The Amazon rain forest is an immense ecosystem, providing a habitat for creatures as weird and wonderful as the jaguar, the poison dart frog and the Jesus lizard. But it’s home to more than just the animals that prowl, swing, and slither through the trees. In the depths of the Amazon River, the largest river in the world, live creatures so amazing and so terrifying, that they make Jawslook like a nice, relaxing swim in the ocean.

Black Caiman

A black caiman is basically an alligator on steroids. They can grow up to six meters (20 feet) long, with bigger, heavier skulls than Nile crocodiles, and are the apex predator in the Amazonian waters. That means they are basically the kings of the river—they eat nearly anything they can get their teeth into, including piranhas, monkeys, perch, deer, and anaconda.
Oh, and yes, they totally attack humans. In 2010, a biologist named Deise Nishimura was attacked by a caiman while cleaning a fish on her houseboat, and while she managed to fight it off, it tookone of her legs with it. This particular caiman had been living under her houseboat for eight months, evidently waiting for the chance to strike.

Green Anaconda

Continuing with the theme of gigantic reptiles, the largest snake in the world makes its home in the Amazon: the anaconda. While reticulated pythons are actually longer, green anaconda are far heavier; the females, generally larger than males, can reach 250 kilograms (550 lbs), grow to nine meters (over 29 feet) long and reach 30 centimeters (12 in) in diameter.

Diving Bell Spider

The diving bell spider is the only known spider in the world that lives entirely underwater. Like other arachnids, it must breathe air, but it provides its own supply by forming a bubble, which it holds by hairs on its legs and abdomen. The spiders must occasionally return to the surface to replenish their air supply, although some gas exchange happens across the surface of their bubbles, so they don't have to come up very often.

Giant Catfish

Divers work with a model European catfish in the Great Lake at Ostersund in Sweden. Large catfish live in many rivers throughout the world, where they are important scavengers. The largest on record is the Mekong giant catfish, which has reached recorded sizes up to 10.5 feet and 660 pounds.

Arapaima

Arapaima, also known as “pirarucu” or “paiche,” are gigantic carnivorous fish that live in the Amazon and surrounding lakes. Encased in armored scales, they think nothing of living in piranha-infested waters—and they are pretty effective predators themselves, feeding on fish and the occasional bird.

Bull Sharks

While technically ocean-dwelling saltwater animals, bull sharks are quite at home in fresh water, too—they have been found as far down the Amazon as Iquitos in Peru, almost 4,000 kilometers (2,500 mi) from the sea. They have special kidneys that can sense the change in salinity of the surrounding water and adapt accordingly.

Payara

Anything with the name “vampire fish” should automatically be recognized as scary, and payara are no exception. They are absolutely ferocious predators, capable of devouring fish up to half their own body size. Given that they can grow up to 4 feet long, this is no mean feat.

Electric Eels

Electric eels are actually more closely related to catfish than eels, but you probably wouldn’t want to get close enough to one to find out. They can grow up to 8 feet long and can produce jolts of electricity from specialized cells called electrocytes arranged down their flanks.

Pacu

One animal certain to be far more terrifying to men than to women, the pacu is a much largerrelative of the piranha, known for its distinctive, human-like teeth.

Nile Crocodile

A year-old Nile crocodile attempts to snap up a frog in the St. Lucia Estuary in South Africa. Also known as the common crocodile, these large reptiles are distributed across much of Africa.

Mata Mata

A mata mata is a freshwater turtle that inhabits the Amazon and Orinoco basins in South America. The bizarre turtles are entirely aquatic, although they prefer shallow, stagnant water, where they can easily reach their head out of water to breathe.

Giant Freshwater Stingray

As National Geographic previously reported, freshwater stingrays are known to inhabit rivers in Southeast Asia and northern Australia, where they can reach enormous proportions, measuring up to 16.5 feet long and up to 1,320 pounds.

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Recent protests everywhere shows people across the city coming out in scores in support of Jallikattu. But what is the protest really about — sustaining culture, bulls, farmers or the dairy industry?! The mix is boiling hot.


In October 2016, world leaders at UN Habitat III agreed that for sustainable development, cities and human settlements should promote civic engagement and cultural expressions, foster social cohesion and inclusion, and enhance safety in peaceful and pluralistic societies, where the needs of all inhabitants are met. Sustainable Cities must be committed to promote culture with respect for diversity, and equality as the key elements in the ‘Humanisation of their Cities/Settlements’.


