Kirtida Mekani, who came from Karnataka and became one of Singapore's most influential champions of environmental sustainability, community service and cultural heritage, has passed away after suffering a massive heart at home. She was 66. A recipient of the President's Award for environment work and an inductee of the Singapore Women's Hall of Fame in 2024, Mekani's legacy is woven into the island's green spaces, community gardens, educational institutions and cultural landmarks, reported online tabloid tabla! The sudden passing of "Tree Lady", as she was affectionately called, on January 19 has left a profound void in Singapore's environment, arts, and civic communities ' circles she shaped quietly yet decisively for more than three decades. Mekani's lifelong love for nature began in childhood on her family's farm in Karnataka. A simple yet transformative moment ' discovering how a "smelly" compost pit turned into fertile soil ' opened her eyes to nature's regenerative power. That early lesson stayed with her, shaping a philosophy that nature, if understood and respected, could teach humanity how to live sustainably. When she moved to Singapore with her husband Bharat Mekani in 1990, she was immediately struck by the greenery along the drive from the Changi Airport. That image, she often recalled, planted a seed that would later blossom into one of Singapore's most successful citizen-led environmental initiatives. In 1993, Mekani became the founding executive director of the Singapore Environment Council, where she spent four years designing and implementing more than 50 environmental protection and education programmes for schools, businesses, and communities. Even after stepping down, she remained deeply involved in grassroots environmental education, mentoring young leaders, and advising organisations. Her proudest achievement was the Plant-A-Tree Programme, launched in 2007 in partnership with Singapore's National Parks Board under the Garden City Fund here. The idea initially faced scepticism, with doubts over whether the public would participate. Mekani persisted ' convinced Singaporeans would respond if given the chance to connect personally with nature. She was right. Since its inception, the programme has seen over 76,000 trees planted, introduced more than 200 native species, and involved over 100,000 participants from all walks of life. It remains one of Singapore's most enduring citizen-driven green initiatives. Known affectionately as part of Singapore's "green couple", Mekani and Bharat combined business life with community service, quietly supporting causes through donations, volunteering, and board work. Mekani served on the Garden City Fund Management Committee and was an ambassador for Community in Bloom, a nationwide movement that now supports 1,900 community gardens cared for by 45,000 volunteer gardeners. Her philosophy was simple yet powerful: Sustainability must be lived, not lectured. Mekani served as a trustee of the United World College of South East Asia Foundation, supporting the Rainforest Restoration Project, where students run nurseries growing threatened rainforest species for replanting along Singapore's rail corridor. In 2016, she co-founded the Biomimicry Singapore Network, uniting scientists, designers, engineers and entrepreneurs to explore nature-inspired innovation, according to the weekly report. She also served on the board of World Wild Life (WWF) Singapore and as a trustee of the Botanic Gardens Conservation International, contributing to conservation efforts locally and globally, including marine conservation initiatives and coral restoration around the Kusu Island, off Singapore. She also served on the board of LASALLE College of the Arts and on the management committee of the Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society (SIFAS). SIFAS President K V Rao said: "Kirtida was a truly remarkable individual who endeared herself to everyone with her innate empathy for all living beings and the environment." An accomplished ceramist herself, Mekani also exhibited her artwork, embodying the belief that creativity and sustainability were deeply connected. Her work earned her the President's Award for the Environment in 2015, Singapore's highest environmental honour, and her induction into the Singapore Women's Hall of Fame as a Champion of the Environment in 2024. Mekani's husband Bharat told the tabloid, "Kirtida lived with a rare kindness and an unwavering sense of purpose." This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
