WILDLIFE & ENVIRONMENT CA IN FEBRUARY 2026

ENVIRONMENT - 

* Madhya Pradesh Forest Department Has Announced The Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary As Cheetahs Third Home.

* World Wetlands Day - 2nd February (THEME 2026 - WETLANDS AND TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE CELEBRATING CULTURAL HERITAGE ) 

* Smooth Coated otters Has Listed As Vulnerable By IUCN.

* The Asiatic Lion Population Has Increases To 891 in 2025 From 674 In 2020 

* Wildlife Institute Of India ( WII) In Collaboration With Forest Department, Tamilnadu Has FOUND 158 Dugongs in Palk Bay & 112 In Gulf Of Mannar 

* Asia Recorded The Largest Area Of Planted Forest In 146 Million Hectares (23% Of World) 

* Two Women Farmers Arika Narasamma And Lalam Jyothi Have Been Selected For A European Agro ECOLOGY Tour Under APCNF Programme.

* RAMSAR Listed Nala Sarovar Recorded 6 .42 Lakh Birds Of 270 Species.

* Mudu malai Elephant Rivaldo Died 

* A Total Of 41 Tigers Died In Maharshtra in 2025.

* Jammu and Kashmir Police Has Unveiled The High Altitude Squad Snow Leopard For Anti Terror Operation.

 * The Tamilnadu Government Has Launched The First Dark Sky Park At The Ariyur Shola Reserve Forests, In Koli Hills.

DOLPHIN CENSUS IN ODISHA - 

* * ODISHA DOLPHIN CENSUS CONDUCTED ( 765 DOLPHINS POPULATION) 

* 493 in BHITARKANIKA 

* 175 IN CHILIKA LAKE 

* 66 in PURI 

* 15 IN BALASORE 

* 13 BERHAMPUR 

* 3 BHADRAK 

AWARDS - 

* * India's Meha Jain Wins The Inaugural ASU ( Science Prize) For Transformational Impact For Uses Of Satellite Data And Artificial Intelligence To Help Farmers To COMBAT With CLIMATE 

* TAMILNADU CHIEF MINISTER M K Stallin Has Laid Foundation Stone of First Sea Turtle Conservation Centre At Guindy, Chennai.

NEW SPECIES - 

* RESEARCHERS HAVE DISCOVERED A NEW SPINY SPECIES OF ANT IN GARBHANGA RESERVE FOREST IN ASSAM 

* SPECIES NAME - POLYRHACHIS GARBHANGAENSIS 

* INDIA RECORDS 71 SPECIES OF GENUS POLYRHACHIS 

* 

* * RESERCHERS FROM ZOOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA (ZSI) HAVE DISCOVERED TWO NEW SPECIES OF WORMS ( POLYCHAETES) FROM WEST BENGAL.

* TWO NEW SPECIES ARE 

a) Nereididae ( Annelida Nereididae ) 

b) Second SPECIES NAMED AFTER Dhitri Banarjee ( ZSI Director) 

* This Species Helps In Coastal Health 

** BOTANICAL SURVEY OF INDIA (BSI) RESEARCHER TEAM HAVE IDENTIFIED A NEW SPECIES OF FLOWERING PLANT IN PAKHAL WILDLIFE SANCTUARY IN MAHBUBABAD DISTRICT, IN TELENGANA.

* SPECIES NAME - DICLIPTERA PAKHALICA 

* FAMILY - ACANTHACEAE 

* * RESEARCHERS FROM ASSAM UNIVERSITY, SILCHAR HAVE RECORDED THE FIRST EVER TINY JUMPING SPIDER SPECIES IN ASSAM.

* SPECIES NAME - COLYTTUS BILINEATUS 

* * RESERCHERS HAVE DISCOVERED A NEW SPECIES OF DRAGONFLY SPECIES IN KERALA.

* SPECIES NAME - LYRIOTHEMIS KERALAENSIS 

* 

* * A NEW ORCHID SPECIES DISCOVERED IN WESTERN GHATS 

* SPECIES NAME - DIPLOCENTRUM PAPILLOSUM 

* 

* ICAR - NBFGR Discovered A New Species Of Squat Lobster From Lakshadweep.

* * A NEW BRIGHT ORANGE SQUAT LOBSTER SPECIES DISCOVERD IN LAKSHADWEEP.

* SPECIES NAME - LEIOGALATHEA SAMUDRAGIRI 

* 

*  ICAR - CICFR DISCOVERD A New Mahseer Species (TOR  SATTALENSIS) in Uttarkhand.

* * A NEW BRIGHT ORANGE SQUAT LOBSTER SPECIES DISCOVERD IN LAKSHADWEEP.

* SPECIES NAME - LEIOGALATHEA SAMUDRAGIRI 

* 

* * RESEARCHERS FROM KOZHIKODE ST JOSEPH'S COLLEGE HAVE DISCOVERED A NEW APIACEAE SPECIES IN ERAVILULAM GRASSLAND IN KERALA.

* SPECIES NAME - TETRATAENIUM PAIKADAE 

* IT IS A PERENNIAL HERB IN APIACEAE FAMILY ( GROWING 30-80 CM TALL THICK) 

* THE SPECIES NAMED AFTER IN HONOUR TO LATE REV FATHER JOSEPH PAIKA, ( PRINCIPAL & MANAGER OF JOSEPH'S COLLEGE) 

* THE PLANTS GROWS IN MARSHY GRASSLAND AT ELEVATION BETWEEN 1000-2500 meter ABOVE SEA LEVEL 

* OIL DUCTS FOUND IN ITS FRUITS 

* 

* * RESEARCHERS FROM BOTANICAL SURVEY OF INDIA (BSI) HAVE DISCOVERED A NEW SPECIES OF COBRA LILY IN SIAHA DISTRICT, MIZORAM.

* SPECIES NAME - ARISAEMA SIAHAENSE 

* 

* * RESEARCHERS HAVE DISCOVERED TWO NEW ARMY ANT SPECIES FOUND IN EASTERN GHATS. ( ANDHRA PRADESH) 

* AENICTUS CHITTOORENSIS Sp Nov.

* AENICTUS LANKAMALLENSIS Sp nov 

* 

* * RESEARCHERS FROM CUSAT & CSIR NIO Goa HAVE DISCOVERED A NEW SNAPPING SHRIMP SPECIES IN KERALA.

* NAMED - ALPHEUS MADHUSOODANAI in The Cochin Estuary 

* SPECIES NAMED AFTER - BIOLOGIST DR. B MADHUSOODANAI Kurup 

* Union Ministry Of Environment, Forest And Climate Change To Organise HIM - CONNECT On Sideline Of TERI's World Sustainable Development Summit 2026 

 ( The Him - Connect Platform Connects Researchers Working In The Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) With Start Up, Investors, Policy Makers) 

( Him - Connect Will Exhibit Field - Validated, Market Ready Solution In Crucial Sectors Including Water Security, Climate Adaption, Waste To Wealth, Sustainable Building, Renewable Energy, And Nature Based Livelihood) 

* * A NEW SPECIES OF BLIND, AQUIFER DWELING FISH DISCOVERD IN GOALPARA DISTRICT, ASSAM 

* SPECIES NAME- GITCHAK NAKANA 

* 

* IT IS A FIRST AQUIFER FISH FROM NORTH EAST INDIA 

* 

*