Rare Tibetan brown bear sighted in Sikkim
Gangtok, Jan 14: A rare Tibetan brown bear species has been found roaming in the high altitude areas of North Sikkim, officials of the state's Forest and Wildlife Department said on Sunday.
Camera traps captured the bear (scientific name: Ursus arctos pruinosus) with its characteristic yellowish scarf-like collar that broadens from the shoulders to the chest in Mangan district last month.
This rare bear is very different from the more commonly found Himalayan black bear in terms of its appearance, habitat and behaviour, the officials said.
The omnivore lives in high-altitude alpine forests, meadows and steppe above 4000 m and feeds on marmots and alpine vegetation.
"The discovery of a rare Tibetan brown bear marks a significant moment for biodiversity in the region and underscores the importance of preserving and protecting the state's precious wildlife," an official said.
The Tibetan brown bear, also known as the Tibetan blue bear, is one of the rarest subspecies of bears in the world, and is rarely sighted in the wild. Only a few were sighted from Nepal, Bhutan and the Tibetan plateau.
With assistance from Lachen Dzumsa, a traditional socio-political institution of North Sikkim, a forest and wildlife department team set up camera traps in high altitudes of Mangan district and captured this elusive bear.
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UP CM Adityanath's plane makes emergency landing in Agra due to technical snag
Agra/Lucknow, Mar 26 (PTI): An aircraft carrying Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath made an emergency landing at the Agra airport shortly after take off due to a technical snag, officials said.
The chief minister resumed his journey to Lucknow after over two hours, they said.
Adityanath was in Agra for a public event to mark the eighth anniversary of the BJP government in the state.
"After the programme, the chief minister was scheduled to leave from the Kheria Airport in Agra around 3.30 pm. The aircraft took off but returned shortly apparently due to a snag, which was then inspected by officials," a police official told PTI.
"The chief minister finally resumed his onward journey around 5.30 pm from Kheria," the official added.
Senior Agra district administration and police officials remained at the airport while the chief minister waited there. BJP supporters and local politicians were also present outside the airport.
Earlier in the day, Adityanath inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of 128 projects worth Rs 635.22 crore at 'Vikas Utsav' held in Agra to mark the completion of eight years of his government.
"Residents of Agra now have access to metro rail services, officially making Agra a metro city. The construction of the civil terminal at the airport is in its final stages," he said, adding that previous governments failed to provide these facilities.