23 January,2026 12:27 PM IST | Singapore | PTIA leopard was rescued after an arduous eight-hour operation from a sweet shop in the Nani Daman area here on Tuesday, January 20, forest officials said. The Forest Department was informed around 11.30 am that the leopard had entered the shop, following which police and forest officials rushed to the spot and cordoned off the area, Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) Harshraj Wathore told reporters. During the rescue operation, it was found that the leopard was sitting on the staircase on the third floor of the building. The rescue team used tranquillising guns, nets and set up a cage. The animal, however, remained aggressive and attempted to attack forest personnel multiple times, the officer said. One Forest Department staff member sustained minor injuries during the operation and was taken to the hospital in an ambulance. His condition is stable, Wathore said. Given the seriousness of the situation, the Valsad Forest Department was informed and a rapid rescue team from Dahanu in Maharashtra was called in. The Dahanu team later darted the leopard, which will be placed in a trap cage and relocated to an undisclosed location, he said. Senior officials, including District Collector Saurabh Mishra, were present at the spot during the rescue operation. According to the officials, the leopard was sighted in Daman's urban areas over the past two days. Before it entered the sweet shop, it was spotted near Dhobi Talav on Monday night. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
22 January,2026 11:11 AM IST | Daman | PTIA three-day dolphin census exercise commenced in Odisha's Chilika Lake following sightings of dolphins at several locations across the lagoon, as per officials. The three-day enumeration drive is being carried out by the Chilika Wildlife Division in coordination with the Chilika Development Office to assess the current population, distribution, and habitat use of dolphins in Asia's largest brackish water lagoon. Speaking to ANI on Tuesday, Amlan Nayak, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of the Chilika Wildlife Division, said the census began early morning and will continue for the next two days. He informed that two major locations have been identified as operational bases for the dolphin census units. "The dolphin census has begun today and will continue for another two days. Two locations have been identified where the dolphin census units will operate: Balugaon and Satapada," Nayak said. He added that 10 dolphin census units have been deployed from Balugaon, with multiple teams covering predefined routes. "A total of 18 routes have been identified. These routes have already been defined using GPS points by the scientists at the Chilika Development Authority," the DFO said. Boats have been engaged for the exercise, with each boat carrying five to six trained members. According to Nayak, the teams are recording dolphin sightings using binoculars and laser rangefinders to note angles, distance, and precise locations. "They will record the results in a notepad and also take waypoints using the GPS devices provided to them. Finally, they will submit the data to the control room for compilation," he explained. The daily survey begins at 6 am and is expected to conclude by noon, depending on the length of the assigned routes. "The exercise started at 6 a.m. and is expected to be completed by 12 noon, as some routes are short while others are a bit longer. Last year's census results recorded a total of 174 dolphins, of which 159 were Irrawaddy dolphins, and 15 were humpback dolphins," he said. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
22 January,2026 09:55 AM IST | Odisha | ANIWarming temperatures are forcing Antarctic penguins to breed earlier and that's a big problem for two of the cute tuxedoed species that face extinction by the end of the century, a study said. With temperatures in the breeding ground increasing 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit (3 degrees Celsius) from 2012 to 2022, three different penguin species are beginning their reproductive process about two weeks earlier than the decade before, according to a study in Tuesday's Journal of Animal Ecology. And that sets up potential food problems for young chicks. "Penguins are changing the time at which they're breeding at a record speed, faster than any other vertebrate,¿ said lead author Ignacio Juarez Martinez, a biologist at Oxford University in the United Kingdom. "And this is important because the time at which you breed needs to coincide with the time with most resources in the environment and this is mostly food for your chicks so they have enough to grow.' For some perspective, scientists have studied changes in the life cycle of great tits, a European bird. They found a similar two-week change, but that took 75 years as opposed to just 10 years for these three penguin species, said study co-author Fiona Suttle, another Oxford