Kamrup (Assam) [India], March 18 (ANI): Nearly 100 endangered vultures were found dead near Chhaygaon area in Assam's Kamrup district.

Pune Feb 22 PTI A leopard struggling to stay afloat in a 50-feet deep well has been rescued in the nick of time thanks to a swift operation involving volunteers and Forest officials in Parner tehsil of Ahmednagar district in Maharashtra The male big cat was rescued from the well in Alkuti village after a three-hour operation on Monday morning involving members of Wildlife SOS officials of the state forest department and villagers A farmer had spotted the leopard paddling helplessly to stay afloat in the well in Alkuti village on Monday morning He immediately alerted the forest department A team of Wildlife SOS an NGO working for the protection of wildlife operating out of the Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Center was also called in for reinforcements a Wildlife SOS release said With the help of villagers a team of Forest officers lowered a metal crate into the well so that the leopard could clamber onto it for temporary support it said A trap cage was lowered into the well to safely extricate the leopard which leapt into the trap cage and was carefully pulled up The leopard was taken into a nearby forest the release stated Mahendra Dhore Veterinary Assistant Wildlife SOS said The leopard was approximately 7 years old The entire exercise had to be quickly executed with painstaking care We are grateful to the forest department and villagers for making this rescue a success Pratap Jagtap Range Forest Officer Parner on Tuesday said that leopards adapt to surviving around human-dominated landscapes bringing them into close contact with humans leading to such situations We are glad the animal was unhurt and was able to return to its natural habitat he said PTI SPK NSK NSK

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], January 5 (ANI): The Chennai Air Cargo customs here on Wednesday seized 1,364 live star tortoises which were being smuggled to Malaysia from an export consignment.

Theni (Tamil Nadu) [India], November 5 (ANI): The water storage capacity of the Mullaperiyar dam would be increased to 142 feet from the existing 139.05 feet after November 30, said Tamil Nadu Water Minister Durai Murugan said on Friday.