ROUNDSTUBE/aven1961

The tiger (Panthera tigris) is the largest extant cat species and a member of the genus Panthera. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange-brown fur with a lighter underside. It is an apex predator, primarily preying on ungulates such as deer and wild boar. It is territorial and generally a solitary but social predator, requiring large contiguous areas of habitat, which support its requirements for prey and rearing of its offspring. Tiger cubs stay with their mother for about two years, before they become independent and leave their mother's home range to establish their own. There are 50 tiger reserves in India which are governed by Project Tiger which is administrated by the National Tiger Conservation Authority. India is home to 80 percent of tigers in the world. The Indian increase played a big role in driving up global populations as well; the number of wild tigers globally rose according to World Wildlife Fund and Global Tiger Forum. The tigers are mai

Elephants are mammals of the family Elephantidae and the largest existing land animals. Three species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. African elephants are listed as vulnerable and Asian elephants as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. One of the biggest threats to elephant populations is the ivory trade, as the animals are poached for their ivory tusks. Other threats to wild elephants include habitat destruction and conflicts with local people. Elephants are used as working animals in Asia. In the past, they were used in war; today, they are often controversially put on display in zoos, or exploited for entertainment in circuses. Elephants are highly recognisable and have been featured in art, folklore, religion, literature, and popular culture. Groups of elephants, or herds, follow a matriarchal structure with the eldest female in charge. The matriarch relies on her experience an

A walk in the Forest from Sunrise to Sunset is really reflecting on John Muir’s words captures this opportunity, “Between every two pine trees there is a door leading to a new way of life.” This invitation to take a walk in the woods enables us to experience a heightened awareness of the inner workings of nature and ourselves. The health benefits of being in the wilderness become evident when we consider the proximity of trees in the forest, all connected in an elaborate underground web. This connection through small tubes made up of fungi at roots is called mycorrhizal fungi which spans out and weaves an underground pattern. The thread-like fungi assist each tree or plant by siphoning carbon-rich sugar from branches to roots through photosynthesis. From roots to branches the fungi deliver nitrogen and phosphorous from soil. As in the neural networks in the human brain, this fungus network is not independently helping only one tree at a time; this network is an interdependent, cooperat