biologist. Researchers used remote control cameras to photograph penguins breeding in dozens of colonies from 2011 to 2021. They say it was the fastest shift in timing of life cycles for any backboned animals that they have seen. The three species are all brush-tailed, so named because their tails drag on the ice: the cartoon-eye Adelie, the black-striped chinstrap and the fast-swimming gentoo. Warming creates penguin winners, losers Suttle said climate change is creating winners and losers among these three penguin species and it happens at a time in the penguin life cycle where food and the competition for it are critical in survival. The Adelie and chinstrap penguins are specialists, eating mainly krill. The gentoo have a more varied diet. They used to breed at different times, so there were no overlaps and no competition. But the gentoos' breeding has moved earlier faster than the other two species and now there's overlap. That's a problem because gentoos, which don't migrate as far as the other two species, are more aggressive in finding food and establishing nesting areas, Martinez and Suttle said. Suttle said she has gone back in October and November to the same colony areas where she used to see Adelies in previous years only to find their nests replaced by gentoos. And the data backs up the changes her eyes saw, she said."Chinstraps are declining globally," Martinez said. "Models show that they might get extinct before the end of the century at this rate. Adelies are doing very poorly in the Antarctic Peninsula and it's very likely that they go extinct from the Antarctic Peninsula before the end of the century.¿ Early bird dining causes problems Martinez theorized that the warming western Antarctic ¿ the second-fasting heating place on Earth behind only the Arctic North Atlantic ¿ means less sea ice. Less sea ice means more spores coming out earlier in the Antarctic spring and then ¿you have this incredible bloom of phytoplankton,¿ which is the basis of the food chain that eventually leads to penguins, he said. And it's happening earlier each year. Not only do the chinstraps and Adelies have more competition for food from gentoos because of the warming and changes in plankton and krill, but the changes have brought more commercial fishing that comes earlier and that further shortens the supply for the penguins, Suttle said. This shift in breeding timing ¿is an interesting signal of change and now it's important to continuing observing these penguin populations to see if these changes have negative impacts on their populations,¿ said Michelle LaRue, a professor of Antarctic marine science at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand. She was not part of the Oxford study. People's penguin love helps science With millions of photos ¿ taken every hour by 77 cameras for 10 years ¿ scientists enlisted everyday people to help tag breeding activity using the Penguin Watch website. "We've had over 9 million of our images annotated via Penguin Watch," Suttle said. "A lot of that does come down to the fact that people just love penguins so much. They're very cute. They're on all the Christmas cards. People say, Oh, they look like little waiters in tuxedos.'""The Adelies, I think their personality goes along with it as well," Suttle said, saying there's "perhaps a kind of cheekiness about them" and this very cartoon-like eye that does look like it's just been drawn on."
21 January,2026 10:12 AM IST | Washington | APThe coastal area near Thoothukudi Harbour has turned into a busy hub of bird activity, with large flocks of water birds gathering in the estuary area of Thoothukudi Harbour Beach. The recent heavy rainfall has led to the accumulation of rainwater in salt pans located in the suburban areas of Thoothukudi. These salt pans, which are usually used only for salt production, now resemble natural water bodies. As a result, the area has become a favourable habitat for several species of water birds. The number of small fish, insects and other aquatic organisms has increased significantly, providing abundant food for the birds. Such large-scale feeding activity by water birds in salt pans is usually rare. However, the conditions created by this year's heavy rainfall have transformed the area into a suitable environment for them. Groups of birds can now be seen landing in the salt pans and actively foraging for food. The sight has drawn the attention of nature enthusiasts and local residents, who are seen watching the birds in large numbers. In recent days, Thoothukudi district has also witnessed the arrival of large flocks of Rosy Starlings, which have been seen flying in striking formations across the sky. According to ornithologists, Rosy Starlings migrate to southern districts during winter from