Environment Migratory shore birds flock to of Point Calimere The Forest Department has recorded the arrival of several terrestrial bird species from the Himalayas, Western Ghats, and Sri Lanka, besides over 60 species of shore birds from various parts of Eurasia to Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary in Nagapattinam district. Point Calimere also known as Kodiyakkarai, is a protected wetland and designated as one of the Wetlands of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention along with the Great Vedaranyam Swamp. It is a tropical dry evergreen forest known for the conservation of the Indian antelope, also known as blackbuck.
African Cheetahs to prowl Indian forests
The Supreme Court lifted its seven-year stay on a proposal to introduce African cheetahs from Namibia into the Indian habitat on an experimental basis. The plan was to revive the Indian cheetah population. In May 2012, the top court had stalled the plan to initiate the foreign cheetahs into the Palpur Kuno sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh fearing they may come into conflict with a parallel and a much-delayed project to reintroduce lions into the same sanctuary. A Bench led by Chief Justice Sharad A. Bobdewas nudged by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) to take the plunge and go ahead with its plans to bring the African cat to India.