Whether it is the famous Running of the Bulls (made popular by a recent Bollywood movie), Bull fighting or Jallikattu, the tussle between man and bull has been a sport for centuries across the world. In Spain, young men would hurry cattle to the market to sell them, by racing in front of them to their pens without being overtaken. This turned into a competition that became so popular that many cities adopted it and turned tradition into a tourist attraction.


In Tamil Nadu, Jallikattu was practiced as a bull taming event in the villages since the Tamil classical period (400-100 BC). On Maatu Pongal day, prizes are given to the young men who stop a running bull released into a crowd after rituals to the village deity.

These men train to stay fit and prepare to grab the bull’s hump and ride it for as long as possible or till they remove flags from the horns. Bos indicus bulls are bred specifically by farmers in villages for the event in which temple bulls (koil kaalai) also participate. After the event, tamed weak bulls are used for domestic activities and agriculture, and the strong bulls as studs.


Animal activists and People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) protested against bulls being ill-treated and participants being cruel. Today there is more that is being said regarding the involvement of ‘foreign’ species which are being introduced, thereby possibly wiping out indigenous bulls’ role in the local dairy industry.

In a day and age where industrial processes are so much a part of every food industry, it would be naïve for the dairy industry to rely on indigenous bulls if they were not as ‘productive’ as any other. The point about farmers losing their livelihood is highlighted as part of the Jallikattu ruling as well — but let us not lose focus now from the real issue.


All sporting events involving horses and dogs have strict rules. If not, there could be a robust debate about every kind of animal sport, pageant or show. Jallikattu is no exception and should also develop a plan that details roles and procedures.


Let’s support steps that better protect animals, participants and spectators from harm. Like arts, sport brings peoples’ character to the fore; but not sport that is inhumane. Activities that embrace cultural values enhance social inclusivity and holistic sustainability making our settlements ‘humanised’. Culture is central to holistic sustainability. Be aware and stay on the Bull’s side!

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India has reported its largest-ever wildlife haul.

On Jan. 11, the police in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh (UP) recovered over 6,000 freshwater turtles from poachers who planned to smuggle them to southeast Asia. The rescued reptiles weigh 4.4 tonnes in all and were found stuffed in 140 jute bags at a smuggler’s residence in Gauriganj town of Amethi.

“Wildlife authorities confirmed that this is the largest haul in the country’s wildlife history, both in terms of number and weight,” Arvind Chaturvedi, head of UP’s special task force that rescued the turtles, told Agence France-Presse. The rescued turtles are currently being kept at a makeshift sanctuary in UP.

Freshwater turtles are not rare but they feature on the protected species list under India’s Wildlife Protection Act. This species is found in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Myanmar. The bones of these turtles are used to make traditional medicines, while their meat is considered an aphrodisiac and even used in occult rituals. Smugglers can earn up to Rs1,000 ($15) per turtle on this variety of the species.

Freshwater turtles are much sought after in southeast Asia, which has led to a rise in their smuggling from India. Over the last year or so, Indian agencies have busted several such attempts.

Between Dec. 29 and Jan. 01, over 3,000 flapshell turtles were seized by forest department officials in West Bengal in two separate raids. In February 2016, forest officials in Jharkhand had seized another 3,000 turtles from a truck. The same month, Manipur forest officials found over 1,400 Indian flapshell and black pond turtles in two separate raids in the state.

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Caught On Camera: Snake Devours Crocodile after 5 Hour Battle

A SNAKE fought, wrestled and then ate a crocodile whole following a dramatic five-hour long battle. The incident was captured on camera by author Tiffany Corlis at Lake Moondarra in Queensland, Australia. The snake - thought to be  python measuring around (Barcroft TV)

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The super predator threatened by poaching and habitat destruction

What
The Royal Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris), the national animal of India is an incredible sight. With its orange hide marked with dark stripes, its white underbelly, long tail, huge paws and fearsome teeth, the Royal Bengal Tiger of India is justifiably called the 'King of the Jungle'.

About
Royal Bengal Tigers range in length from 1.8 to 2.7 m (6-9 ft), while the length of its tail can be over 90 cm. An average Royal Bengal Tiger weighs between 130-180 kg. Its life expectancy is about 15-20 years and the females give birth to 3-4 cubs after a pregnancy of about 3.5 months.