regions in Northwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The birds usually leave their breeding grounds between September and October and remain in the Indian subcontinent until March or April. Apart from Tamil Nadu, Rosy Starlings are also known to migrate to states such as Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Telangana, as well as parts of North India. Experts say the birds migrate in search of favourable weather conditions and food availability. Being omnivorous, they prefer areas rich in insects, including grasslands and agricultural fields. Flocking together during migration also helps the birds protect themselves from predators. If the current conditions continue, the suburban salt pans of Thoothukudi are likely to remain an important temporary gathering site for water birds. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
21 January,2026 09:47 AM IST | Thoothukudi | ANIA total of four spotted deer have died at the Indira Priyadarshini Mini Zoo near Anagodu in Karnataka's Davangere division in the last three days. As a precautionary measure, Deputy Conservator of Forests Harshavardhan stated that the zoo has been temporarily closed for public viewing until further orders. On January 16, the first spotted deer died, prompting divisional officials to immediately implement Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). Subsequently, on January 17, two more deer died; as a result, members of the Animal Health Advisory Committee were immediately asked to visit the site. However, another deer also died on January 18, and this time the committee members inspected the site and sent blood samples and organs to the laboratory to determine the exact cause of death. After evaluating the initial symptoms, the committee suspects the outbreak may be a contagious disease known as 'Hemorrhagic Septicemia' (HS). To prevent the further spread of the infection, several emergency measures have been taken. Prophylactic and preventive treatments were initiated immediately for the remaining deer, and appropriate medical protocols have been implemented in consultation with senior veterinarians and experts. Furthermore, strict biosecurity measures have been enforced throughout the zoo, accompanied by continuous monitoring of the animals. According to the Deputy Conservator of Forests, the mini zoo currently houses a total of 170 spotted deer, and consists of 94 females, 58 males, and 18 calves. Authorities have requested the public to cooperate with the temporary closure to ensure the safety and survival of the remaining population. In another incident, the authority of Assam State Zoo and Botanical Garden has taken precautionary measures to keep animals warm during the winter season. The zoo authority has installed heaters, stubble, and high-powered electric bulbs to keep animals warm. Rajani Kanta Deka, Head Animal Keeper of Assam State Zoo, told ANI that they have installed heaters for lions, tigers and other wild animals. "We are provided stubble for animals in the Guwahati State Zoo. We have provided heaters for lions and tigers. The heaters are on for 24 hours. They are kept under the sun in the morning, and at night heaters are provided in the night shed. This has been done as per the direction of the Assam State Zoo director. For animals like tortoises, we have provided stubble," said Deka "We have installed heaters for the maximum number of animals. We have also arranged electric bulbs for snakes, birds," added Deka. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
19 January,2026 01:08 PM IST | Davanagere (Karnataka) | ANIThe world's oceans absorbed more heat in 2025 than in any other year since modern record-keeping began, a new international study revealed on Friday. Published in the journal Advances in Atmospheric Sciences, the analysis shows that the ocean's heat increased last year, amounting to a staggering 23 Zetta Joules of energy -- equivalent to 37 years of global energy consumption at the 2023 level, Xinhua news agency reported. The findings stem from a major collaboration involving over 50 scientists from 31 research institutions worldwide. By integrating data from leading international centers and independent research groups across Asia, Europe, and the Americas, the scientists concluded that the heat content in the upper 2,000 meters of the ocean reached its highest recorded level in 2025, underscoring a clear and sustained upward trend. The researchers, including those from the Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China, highlighted that ocean warming is not uniform. In 2025, about 16 per cent of the world's ocean area saw record-high heat, while an additional 33 per cent ranked among the top three warmest years in their historical records. The