odisha after 4 decades. appeared first on The Edge Media.
]]>Suvendu Behera, Assistant Conservator of Forest said, “About 28 hatchlings were spotted in May in Mehanadi..”. The baby gharials are being closely monitored by the officials , and CCTV and drones are also being used,” Mr. Behera added.
This particular variety under the crocodile family, has been moved from the ‘Endangered’ to ‘Critically Endangered’ status by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature).
Gharials can be easily distinguished from other crocodiles since they have long and narrow snouts and interlocking sharp teeth.
The wild gharial population has declined drastically since the 1930’s due to the increase in industrialization.
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]]>The post Bird flu H5N8 reaches humans for the first time in Russia, alert WHO; Know what is worrying appeared first on The Edge Media.
]]>This strain of bird flu is highly contagious and is fatal for birds, but it was never spread in humans before. The head of Russia’s health monitoring department, Anna Popova, said that its scientists have isolated the genetic material of the strain from seven employees of a poultry farm in the Vector Lab. Bird flu spread in December here.
He also said that there was no serious impact on the health of these employees, mild symptoms were found in them and have recovered. Popova called the discovery important, saying that this time will tell if the virus can mutate. Popova said, “The discovery of this mutation is important at a time when the virus has not yet had the potential for human-to-human infection, giving us and the entire world time to prepare against potential mutations.”
According to the WHO website, human infections with the A (H5) virus are rare and are often found in people who are in contact with sick or dead infected birds. It can also cause serious illness or death in humans. Between 2014 and November 2016, 16 cases of avian flu H5N6 have been reported, of which 6 died.
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]]>The post Dog with its mouth sealed by tape for 2 weeks rescued in Kerala! appeared first on The Edge Media.
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Another elephant died in Malappuram after it was found seriously injured in North Nilambur forest range of the district. — ANI
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]]>The post Pregnant elephant dies after being fed pineapple stuffed with crackers in Kerala appeared first on The Edge Media.
]]>The incident took place on May 27 while the elephant was standing in water.
“It died standing in river Velliyar after it suffered an injury in its lower jaw,” said Wildlife Officer, Silent Valley National Park as quoted by ANI.
As per reports, the wild elephant came out of the forest, meandering into a nearby village in search of food. As she walked on the streets, locals offered her the cracker-laden pineapple. The fruit exploded in the pregnant elephant’s mouth and she met her tragic end.
The gruesome incident came to limelight when a forest officer in Malappuram district shared the details of the horrific incident on his Facebook page. He wrote, “She trusted everyone. When the pineapple she ate exploded, she must have been shocked not thinking about herself, but about the child, she was going to give birth to in 18 to 20 months.”
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]]>The post Elephant herd takes out funeral procession for dead calf. Watch heartbreaking video appeared first on The Edge Media.
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“Humans can learn a lot from animals,” is the general consensus on the internet after a heartbreaking video of a herd of elephants taking out a “funeral procession” for a dead calf, went viral. Nothing haunts as much as death and this statement holds true not just for human beings but for animals as well – it is certainly evident in the video in question.
The video was shared on Twitter by Indian Forest Service officer Parveen Kaswan last week but is now being circulated on social media. In the clip, an elephant trudges outside the forest with the dead calf and carefully walks across, before dropping the carcass on the road. It steps ahead, thereafter, and stands in reticence. The rest of the herd emerges from the forest and collects around the carcass, following which, the elephants proceed together inside the forest with the dead calf.
“This will move you !! Funeral procession of the weeping elephants carrying dead body of the child elephant. The family just don’t want to leave the baby,” Parveen Kaswan’s caption of the post reads.
The video has been retweeted almost 7,000 times and garnered over 14,000 likes. Twitter, meanwhile, is getting really emotional after watching the clip. Really very touching, read a tweet while another user said, “Compassion love and togetherness. What they have and we humans lack in this age.”
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]]>The post Maharashtra: Leopard now kills 55-year-old woman in Brahmapuri forest division appeared first on The Edge Media.
]]>A 55-year-old woman was mauled to death by a leopard at Gadboli village in Sindewahi tahsil of Maharashtra’s Chandrapur in the early hours of Friday.
Four days ago, a leopard had killed a nine-month-old child from the village. On Wednesday night, the Forest Department had managed to cage a leopard but there was at least one more leopard near the village.
“The victim, Gayabai Hatkar, was sleeping in her hut when the leopard entered and dragged her into the forest,” Chief Conservator of Forest, Chandrapur, Rama Rao said.
The woman lived alone with all three daughters being married. Her house doesn’t have a door.
According to reports, the woman and her relatives in the neighbourhood were sleeping in the courtyard due to extremely hot weather prevailing in the district, Brahmapuri in particular, where 48.1 degrees Celsius temperature was registered on Thursday. “They all, however, went inside as stormy winds started blowing in the morning,” said a wildlife activist, who visited the village after the incident.
The incident has led to protest against the Forest Department. Brahmapuri Congress MLA Vijay Wadettiwar and social activist Paromita Goswami visited the village.
Wadettiwar refused to allow the body to be removed for cremation saying he will allow it only after officials from Nagpur visit the village. Some activists, who visited the place said, “The body was rotting under the scorching sun but Wadettiwar was unmoved.”
Wadettiwar didn’t respond to calls and text message.
Rao said, “We have kept a team of ten persons to guard the village. But after capturing the female leopard, the male was still around. He had managed to avoid the trap.”
“The village is situated just about five metres away from the dense bamboo forest. So, the leopard can easily enter it without getting noticed,” he added. With today’s death, the tally of victims of wildlife attacks in Chandrapur district has gone up to 12, eight of them in Brahmapuri forest division.
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