Imagine we with kids at home surviving this haze with my old parents! Indonesia has no common sense!

The flyway supports 465 migratory species; 8% globally threatened, 44% declining. BirdLife's Ecological Restoration Fund is targeting the site network these species depend on. The Ferruginous Duck (Near Threatened) is the case study here: Pokuplje Basin for breeding, Lake Nasser for wintering. Conservation wins or loses at individual sites, but the species needs the whole chain intact.

Spotted this group of endangered lion-tailed macaques during a road trip through Valparai, Tamil Nadu. They’re endemic to the Western Ghats, and I was lucky to capture them in the wild.

The Indian Honey Bee is commonly prevalent in Asia.
This busy bee visits 8-12 flowers in a minute, is non-aggressive, easily domesticated, and its pollination work helps maintain the rich biodiversity of the Periyar Sanctuary and the entire Western Ghats.

As the bee is a subspecies of the Asiatic Honey Bee (Apis cerana), it has not assessed by the IUCN yet,** but entomologists note that their wild populations are experiencing a steep decline.

Species: Indian Honey Bee (Apis cerana indica)

Location: Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, Thekkady, India

Range: India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and parts of Asia.

IUCN status: Not Assessed yet

Population trend: Declining

Threats:
Deforestation, urbanization,
use of toxic pesticides,
hives affected by infectious diseases,
competition with introduced European bees, and
climate change, causing erratic flowering patterns and rising temperatures.

Why is the Indian Honey Bee important?
It is the most weather-resistant pollinator of South Asia. The bee can withstand intense heat. Many regional crops such as coconut palms, coffee, cardamom, mustard, and tropical fruits depend on this bee for pollination.
Several forest trees and plants of wildflowers rely on this species; a decline in native plants will affect entire food webs.

Protecting these vital pollinators will need policy changes and major shifts in agricultural practices, but public action can certainly help.

We can grow native, seasonal flowering plants in our home/terrace/balcony gardens, avoid using toxic pesticides, and place water for them in a shallow dish with pebbles (so the bees don't drown).

Awareness can influence action.
Spread the word.
Save the pollinator.💚

** According to the IUCN’s Red List protocols, the ‘Species-First’ rule is followed whereby an assessment of a subspecies can only be published if a global assessment of the parent species has been published first. But the parent species, Asiatic Honey Bee (Apis cerana) has never had an a global evaluation. So, the Indian Honey Bee cannot have its independent status.

Image: My original photograph