fastest warming occurred in regions including the tropical and South Atlantic, the North Pacific, and the Southern Ocean. While heat stored in the deep ocean set a new record, surface temperatures exhibited a slightly different pattern. The global average sea-surface temperature in 2025 was the third warmest on record, remaining about 0.5 degrees Celsius above the recent baseline and slightly below the peaks observed in 2023 and 2024. Nevertheless, these elevated surface temperatures have significant real-world impacts, driving increased evaporation and heavier rainfall. They played a key role in intensifying extreme weather events in 2025, such as severe flooding in Southeast Asia and Mexico and drought in the Middle East, the researchers said. The study warned that continued ocean heating carries profound consequences. It directly contributes to sea-level rise through thermal expansion, exacerbates and prolongs marine heatwaves, and adds more heat and moisture to the atmosphere, which can strengthen storms and other extreme weather phenomena. Scientists emphasised that as long as the planet continues to accumulate heat, ocean heat records will keep being broken. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
17 January,2026 01:36 PM IST | Beijing | IANSA team of scientists from Mizoram, in collaboration with researchers from Russia, Germany and Vietnam, has identified a new species of reed snake from the state, correcting a long-standing taxonomic misidentification and adding a previously unknown species to India's reptile fauna. The new species has been named Calamaria Mizoramensis, after the state where it was discovered, said HT Lalremsanga, a professor at the Mizoram University's Zoology Department and the lead of the research team. The findings were published in the international scientific journal Zootaxa on Monday, based on detailed morphological examinations and DNA analysis, he said. According to Lalremsanga, specimens of the snake were first collected in Mizoram in 2008, but were earlier considered part of a widely distributed Southeast Asian species. The new study establishes that the Mizoram population represents a distinct evolutionary lineage unique to the state, he said. The research team analysed specimens collected over more than a decade from forested areas in and around Aizawl, Reiek, Sihphir and Sawlêng, as well as parts of Mamit and Kolasib districts, he added. Lalremsanga said genetic comparisons revealed that the Mizoram reed snake differs by over 15 per cent from its closest known relatives, a level of divergence considered sufficient to recognise a new species. The species is currently confirmed only from Mizoram, though its presence in neighbouring regions cannot be ruled out, he said. "Its occurrence in other parts of India remains unverified, but it is likely to be present in adjoining states such as Manipur, Nagaland and Assam. A possible extension into the Chittagong region of Bangladesh also requires further confirmation," noted the study. The genus Calamaria comprises 69 recognised species globally, most of which are small, secretive and poorly studied. The newly identified Mizoram species is non-venomous and poses no threat to humans. Described as nocturnal and semi-fossorial, the snake inhabits humid, forested hill environments and has been recorded at elevations ranging from 670 to 1,295 metres above sea level, including areas close to human settlements such as the Mizoram University campus, the study noted. Based on available data, the researchers have tentatively assessed the species as 'Least Concern' under the IUCN Red List criteria, citing its presence across multiple localities and the absence of major identified anthropogenic threats. In addition, the study presents an updated checklist of Mizoram's herpetofauna, documenting 169 species, including 52 amphibians and 117 reptiles. The researchers said the discovery highlights the need for continued biological surveys in Northeast India, particularly in forested hill regions where many species remain poorly documented. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
