Tag: India
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Jatayu Earth Center: Home to the World’s Largest Bird Sculpture
Jatayu Nature Park in Kerala, India, holds the world’s largest bird sculpture, occupying about 15,000 sq feet and standing at the height of about 1200 feet above sea level. It is five times the size of the Pyramid of Giza. Opened in 2018 as a tourist destination, the 70-foot tall giant concrete figure pays tribute…
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Is the iconic Banyan tree in Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii, still standing?
The Maui wildfire that razed through Lahaina Town and left 99 dead is still revealing the aftermath of its massive destruction. Yet, one glimmer of hope has emerged amidst the devastation: the landmark banyan tree in Lahaina remains charred but still stands. The Banyan tree becomes a symbol of Lahaina’s resilience Planted in 1873 to…
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Where do Attenborough fan-throated lizards live?
Attenborough’s fan-throated lizard (Sitana attenboroughii) is a species of fan-throated lizard that lives in southwestern India, initially discovered in the coastal state of Kerala. A team of Indian researchers uncovered the striking lizard in open ground patches in 2018, subsequently publishing their findings in January 2018’s issue of Zootaxa. They named the lizard after natural…
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Cosmic caterpillar of the Pacific fruit piercing moth
See the universe in the marvelous googly-eyed cosmic caterpillar of the Pacific fruit-piercing moth (Eudocima phalonia), and you’ll never be the same. This is Mother Nature’s best expression of art. While some caterpillars appear like snakes to avoid predators, the cosmic caterpillar screams, ‘eat the stars.’ Yet, it often hides during the day and becomes…
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The spectacular rainbow-colored Nicobar pigeon
The Nicobar pigeon (Caloenas nicobarica) stands out from the crowd as the extinct Dodo’s closest living relative. Found in the coastal regions of Andaman and Nicobar Islands southeast of the Indian continent to the Solomon Islands and Palau, the Nicobar pigeon fashions the most beautiful metallic green colored plumage. With low repetitive calls, the Nicobar pigeon is…