The colour of the Royal Bengal Tigers pelt can range from orange to tan with white beneath. They shed their short thick fur in summer and it grows in thickness in winter. The strong jaw of the tiger is used to bite the throat or neck of the prey.

Tiger killings are split second affairs where the prey hardly has any chance of survival. Its formidable and retractile claws play a significant role in capturing and holding on to its prey.


Why
The Royal Bengal Tiger is a super predator and important member of the carnivores that once roamed and dominated all of South East Asia. It is one of the stealthiest hunters, known for its intelligent and powerful attacks. 

Tigers lead solitary lives, and the courtship period, and association between mother and cub is their only interaction and association. Tigers are entirely different in their hunting habits from lions, and hence they are mutually exclusive in their distribution. Tigers rest during the day in the shade, and begin to hunt for food at dusk. They have keen eyesight and a sharp hearing that helps them stalk their prey.



Your chances of seeing it in the wild
Royal Bengal Tiger is an endangered species. Their numbers were recorded as below 2,000 in the 1970s, after which Project Tiger was initiated in India in 1973 in wildlife national parks and sanctuaries of India. There has been a steady increase in the population of tigers in India where they are protected in 27 tiger reserves, wildlife national parks and wildlife sanctuaries.

The threat of poaching due to the demand for tiger bones and body parts in traditional Chinese medicine remains a pressing issue. The loss of habitat as well as human population pressure on wildlife reserves in India is another concern.

Souce: wwf.panda.org/.../royal_bengal_tiger.cfm

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Wildlife is an important part of ecological community as wildlife play an important rule in theenvironment.There are several importance of wildlife as wildlife it self is an important character of nature so its conservation is an important obligation for human beings for the sustainability of life on planet earth so there is a comprehensive article on why it is important to save wildlife:

• Ecological Value    
• Economic Value                             
• Recreational Value
• Scientific Value
• Social Value 
• Aesthetical Value

Ecological Value:

Ecological value is the interaction of wildlife in nature. Wildlife plays an essential role in the ecological and biological processes that are yet again significant to life. The normal functioning of the biosphere depends on endless interactions amongst animals, plants, and microorganisms. This, in turn, maintains and enhances human life further. Wildlife maintains ecological ‘balance of nature’ and maintains food chain and nature cycles.

Economic Value:

Using wildlife to earn money. Many wild plants provide useful substances like timber, paper; gums etc and they also have wide applications in medicine. Wild animals Products include elephant tusk, rhino horns, tiger fur, leather etc.

Recreational Value:

Hunting and fishing are the most visible kinds of recreation that depend directly on wildlife resources.There are, however, many other recreational activities that depend less directly on wildlife populations. These include bird watching, photography, hiking, camping, boating etc.

Scientific Value:

Most important contribution of wild life for human progress is availability of large genepool for the scientists to carry breeding programmes in agriculture, animal husbandry and fishery.

Social Value:

Wildlife is the source of livelihood and subsistence. Due to existence of wildlife on earth humans get benefit to sustain life.

Examples:

Hunting, fishing, cultural value of wildlife.

Aesthetical Value:

Aesthetical value is the enjoying of wildlife’s beauty and pleasure. Wildlife enhances the beauty of environment.

How to save wildlife:

    To understand the imperatives of wildlife, wild places and the impacts of human society on their future.

    To conserve wildlife and wild places.

Bamboo forests- the habitat of Giant panda

    Live with nature in absolute harmony.

    To create awareness among people about nature and its importance of life on earth.

    To engage in wise, scientific, professional and caring stewardship of wildlife.

    To monitor wildlife population on regular basis.

    Reduce the habitat fragmentation approaches.

Example: In Roads projects make habitat corridor for wildlife.

    To develop management plans to manage wildlife resources for the benefit of wildlife and humans.

    To develop and implement the adaptive and innovative solutions to conservation problems by melding the expertise and field based sciences.

    National policies should deal with the issues related to wildlife management and conservation.

    Prioritize the more endangered wildlife species for conservation efforts.

Examples:

Snow leopard (endangered), Indus River Dolphin (endangered and endemic)

    Reduce the human and wildlife conflict.

Human and wildlife conflict is the interaction between wild animals and people and the resultant negative impact on people or their resources, or wild animals or their habitat.Solutions to these conflicts include electric fencing, land use planning, community based natural resource management, payment for environmental services, ecotourism, wildlife friendly products, or other field solutions.