13 January,2026 10:31 AM IST | Aizawl | PTIIn a landmark achievement for veterinary medicine in India, Pune veterinarians have given a new lease of life to a 13-year-old pet dog. The dog, treated at The Small Animal Clinic in Pune, has recovered after the veterinarians successfully performed a rare and interventional cathlab–guided embolisation procedure on a critically ill senior dog, saving his life when conventional surgery posed a high risk of fatal bleeding. Muffin Zore was suffering from severe anemia, low platelets, breathing difficulty, and large cancerous tumours involving the liver and spleen. Today, Muffin is active, alert, and steadily recovering, due to an innovative, team-driven approach led by Dr Narendra Pardeshi, veterinary surgeon, along with his team including Reena Haribhat and Ankita Dwivedi. The complex procedure was carried out under the expert guidance of Dr Dharmesh Gandhi and Dr Kiran Naiknaware, vascular surgeon and interventional radiologist, with critical technical support from Kanhaiya Khaire, Cath Lab Technician, and manager of Cardiac Department. Muffin Zore is a Labrador(male), beloved pet of Sumeet and Aru Zore,a resident of Pune, was brought to the clinic in a highly critical condition. Muffin showed symptoms of abdominal distension and was struggling to get up and walk for the last 4-5 months. He was gasping for breath, extremely weak, and had alarming blood reports, hemoglobin at just 3.5 mg/dl, and a platelet count of only 30,000. Clinical examination revealed a large abdominal mass weighing approximately 2.5–3 kg in size. Further investigations, including ultrasound and CT scan, confirmed large spleenic and liver tumors, suspected to be malignant with possible metastasis. Dr Pardeshi, said, “After Muffin was confirmed to have a large spleenic tumor along with a liver tumour, we immediately initiated treatment to stabilise his condition and plan the most appropriate life-saving approach. This condition is more commonly seen in older dogs, particularly those with a prior history of tick fever and Spleenic tumors such as hemangioma and hemangiosarcoma, which are often aggressive in nature and have a rich blood supply, making treatment especially challenging. Traditionally, these cases are managed by open abdominal surgery, but because the liver and spleen are highly vascular organs, the risk of uncontrollable bleeding and even death is extremely high, especially in dogs with poor blood parameters like Muffin.” Given Muffin’s fragile condition, the team first performed an emergency blood transfusion of 550 ml, with blood donated by another dog, Ella, Golden retriever aged 5 years child of Sanjay Patil. However, even after 48 hours, Muffin’s blood reports showed minimal improvement. Operating on Muffin through routine surgery would have been extremely dangerous. His haemoglobin and platelet levels were critically low, and the tumours were highly vascular. We had to think beyond conventional methods. Performing open or even laparoscopic surgery at this stage was extremely risky. That’s when the team decided to take an unconventional and bold step, a minimally invasive interventional cathlab procedure, performed for the first time in the world in veterinary practice. Interventional embolisation is a minimally invasive procedure that reduces bleeding, pain, and recovery time compared to open surgery, making it safer for high-risk patients. Dr Pardeshi further added, “A catheter was carefully passed through the femoral artery and guided up to the arteries supplying blood to the liver tumor. The interventional cathlab embolisation allowed us to cut off the tumor’s blood supply without opening the abdomen. This helped the tumor regress, reduced internal bleeding, and gave Muffin’s body a chance to recover. Seeing him improve day by day has been deeply rewarding for our entire team. This procedure was possible only because of close collaboration between veterinary and human medical specialists. Under the guidance of Dr Dharmesh Gandhi and Dr Kiran Naiknaware, both renowned vascular surgeons and interventional radiologists, an aortic embolisation was performed using microcatheters.” Within 48 hours of the embolisation procedure, Muffin’s hemoglobin levels began to rise. Fifteen days later, follow-up examinations showed more than 70 per cent regression of the tumour, along with a reduction in abdominal swelling. Most importantly, Muffin is now active, alert, breathing comfortably, and steadily regaining his strength. “Muffin was always a playful and cheerful part of our family, but after his diagnosis, watching him grow weak day by day was heartbreaking. We were scared and felt helpless. Today, seeing him active, alert, and slowly getting back to him happy self feels nothing short of a blessing. This treatment has given our senior boy a second chance at life, and for that, we will always be grateful,” said elated pet parents Sumeet and Aru Zore. What is Interventional Tumour Embolisation in dogs? Interventional embolisation is a minimally invasive procedure where a catheter is guided through blood vessels to block the blood supply to tumors. By starving the tumor of blood, its size reduces gradually, bleeding risk decreases, and the patient stabilizes. Compared to open surgery, this approach offers less pain, minimal blood loss, faster recovery, and is especially useful for patients who are too fragile for major surgery.
