Columnists

Ranjit Lal

Lal is an author, environmentalist and bird watcher.

How TV talk show and news anchors can benefit from mynahs

Sat, May 01, 2021

Mynahs may be garrulous, but are always civilised, even while arguing

Gautam Sen’s new book on why Indians love their big cars is a joy ride

Sun, Apr 25, 2021

'The Automobile: An Indian Love Affair' is a comprehensive history of the automobile in India

What lies in the serpent’s arsenal

Sat, Apr 24, 2021

Snake venom can stun, shock, kill, or even cure you

Where do salmons go to spawn

Sat, Apr 10, 2021

Their inbuilt magnetic compass and remarkable olfactory memory help the fish to navigate freshwater upstream till they reach the place of their birth

The screamers in the sky are lapwings

Sat, Apr 03, 2021

Lapwings’ alarms have saved many a bird and game from hunters

Why the cat outside your door might be feral

Sat, Mar 27, 2021

Is it a domestic cat first becoming a stray and then progressing to feral?

Are wildcats more ferocious than tigers

Sat, Mar 20, 2021

They are our forests’ best kept secrets but they can let out quite a roar

Say bye bye to the warblers and the grey herons

Sat, Mar 13, 2021

And raise a toast to the migratory waterfowls as they fly home to bring the next generation into this world

Our love-hate relationship with wildlife and the mixed messages we send

Sun, Mar 07, 2021

Why expect kindness from animals, or teach children to be environmentally conscious, when we ourselves break every rule in the book

Have you heard the sound of Spring?

Sat, Feb 27, 2021

As new leaves and multihued blooms announce the season’s arrival, keep an ear out for chirps and birdsongs

Why birds head for plate-glass windows and, therefore, towards death

Sat, Feb 20, 2021

In the US, it is estimated that 1 billion birds die every year owing to crashing into plate-glass windows of skyscrapers and houses

How nature’s call got a bad rap

Fri, Feb 12, 2021

Why Mother Nature is offended by her scatological reference

Are zoos really bad, or do we make them bad?

Sat, Feb 06, 2021

While many zoos are terrible places for animals, there are other that do necessary educational and conservational work

What do bats have to say about being blamed for COVID-19

Sat, Jan 30, 2021

A fair hearing to the creature at the receiving end of pointed fingers every time there’s a virus scare

The tiny terrors and big bullies of the animal kingdom

Sat, Jan 23, 2021

From the teeniest to the most belligerent, a list of creatures best not encountered

Why a list of favourites from the wild must have the obvious and the unusual

Sun, Jan 17, 2021

Which creatures -- micro to macro organisms -- from the animal kingdom made the cut and why

When it comes to deadly creatures, the smaller it is, the more lethal it can be

Sat, Jan 09, 2021

Even experienced jungle-hands are more terrified of the tiny and deadly, than the big and fierce

How different are the married lives of birds from that of the homo sapiens

Sun, Jan 03, 2021

When human beings are beaten at their own game of holy (unholy) matrimony

How polar bears and ground squirrels would had helped us survive the lockdown

Sat, Dec 26, 2020

Why governments needed to consult hibernators to give humans needed enough time to fatten up for the indefinite period of inactivity owing to COVID-19

What happens when a human and a mosquito take matters to court

Sun, Dec 20, 2020

How sleeplessness caused by the insect's drawl and blood loss owing to their bites – mosquitoes suck iron for their babies – leave a man unable to function, affecting his livelihood

How moreish crabs can teach table manners

Sat, Dec 12, 2020

Since the omnivores are themselves on the menu of many, several species have become endangered

Why the Central Vista trees aren’t happy about being cut and moved

Sun, Dec 06, 2020

The day they found their voice, they demanded to be declared sacrosanct and part of a sacred grove, that even lopping off a branch should amount to 10 years of jail.