Examples:

The Man-Eater of Champawat killed at least 436 people

Ecotourism by elephant in West Bengal, India

    Ensures that laws related to wildlife are followed in all areas such as research, education and use of wildlife.

    Join the wildlife conservation organization e.g WWF

    Implementation of Migratory bird treaty Act for the protection of migratory birds.

Example:

Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 (MBTA) is a United States federal law, at first enacted in 1916 in order to implement the convention for the protection of migratory birds.

        Be careful about wildlife while driving on the road.

Careful driving can protect koalas:

    Make space for animals such as plant trees, bushes and plants that benefit wildlife in your area and place a birdbath in your yard.

    Restrict the intentional introduction of exotic species.

    __________________________*******************_________________________

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The tiger is the national animal of India, yet despite the many measures that have been put in place to protect this rare and beautiful animal, it is now perilously close to extinction.

Although the current slogan is “only 1400 tigers left in India” it has been reported that this figure is actually much lower and as few as 800-900 tigers are now surviving in the wild. What has led to this shameful state of affairs and what can we do to change things? Strangely part of the answer lies in tourism and by choosing a wildlife holiday in India you can help make a difference.

Steps:

1. Visit the parks which specialize in featuring tigers for tourists to view. By doing this, you add revenue to continue maintaining the sanctuaries and feeding the tigers. Take a wildlife tour of India. Seeing a tiger in the wild is one of the most amazing and rewarding experiences you can ever have and if you choose the right travel company, your holiday can actually help save the tiger from extinction. There is a huge choice of wildlife packages to India offering safaris in India’s National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries but choose carefully and find a tour company that actively supports tiger conservation. Such tour operators in India work closely with local support groups and if you choose the right wildlife package to India, you will find that the local people will also benefit directly, as only local services and guides are employed. By continued education from the support groups, and by proving that living in harmony with the tiger will actually bring much needed prosperity to local people, your holiday of a lifetime can help save India’s remaining tigers

2. Send donations to places that care for and protect tigers in India. The money will be used to ensure that tigers are looked after and can be kept in areas where there would otherwise be population encroachment.

3. Support organizations that care for the education, health, and welfare of Indian children. Poverty is a major cause of people taking the land tigers need to live on, as people try to farm and use the land space to survive. The problems the tiger faces are those of ignorance and poverty - the people living in the surrounding villages are living hand to mouth and obviously must protect their livelihood however they can, and the temptation to make money by supplying tigers to the black market is easily understood when you consider the struggle these people have in simply surviving from day to day. Education helps to break the cycle of poverty by giving Indian children a chance to get employment in fields that pay adequate living salaries. Moreover, education helps local people learn about the importance of conserving wildlife in their area and to find the means for doing so without having injury to either people or tigers.

Tips:

• There are two main reasons for the demise of the tiger in India. One is loss of habitat and the conflict that occurs when humans and wildlife are forced to live in close proximity. The local villagers need grazing and firewood to survive while the tiger needs vast uninhabited areas for its survival. Secondly, tiger skins and body parts fetch huge sums of money in countries such as China so poaching is a risky but lucrative way of life that the authorities seem completely unable to combat
• The other threat to tigers is poaching as there is a huge demand in the East for illegal body parts – tigers are killed to supply this lucrative black market with bones, pelt and organs – even the tiger penis is considered an aphrodisiac when made into a soup. Huge sums are paid for tigers so, despite armed guards within the sanctuaries, people are prepared risk their lives in order to kill these majestic animals.
• Now in 2010 it is widely believed that there are probably as few as 800 tigers surviving in India and the World Wildlife Fund has listed this magnificent animal as one of the 10 key creatures facing imminent extinction. This shocking figure is in spite of many initiatives from the Indian government, starting in 1973 with the launch of Project Tiger campaign. The tiger is a beautiful, charismatic species and the national animal of India but as a top predator, it also plays a crucial role in the health and diversity of a unique ecosystem, maintaining the balance between its prey and the vegetation that it feeds on – without the tiger much of India’s wonderful wildlife and beautiful forests will no longer exist.
• Specialist tour companies that always use local guides and resources that support local initiatives, and that work with local NGOs in educating villagers, are vital to helping improve the understanding that the tiger is a valuable resource that will bring locals a long-term benefit rather and that tigers are not a threat to their own existence. With a responsible tour operator, it is possible to have the holiday of a lifetime while helping the conservation of one of the world’s most endangered species. The more people that choose to go on a tiger safari in India, the more chance the Bengal tiger has of survival.

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