The 'stork sisters' are saving one of India's largest and rarest birds
Once reviled as filthy, adjutants prey on fish, frogs, snakes, rats, and smaller birds like ducks, rummaging through landfills looking for carcasses (hargila translates to bone swallower). Its feeding habits cemented its reputation as unsanitary, a perception that led to a rapid population decline of the adjutant, one of the world's largest and rarest storks. Native to India's floodplains in Assam and Bihar, in 2023, it was recently listed as 'near threatened' by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Though its population remains fragile, it is increasing.
Members of the Hargila Army in Dadara Village, Assam, India, throw a baby shower for Greater Adjutant stork chicks. This one was held on December 12, 2024.
That's due in large part to the Hargila Army and its founder, wildlife biologist Dr. Purnima Devi Barman who saw the Greater Adjutant differently. Barman says she fell 'deeply in love' with the birds.
"My grandma first introduced me to them in our village paddy fields, where they would flock," she recalls.
Barman, who won the Whitely Gold Award in 2024, an international grant given to recognize major contributions to conservation, has made protecting the storks her life's mission. Under her guidance, and the help of the Hargila Army, the adjutant's numbers have quadrupled in Assam to more than 1,800 birds.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Los Angeles Times
07-08-2025
- Los Angeles Times
The world's black rhino numbers have increased, but there's bad news for others
CAPE TOWN, South Africa — The number of critically endangered black rhinos has increased slightly, but there is bad news for other rhino species, according to a global count released Thursday by the International Rhino Foundation. It said that black rhino numbers went up from 6,195 to 6,788 in the latest estimates. White rhinos had declined, however, from 15,942 to 15,752 since the last count in 2021. Black and white rhinos are only found in the wild in Africa. The number of greater one-horned rhinos, found in northern India and Nepal, rose slightly from 4,014 to 4,075. But Javan rhinos have declined from an estimated 76 to just 50, the foundation said, and that was entirely due to poaching. There is only one known population of Javan rhinos left — at a national park on the Indonesian island of Java. The Sumatran rhino population stands at just 34 to 47 animals, around the same as previous estimates. The global population for all rhinos is approximately 26,700. The International Rhino Foundation says it gets its figures from counts by specialist rhino groups at the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the global authority on endangered species. It does not count rhinos in zoos, only those in the wild or in national parks. The rhino foundation said there were worrying new trends from South Africa, which has more rhinos than anywhere else. There, the average number of rhinos in individual populations was below what conservationists recommend to maintain a viable population. It also said a new rhino horn trafficking route was emerging between South Africa and Mongolia, and Qatar was becoming a growing hub for horn trafficking. Rhino poaching is still a major problem in South Africa and elsewhere to feed the illegal market for rhino horn products in parts of Asia. South Africa loses between 400 and 500 rhinos a year to poaching. It is often looking for new ways to deter poachers and one group of scientists launched a project last week to inject radioactive material into the horns of rhinos. The scientists say it's harmless for the animals but allows horns to be detected by border authorities when they are being smuggled.
USA Today
14-07-2025
- USA Today
Endangered Siberian tiger cubs undergo first vet exam: See the fuzzy babies
They're furry, they're cute, and they're photo-ready: meet four quadruplet Siberian tiger cubs at an eastern Germany zoo! The cubs, who were born to Siberian tiger Stormi on May 20, 2025, underwent their first veterinary examination on July 14, including vaccinations against cat flu and feline distemper, Zoo Magdeburg shared on social media this week. The cubs were also weighed, microchipped and had their sexes determined. And of course, the public got a closer look at the crew of cubs in adorable first photos. Here's what to know about the Siberian tigers, which are considered endangered, and the zoo's new arrivals. Cubs' mother will decide when they can enter the outdoor enclosure The zoo reported the tigers' stats as: Zoo staff said the cubs will stay in the rear area of their enclosure for about two days to recover from the vaccinations and their first human contact. After that, tigress Stormi will determine when she will let her cubs into the outdoor enclosure for the first time. When can zoo visitors catch a glimpse of the cubs? The zoo said the cubs will likely only be seen rarely for the first few days. The zoo will let visitors know via social media when they are regularly exploring the outdoor enclosure. The cubs are four of five babies Stormi gave birth to in May, the zoo announced on June 4. One of the cubs did not survive when Stormi accidentally laid down on the baby. After the passing of the cub, Stormi continued taking care of the rest calmly and carefully, the zoo said. What to know about Siberian tigers: How many are left? Siberian tigers are also known as Amur tigers, and they are considered endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). They are the largest feline predators, Zoo Magdeburg said on its website. They are much different from other tiger subspecies like Bengal and Sumatran tiger due to their size, light, long-haired fur, and widely-spaced dark stripes. They can reach over 3.3 feet at the shoulder, and when standing upright, up to 9.8 feet when standing upright, the zoo said. They can weigh over 660 pounds. They often eat deer and wild boars and live about 18 years, but according to the zoo, there are about 300 Siberian tigers left in the wild due to humans destroying their habitats and decades of hunting. Siberian tiger bones and other body parts are used in traditional medicine in Southeast Asia, although there is a general trade ban on tiger products that has been in place since 1987 and no medicinal effects have ever been proven, the zoo said. Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Email her at sdmartin@
Miami Herald
08-07-2025
- Miami Herald
Rare ‘golden' creature filmed sneaking through Thailand forest. Watch it prowl
In the vibrant green and earthy brown forests of Khao Luang National Park, one creature has to use the cover of darkness to hide its golden coat. The Asian golden cat, or Temminck's cat, is a medium-sized wild cat that calls the parks of Thailand and southeast Asia home, and typically sticks to a nocturnal lifestyle to hunt prey. Now, a trail camera has captured the cat making a rare appearance. A video shared by the Thailand Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation on July 8 shows a golden cat walk into frame, cross a clearing and head back into the dense forest on the other side. The video is dated to June 20, according to the post. Temminck's cats are sleek with long legs, wildlife officials said, and are described as being a striking color. The cats have a few black lines that run down their foreheads and a dark brown upper tail that is white underneath, according to the post. Officials said the cats almost always keep their tails raised when they are walking, creating a kind of signature behavior that helps tell the animal apart from other wild cats. The cats are found lurking in bamboo and montane forests, officials said, typically hunting at night and on their own. Golden cats help regulate the ecosystem by keeping the amount of small mammals and rodents in check through hunting, officials said. They are listed as 'vulnerable' by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and officials said they are considered endangered in Thailand. Seeing the cat in the national park was a good sign, but officials warn forest encroachment, illegal hunting and habitat destruction continue to threaten the golden cats. Snares, used for illegal hunting, are particularly detrimental to the species, officials said. Temminck's cats are found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal and Thailand, according to the IUCN, with an estimated 7,000 cats living in the wild. Khao Luang National Park is in the southern peninsula of Thailand, between the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea. Chat GPT, an AI chat bot, was used to translate the Facebook post from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.
