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- Footrot disease is currently affecting the sheep and goats of Gaddi shepherds in Himachal Pradesh.
- Overview of Footrot Disease:
- Footrot is a highly contagious condition that impacts the interdigital tissue (the area between the toes) of ruminants. It is one of the leading causes of lameness in cattle and sheep, potentially leading to significant economic losses. Once established in a herd or flock, footrot can be challenging to control.
- Causative Agent:
- This disease is caused by the bacteria Dichelobacter nodosus, often in conjunction with other bacterial species.
- Transmission:
- Infected feet serve as a source of contamination, spreading the infection to other animals through the environment. The infectious agents can enter the skin through injuries inflicted by sharp objects such as stones, metal, wood, or thorns. Footrot is typically seasonal, with outbreaks peaking during wet conditions.
- Symptoms:
- Key indicators of virulent footrot include:
- Chronic and severe lesions
- Lameness
- Reduced production
- In severe cases, death
- Key indicators of virulent footrot include:
- Treatment:
- Infected interdigital tissue should be cleaned, debrided, and disinfected. Administering an antibiotic treatment within the first day of the disease is usually effective. Recovery is typically observed within three to four days.
- Recently, over 550 individuals from the Katkari tribe received caste certificates during a special ceremony held in Male village, Pune.
- About the Katkari Tribe:
- The Katkari tribe is a primitive community primarily located in Maharashtra, particularly in the Pune, Raigad, and Thane districts, as well as parts of Gujarat. They are recognized as one of the 75 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in India and have a historical background as forest dwellers.
- Traditionally, Katkaris are also referred to as Kathodis due to their ancestral practice of producing Katha (Catechu), a thickened sap derived from the Khair tree (Acacia catechu).
- Language:
- The Katkari people are bilingual; they converse in their native Katkari language among themselves and use Marathi when communicating with others. Some members of the tribe also speak Hindi.
- Occupation:
- The Katkari primarily work as agricultural laborers and are involved in selling firewood and various forest fruits. Additionally, they engage in fishing for household consumption, as well as coal production and brick-making. They possess extensive knowledge of uncultivated foods, including fish, crabs, wild animals, birds, tubers, wild vegetables, fruits, and nuts.
- Socioeconomic Challenges:
- A significant portion of Katkari families are landless, with an astonishing 87% lacking land compared to the national average of 48% for rural households in India. This landlessness contributes to high rates of migration, resulting in seasonal livelihoods for many in the community.
- Recently, the National Space Commission, India’s leading authority on space missions, approved the fifth lunar mission, known as the Lunar Polar Exploration Mission (LUPEX).
- Lunar Polar Exploration Mission (LUPEX):
- This mission is a collaborative effort between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
- Objectives:
- The primary goal of LUPEX is to explore the moon’s southern polar region to investigate the presence of water and other elements, potentially in the form of surface ice. The mission also aims to demonstrate innovative technologies for surface exploration, with a special emphasis on vehicular transport and survival during the lunar night.
- Mission Components:
- LUPEX includes both a lander and a rover. JAXA is tasked with the development and operation of the rover, while ISRO will develop and operate the lander that will transport the rover to the lunar surface.
- Rover Capabilities:
- The rover will autonomously navigate the lunar terrain in search of areas likely to contain water and will collect soil samples by drilling into the ground. Data will be gathered through detailed analysis of the collected samples using observation equipment mounted on the rover.
- Advanced Technology:
- Equipped with instruments to measure the water content of lunar regolith (sand), the rover will feature state-of-the-art technologies for its driving system and batteries. It will carry instruments from ISRO, JAXA, as well as contributions from NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA).
- Launch Schedule:
- The mission is set to launch in 2025.
- The Living Planet Report 2024 has revealed that the average size of monitored wildlife populations has declined by 73% since 1970.
- Overview:
- Published biennially by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), this report provides a comprehensive analysis of global biodiversity trends and the overall health of the planet. The 2024 edition marks the 15th release of this important report.
- Living Planet Index (LPI):
- The WWF employs the Living Planet Index (LPI), which tracks average trends in wildlife populations instead of focusing solely on the numbers of individual species. By observing changes in population sizes over time, the LPI acts as an early warning system for extinction risk and aids in assessing the efficiency of ecosystems.
- Key Findings from the Living Planet Report 2024:
- Freshwater ecosystems have experienced the sharpest decline, with an 85% drop, followed by terrestrial ecosystems at 69% and marine ecosystems at 56%.
- Specific regional declines in monitored animal populations include:
- Latin America and the Caribbean: 95% decline
- Africa: 76% decline
- Asia-Pacific region: 60% decline
- Central Asia: 35% decline
- North America: 39% decline
- Major Threats:
- Key threats to wildlife identified in the report include habitat loss, overexploitation, climate change, pollution, invasive species, and diseases. Habitat loss is primarily driven by unsustainable agriculture, fragmentation, logging, and mining.
- The report also highlights critical environmental concerns, such as ongoing mass coral reef bleaching affecting over 75% of the world’s reefs, the degradation of the Amazon rainforest, the collapse of the subpolar gyre, and the melting of Greenland and West Antarctic ice sheets—all nearing critical tipping points.
- Sustainable Development Goals:
- More than half of the United Nations-mandated Sustainable Development Goals for 2030 are unlikely to achieve their targets, with 30% either already missed or worse off compared to their 2015 baseline.