Brown bear
Why in News: The recent decision by the Romanian parliament to cull nearly 500 brown bears to address their overpopulation has caused widespread shock and disbelief among animal enthusiasts around the globe.
About Brown Bears
Diet:
- Brown bears are omnivorous, consuming a wide range of nutritious foods.
- Their diet varies with seasonal availability of different food sources.
Habitat:
- They inhabit diverse environments, including desert edges, high mountain forests, and ice fields.
Distribution:
- Brown bears are now present in limited numbers from western Europe and Palestine to eastern Siberia and the Himalayan region.
Ecosystem Roles:
- They play crucial roles as predators and seed dispersers in their ecosystems.
Characteristics:
- Brown bears can stand on two legs, walk on the soles of their feet, and use their paws similarly to human hands.
- They are Europe’s largest carnivores, capable of running at speeds of up to 30 mph.
- In Romania, bears communicate through tree scratch marks, scent, and vocalizations.
- Romania hosts over 60% of Europe’s brown bear population.
Conservation Status:
- IUCN: Least Concern
- CITES: Appendix I
Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite
Why in News: A recent study conducted by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) has confirmed the theory that the galaxy OJ 287, located four billion light-years away, harbors two black holes at its center.
About Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS):
Mission Objective:
- A NASA mission focused on detecting planets orbiting the brightest stars visible from Earth.
- Designed to identify thousands of exoplanets around prominent dwarf stars in the sky.
Findings:
- Has discovered 410 confirmed exoplanets, showcasing a range from small, rocky worlds to massive planets.
- Highlights the diverse array of planets within our galaxy.
Background:
- Serves as a follow-up to NASA’s successful Kepler space telescope, which identified thousands of exoplanets over a decade.
Launch Details:
- Launched on April 18, 2018, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral.
Orbit and Observation:
- Orbits Earth every 12 to 15 days in a high Earth orbit, providing a largely unobstructed view of the sky.
Mission Status:
- The prime mission concluded on July 4, 2020; currently, TESS is engaged in an extended mission.
Bhil tribe
Why in News: Recently, a significant number of individuals from the Bhil tribe assembled at a rally in Mangarh Dham, Rajasthan, to renew their longstanding call for the creation of a separate ‘Bhil state’.
About Bhil Tribe
Historical Significance:
- The Bhils are among the oldest tribes in India.
- The term ‘Bhil’ originates from ‘villu’ or ‘billu,’ meaning Bow in Dravidian languages.
Ethnic Classification:
- Bhils are identified as Dravidian racial tribes of Western India and belong to the Australoid group.
Sub-Groups:
- The tribe is primarily divided into two groups: central Bhils and eastern or Rajput Bhils.
- Central Bhils reside in the mountain regions of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Rajasthan, with some in northeastern Tripura.
Language:
- They speak Bhili, an Indo-Aryan language.
Religious Practices:
- Worship varies regionally; common deities include Khandoba, Kanhoba, Bahiroba, and Sitalmata.
- Some venerate the Tiger God, ‘vaghdev.’
- Badvas, hereditary sorcerers, are consulted for various occasions.
Festivals:
- The Baneshwar fair is the major festival, celebrated during Shivratri and dedicated to Baneshwar Mahadev (Lord Shiva).
Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary
Why in News: The Madhya Pradesh State Wildlife Board has given the green light to designate Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary, located on the outskirts of Bhopal, as the eighth tiger reserve in the state.
About Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary:
- Location and Size: It spans 823 sq. km across the Raisen and Sehore districts in Madhya Pradesh, situated on the Vindhya Hills and stretching parallel to the northern side of the Narmada River, with the Kolar River marking its western boundary.
- History: Initially notified in 1976 and expanded in 1983, the sanctuary was designated as a Tiger Reserve in 2008.
- Cultural Significance: The sanctuary includes Bhimbetka, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its rock shelters and paintings.
- Landscape: The terrain is rugged, featuring hills, valleys, plateaus, and plains.
- Flora: The vegetation comprises dry and moist deciduous forests, with about 55% covered by teak. The remaining area features various dry deciduous species.
- Fauna: Home to an estimated 40 tigers, the sanctuary also shelters the endangered Chinkara and other animals such as Panthers, Hyenas, Jackals, Indian Foxes, Wild Dogs, Jungle Cats, Small Indian Civets, Blue Bulls, Black Bucks, Chausinghas, Spotted Deer, and Barking Deer.
Newcastle Disease (ND)
Why in News: Brazil’s agriculture ministry recently declared an animal health emergency in Rio Grande do Sul, the southernmost state, following the detection of Newcastle disease on a poultry farm.
About Newcastle Disease (ND):
- Overview: Newcastle Disease is a highly contagious and often severe illness that affects birds worldwide, particularly domestic poultry. It is caused by a virus from the paramyxovirus family and impacts the respiratory, nervous, and digestive systems of birds.
- Affected Species: The disease primarily affects poultry such as chickens.
Transmission:
- ND spreads mainly through direct contact with infected or carrier birds.
- The virus can be present in the feces of infected birds, contaminating the environment.
- Transmission can also occur through contact with contaminated feces, respiratory secretions, or contaminated food, water, equipment, and clothing.
- ND viruses can persist in the environment for several weeks, especially in cooler conditions.
- The disease is extremely contagious, with almost all birds in a susceptible flock becoming infected within two to six days of exposure.
Symptoms: Infected birds may exhibit:
- Loss of appetite, coughing, gasping, nasal discharge, watery eyes, and bright green diarrhea.
- Nervous signs such as paralysis and convulsions.
- Swollen, enlarged, and discolored combs and wattles (purple or blue).
- Reduced egg production, with any eggs laid being soft-shelled and malformed.
Treatment: There is no cure for ND. In many regions, infected and susceptible birds near an outbreak are culled to prevent the spread of the disease. Prevention relies on vaccination and strict biosecurity measures.