12 January,2026 11:38 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIn a landmark achievement for veterinary medicine in India, Pune veterinarians have given a new lease of life to a 13-year-old pet dog. The dog, treated at The Small Animal Clinic in Pune, has recovered after the veterinarians successfully performed a rare and interventional cathlab–guided embolisation procedure on a critically ill senior dog, saving his life when conventional surgery posed a high risk of fatal bleeding. Muffin Zore was suffering from severe anemia, low platelets, breathing difficulty, and large cancerous tumours involving the liver and spleen. Today, Muffin is active, alert, and steadily recovering, due to an innovative, team-driven approach led by Dr Narendra Pardeshi, veterinary surgeon, along with his team including Reena Haribhat and Ankita Dwivedi. The complex procedure was carried out under the expert guidance of Dr Dharmesh Gandhi and Dr Kiran Naiknaware, vascular surgeon and interventional radiologist, with critical technical support from Kanhaiya Khaire, Cath Lab Technician, and manager of Cardiac Department. Muffin Zore is a Labrador(male), beloved pet of Sumeet and Aru Zore,a resident of Pune, was brought to the clinic in a highly critical condition. Muffin showed symptoms of abdominal distension and was struggling to get up and walk for the last 4-5 months. He was gasping for breath, extremely weak, and had alarming blood reports, hemoglobin at just 3.5 mg/dl, and a platelet count of only 30,000. Clinical examination revealed a large abdominal mass weighing approximately 2.5–3 kg in size. Further investigations, including ultrasound and CT scan, confirmed large spleenic and liver tumors, suspected to be malignant with possible metastasis. Dr Pardeshi, said, “After Muffin was confirmed to have a large spleenic tumor along with a liver tumour, we immediately initiated treatment to stabilise his condition and plan the most appropriate life-saving approach. This condition is more commonly seen in older dogs, particularly those with a prior history of tick fever and Spleenic tumors such as hemangioma and hemangiosarcoma, which are often aggressive in nature and have a rich blood supply, making treatment especially challenging. Traditionally, these cases are managed by open abdominal surgery, but because the liver and spleen are highly vascular organs, the risk of uncontrollable bleeding and even death is extremely high, especially in dogs with poor blood parameters like Muffin.” Given Muffin’s fragile condition, the team first performed an emergency blood transfusion of 550 ml, with blood donated by another dog, Ella, Golden retriever aged 5 years child of Sanjay Patil. However, even after 48 hours, Muffin’s blood reports showed minimal improvement. Operating on Muffin through routine surgery would have been extremely dangerous. His haemoglobin and platelet levels were critically low, and the tumours were highly vascular. We had to think beyond conventional methods. Performing open or even laparoscopic surgery at this stage was extremely risky. That’s when the team decided to take an unconventional and bold step, a minimally invasive interventional cathlab procedure, performed for the first time in the world in veterinary practice. Interventional embolisation is a minimally invasive procedure that reduces bleeding, pain, and recovery time compared to open surgery, making it safer for high-risk patients. Dr Pardeshi further added, “A catheter was carefully passed through the femoral artery and guided up to the arteries supplying blood to the liver tumor. The interventional cathlab embolisation allowed us to cut off the tumor’s blood supply without opening the abdomen. This helped the tumor regress, reduced internal bleeding, and gave Muffin’s body a chance to recover. Seeing him improve day by day has been deeply rewarding for our entire team. This procedure was possible only because of close collaboration between veterinary and human medical specialists. Under the guidance of Dr Dharmesh Gandhi and Dr Kiran Naiknaware, both renowned vascular surgeons and interventional radiologists, an aortic embolisation was performed using microcatheters.” Within 48 hours of the embolisation procedure, Muffin’s hemoglobin levels began to rise. Fifteen days later, follow-up examinations showed more than 70 per cent regression of the tumour, along with a reduction in abdominal swelling. Most importantly, Muffin is now active, alert, breathing comfortably, and steadily regaining his strength. “Muffin was always a playful and cheerful part of our family, but after his diagnosis, watching him grow weak day by day was heartbreaking. We were scared and felt helpless. Today, seeing him active, alert, and slowly getting back to him happy self feels nothing short of a blessing. This treatment has given our senior boy a second chance at life, and for that, we will always be grateful,” said elated pet parents Sumeet and Aru Zore. What is Interventional Tumour Embolisation in ogs? Interventional embolisation is a minimally invasive procedure where a catheter is guided through blood vessels to block the blood supply to tumors. By starving the tumor of blood, its size reduces gradually, bleeding risk decreases, and the patient stabilizes. Compared to open surgery, this approach offers less pain, minimal blood loss, faster recovery, and is especially useful for patients who are too fragile for major surgery.
