Collection of Current Affairs on ECOLOGY/BIODIVERSITY

a) China’s ivory crushing.

• Two months after US destroyed its stockpile of ivory, China took a significant step towards discouraging ivory trade and poaching, by destroying 6.15 tonnes of ivory seized, in public.
• It is being interpreted as a move towards shedding its image of as the world’s biggest market for smuggled ivory, which figuratively sits at 70% of global demand.
• Conservationists welcomed the move as it sent out strong message to the potential customers as well as symbolically enhanced public awareness. Every year huge no. of African elephants are killed and China has been acting as the dumping ground of their tusks

  b) Rare Odonate species found.

• In Southern Western Ghats, a rare Odonate species was spotted. Odonates are mainly aquatic insect groups who flourish in rivers, perennial streams and meadows.

    c) Canine Distemper Virus(CDV)

• Scientists at Indian Veterinary Research Institute(IVRI)  have found Canine Distemper Virus(CDV) in the blood samples of dead animals from Dudhwa Tiger reserve, Patna zoo and many parts of West Bengal. According to them CDV is causing deaths of endangered Tigers, Red Panda and Lions.
• CDV is a common disease in domestic dogs.
• It affects nervous, respiratory and immune system.
• Spreads in animals which eat infected dogs and use infected water sources.

  d) Rare bird Indian Pitta

• At Aravalli diversity park in Delhi, an endemic species of colorful bird Indian Pitta was spotted after 60 yrs. Usually found in Himalayan foothills and Western Ghats, it is distributed all over Asia, Africa and Australia.