Natural predation where rarity meets rarity raises an important conservation paradox: when one threatened species feeds on another and conservation decisions can be challenging. Here we present a natural history observation of such an interaction. During a camera-trapping survey in Singalila National Park, West Bengal, India, we documented a rare predation event involving an Asiatic Black Bear Ursus thibetanus and a Red Panda Ailurus fulgens. A sequence of images captured a Red Panda ascending a resting tree Betula utilis on 11 February 2024. On 15 February 2024, the same camera recorded an Asiatic Black Bear approaching the site, climbing the tree, and subsequently descending with a Red Panda in its mouth. Predator-prey interactions involving Red Pandas are poorly documented, with most existing information anecdotal. The present record provides rare empirical evidence of such an interaction and contributes to unknown facts of predation ecology of Asiatic Black Bear and Red Panda. The present work underscores the importance of systematic camera trapping for documenting rare ecological interactions and for improving baseline knowledge for conservation planning.
The Oriental Darter Anhinga melanogaster, a species listed as ‘Least Concern’ on the IUCN Red List, is a waterbird widely distributed across southern and southeastern Asia. Despite its presence in Assam, information on its breeding distribution in the state remains scarce. During a field observation in July 2025 at Bar Panora Village, Kamrup (Rural) District, Assam, India, an active nesting colony of the species was recorded. The colony consisted of nine active nests built in a Samanea saman tree 22 m in height, with nests located at around 19 m above the ground. A total of 18 adults and 33 juveniles/chicks were observed. Behavioral observations included feeding, preening, resting, regurgitation, begging calls, vigilance, and nest defense. The nesting colony was located near a wetland and indicated mixed-species colonial nesting with the Asian Openbill Anastomus oscitans. The presence of active nests and juveniles suggests successful breeding and highlights the importance of wetland habitats and suitable nesting trees for the species. This record contributes to knowledge of the breeding ecology and distribution of the Oriental Darter in northeastern India and emphasizes the need for continued monitoring and conservation of wetland-associated nesting habitats.
The Golden Langur Trachypithecus geei is an endangered colobine primate endemic to a narrow transboundary belt of western Assam, India, and southern Bhutan, bounded by the Manas and Sankosh rivers and the Brahmaputra. Between 8 August 2025 and 18 January 2026, a solitary adult male was recorded during 12 observations across four locations-Dahudi, Tihu, Gamarimuri (Kaithalkuchi), and Nalbari Town-all urban and peri-urban settlements in Nalbari District that lie well outside the species’ known distribution, before reportedly continuing its movement further east. The animal used isolated Peepal Ficus religiosa trees, Atha Dimoru Ficus auriculata, Rain Tree Samanea saman, bamboo clumps, and other roadside and homestead vegetation as isolated patches while traversing the human-dominated matrix. We document these observations as an unusual extralimital excursion by a single dispersing individual, not as evidence of a new or expanding distribution range, and discuss probable causes, welfare risks (electrocution, vehicular traffic, and free-ranging dogs), and implications for conservation in human-dominated landscapes of the Brahmaputra floodplain.
Chiroptera play vital ecological roles as pollinators, seed dispersers, and insect population regulators; however, information on their roost site requirements remains limited in many parts of northeastern India. The present study examined roost site characteristics and habitat associations of Chiroptera in Kamrup District, Assam, India. Field surveys conducted from November 2019 to March 2025 documented 16 roosts across nine locations, including natural substrates (trees, leaves, tree cavities and bamboo internodes) and artificial structures (houses and building crevices). A total of 115 roosting trees belonging to 12 families, 20 genera, and 23 species were recorded, including two unidentified species and three dead trees. Statistical analyses showed significant positive relationships between bat abundance and tree height, bole height, and crown height, while multiple linear regression indicated that tree height and bole height were significant predictors of bat abundance; crown height was not a significant predictor. The regression model explained 28.2% of the variation in bat abundance (R² = 0.282, P < 0.001). Bat abundance did not differ significantly between evergreen and deciduous trees, whereas significantly higher abundance was recorded on exotic than native tree species (P < 0.001). Bat abundance was negatively correlated with distance from human settlements (r = −0.325, P < 0.001) and water bodies (r = −0.348, P < 0.001). The study provides detailed information on roost site characteristics and habitat associations of Chiroptera in Kamrup District and underscores the importance of retaining mature trees, standing dead trees, bamboo stands, and suitable anthropogenic roosting structures within human-modified landscapes.
Aberrant pelage phenotypes are rarely documented in wild carnivores, particularly in elusive and predominantly nocturnal species. A stripeless pelage variant of the Striped Hyena Hyaena hyaena sultana from Jabal Faifa, Jazan Province, southwestern Saudi Arabia is reported. Three Reconyx camera traps were installed to study faunal diversity in the area from 22 December 2025 to 5 June 2026, providing a nominal survey effort of 498 camera-trap nights. The survey produced 194 summarized photo/video records representing 11 vertebrate taxa. Arabian Partridge Alectoris melanocephala was the most frequently recorded taxon, whereas Indian Crested Porcupine Hystrix indica and Striped Hyena were the most frequently recorded mammals, with Striped Hyena recorded in 46 photographs. One Striped Hyena photographed at a camera station exhibited apparently absent dark flank striping. Other hyenas recorded by the same camera under comparable infrared conditions displayed the characteristic dark vertical stripes of the species clearly, reducing the likelihood that the focal phenotype resulted from illumination or camera artefacts. Because ocular, skin and genetic characteristics could not be examined, the animal is described conservatively as a stripeless pelage variant rather than assigning it to albinism or leucism. Continued monitoring and non-invasive genetic sampling are recommended to determine whether the phenotype represents an isolated developmental anomaly or a heritable local variant.