12 January,2026 01:40 PM IST | Pune | mid-day online correspondentWWF-Pakistan has cautioned that an invasive fish species has been detected in water bodies across Sindh and Lower Punjab, warning that its spread poses a serious threat to aquatic biodiversity and the fisheries economy, Geo TV. In a statement released on January 4, the environmental organisation said an "unusual fish" was brought to Karachi Fish Harbour from a dhand near Sukkur. The species was initially described as "alien" because it could not be identified by those who encountered it. The fish was later confirmed to be an Amazon sailfin catfish. According to WWF-Pakistan, the species has a thick, armoured body covered with bony plates and is not native to Pakistan. It was accidentally introduced into natural water bodies and has now established itself in Sindh and Lower Punjab, Geo TV reported. "The Amazon sailfin catfish is native to Latin America and is popular around the world as an aquarium fish. This species is known to be a highly successful invader, and since this species is now widely spread in Pakistan, its eradication and control are impossible," the statement said. WWF-Pakistan noted that the Amazon sailfin catfish is among 26 invasive fish species that have been introduced into Pakistan either accidentally or deliberately. These species, the organisation said, have become invasive, are harming aquatic biodiversity and threatening the fragile balance of local ecosystems. "Invasive fish species are known to severely disrupt aquatic ecosystems by outcompeting natives for food and space, preying on them, introducing diseases, and altering habitats, leading to biodiversity loss, economic damage to fisheries, and even ecosystem collapse, with impacts ranging from increased water turbidity to native fish extinctions and significant losses in commercial fishing revenue," WWF-Pakistan said. The organisation added that the spread of invasive species is considered a major threat to sensitive aquatic ecosystems in Pakistan, including rivers, streams and lakes, Geo TV reported. Providing historical context, WWF-Pakistan said brown trout and rainbow trout were the first exotic fish species introduced in Pakistan, brought to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 1928. In the 1960s, several other exotic species -- including Mozambique tilapia, common carp, goldfish and grass carp -- were introduced to boost fish production and control aquatic weeds, but all later became invasive and adversely affected native fish populations. During the 1980s, additional species such as silver carp, bighead carp, Nile tilapia and blue tilapia were introduced, while grass carp was reintroduced to enhance aquaculture. All these species also established themselves in natural ecosystems, impacting local flora and fauna, as environmental consequences were not adequately considered at the time, Geo TV reported. "There is no disagreement that these introductions, including those of trouts, have affected aquatic biodiversity and the natural ecosystem," the statement said. Referring to tilapia, the organisation said its introduction in the 1960s had devastating consequences for indigenous fish species, leading to partial or complete eradication of commercial fish from key water bodies in warm-water regions. "Fish production from Manchar and Keejhar Lakes was drastically reduced due to prolific breeding and growth of tilapias, having a serious socio-economic impact on the fishermen of the area." WWF-Pakistan further said that over the past three decades, several catfish species -- including North African catfish, walking catfish, magur catfish, blunt-toothed African catfish and channel catfish -- have been introduced and are now spreading rapidly, causing serious harm to local fish fauna. In addition to intentional introductions for aquaculture, the organisation said species such as the Amazon sailfin catfish, guppies and mollies have entered natural ecosystems due to poor regulation and handling in the aquarium trade, as per Geo TV. "These fish are creating havoc in natural water bodies, especially around cities and towns, throughout Pakistan. WWF-Pakistan is cognizant of the ill effects of the introduction of exotic and known invasive species in the country." This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
10 January,2026 09:37 AM IST | Karachi | ANIADVERTISEMENT
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