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  • XX MSc course in Wildlife Science for 2024-26

    ` WII announces its premier XX MSc course in Wildlife Science for 2024-26. This widely acclaimed course (currently affiliated with #AcSIR) imparts theoretical and field knowledge on concepts, approaches, techniques, and analytics in wildlife research and conservation. This edition will select 20 students of high calibre, motivation, and passion for wildlife, for a two-year residential course with 8 fully sponsored seats. Application portal opens on March 1, 2024
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  • Admission to First Batch of M.Sc. Course in Freshwater Ecology and Conservation (2024-26)

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    WII announces admission to the first batch of MSc Freshwater Ecology and Conservation (2024-2026), a pioneering course to understand nuances of the freshwater ecosystems. The course is sponsored by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India under its Namami Gange programme. Twenty meritorious students will gain knowledge on concepts, principles, approaches, analytical skills and field techniques in Freshwater Ecology and Conservation from the eminent scientists and field practitioners in freshwater ecology. The application process through online registration will begin from 1st March, 2024 and will close on 12th April 2024

     
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  • Government of India releases the Status Reports of Snow Leopards in India

     

    On Tuesday, January 30, 2024, Sh. Bhupender Yadav, Union Minister of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, Government of India released the report on the Status of Snow leopards in India during the National Board for Wildlife meeting held in New Delhi. The Snow Leopard Population Assessment in India (SPAI) Program is the first-ever scientific exercise that reports Snow leopard population of 718 individuals in India. 

    The Wildlife Institute of India (WII)is the National Coordinator for this exercise that was carried out with support the support of all snow leopard range states and two conservation partners, the Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysuru and WWF-India.

    The SPAI systematically covered over 70% of the potential snow leopard range in the country, involving forest & wildlife staff, researchers, volunteers, and contributions from knowledge partners. Covering approximately 120,000km2 of crucial Snow leopard habitat across the trans-Himalayan region, including UTs of Ladakh and J & K, and states such as Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh, the SPAI exercise was conducted from 2019 to 2023 using a meticulous two-step framework. The first step involved evaluating Snow leopard spatial distribution, incorporating habitat covariates into the analysis, aligning with the guidelines of the National population assessment of snow leopards in India by the MoEFCC in 2019. This systematic approach included assessing the spatial distribution through an occupancy-based sampling approach in the potential distribution range. In the second step, Snow leopard abundance was estimated using camera traps in each identified stratified region.

    During the SPAI exercise, total efforts included: 13,450 km of trails surveyed for recording Snow leopard signs, while camera traps were deployed at 1,971 locations for 180,000 trap nights. The Snow leopard occupancy was recorded in 93,392 km2, with an estimated presence in 100,841 km2. A total of 241 unique Snow leopards were photographed.  Based on data analysis, the estimated population in different states are as follows: Ladakh (477), Uttarakhand (124), Himachal Pradesh (51), Arunachal Pradesh (36), Sikkim (21), and Jammu and Kashmir (9).

    Until recent years, the snow leopard range in India was undefined due to a lack of extensive nationwide assessments for this vulnerable species. Before 2016, approximately one-third of the range (around ca. 100,347 km2) received minimal research attention, reduced to just 5% in pockets like Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh. Recent status surveys have significantly increased understanding, providing preliminary information for 80% of the range (about 79,745 km2), compared to 56% in 2016. To gather robust information on Snow leopard numbers, the SPAI exercise surveyed habitats using a substantial network of camera traps.

    The report also mentions the need for establishing a dedicated Snow Leopard Cell at WII under the MoEFCC is proposed, with a primary focus on long-term population monitoring, supported by well-structured study designs and consistent field surveys. Consistent monitoring is essential to ensuring Snow leopards' long-term survival. For the same, states and UTs can consider adopting a periodic population estimation approach (every 4th year) in the Snow leopard range. These regular assessments will offer valuable insights for identifying challenges, addressing threats, and formulating effective conservation strategies.

     
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  • EIACP Bulletin "The Millets of India"

    EIACP Bulletin "The Millets of India"The Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change's EIACP Programme Centre at the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun published the EIACP Bulletin "The Millets of India" to commemorate the United Nations-designated International Year of Millets 2023. This publication provides a quick overview of all varieties of millets found in India, as well as their benefits and nutritional value. For more details, visit WII-EIACP website
     
    https://wiienvis.nic.in/PublicationDetails.aspx?SubLinkId=6037&LinkId=627&Year=2023
    https://www.researchgate.net/publication/376721751_The_Millets_of_India

     

  • GIS Day November 21-22, 2023

    GIS Day November 21-22, 2023

    This year, the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) celebrated GIS day on 21-22 November. As a part of the event , WII organized a 2-day researcher led workshop themed "Unleashing the power of GIS: Mapping our world, solving real-world challenges’. The event garnered substantial enthusiasm, drawing a large gathering of approximately 140 researchers. On Day 1, The workshop was inaugurated by the Director, Dean, and Registrar of WII, who shared their  experiences in the GIS field. Dr. Gautam Talukdar, Nodal Officer IT, RS & GIS cell, and Prof Qamar Qureshi, Scientist, further enriched the inaugural session with valuable insights. A series of enlightening sessions unfolded, covering topics such as data availability for RS GIS analysis (J. Haritha & Himani Khati), Basics of Cartography (Mr. Debanjan Sarkar & Ms. Shatakshi Sharma), Hands-on session on QGIS (Mr. Ashish Mani & Ms. Aishwarya R.). Attendees immersed themselves in a captivating Google Earth Exploration Quiz (Mr. Varun Kher and Ms. Deepali Bansal). Adding an element of adventure, the WII GIS Team organized a Geospatial Treasure Hunt, integrating it into the hands-on session of Locus Map 4 Outdoor (Ms. Sneha Pandey & Ms. Deepali Bansal).

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