TN registers India’s first case of tilapia parvovirus
- The first occurrence of tilapia parvovirus (TiPV) has been reported for the first time in India at ponds in Walajah in Ranipet district.
- The TiPV affects the farm bred tilapia which is a fresh water fish species.
- It causes a huge mortality rate.
Note
- The TiPV was first reported in China in 2019 and in Thailand in 2021.
- India is the third country to report its occurrence.
- Mozambique tilapia is considered as ‘a poor man’s fish’. It was introduced to Indian fresh water bodies in the 1950s.
AI based alert system for safety of elephants
- Tamil Nadu’s first artificial intelligence (AI) based early warning system is nearing completion.
- The system aims to prevent wild elephants from getting hit by trains on railway lines along the Ettimadai – Walayar section, which links Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
- It provides an additional layer of protection for elephants.
- The towers for thermal imaging cameras have been installed in the highly vulnerable 7.05km stretch of the Ettimadai – Walayar section, passing through Solakkarai reserve forest of Madukkarai range.
Note
- A total of 11 elephants were killed on the two railway lines linking Coimbatore and Palakkad from 2008 to 2022.
Status of Elephants in India
- IUCN Red List: Endangered
- CITES: Appendix I
- Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I
Conservation of Elephant
- Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants (MIKE) programme – 1997
- Project Elephant – 1992
- Elephant Reserves – 33 (5 in TN)
- Elephant Corridors – 150 (as per Elephant Corridor Report 2023)
Top three states with highest number of elephants
- Karnataka – 6,049
- Assam – 5,719
- Kerala – 3,054
