A 14-year study by researchers at the Indian Institute of Science found that replacing wild herbivores with livestock in ecosystems leads to cascading impacts, affecting plant composition, soil characteristics, and insect populations like spiders, grasshoppers, ticks, and mites. The study in the Spiti region of the Himalayas showed that livestock grazing disrupts the ecosystem by altering food availability and plant proportions, leading to concerns about the spread of zoonotic diseases and the decline of predator populations like spiders. The researchers advocate for rewilding native herbivores, better surveillance of vector-borne diseases, and improved conservation policies to address the ecological consequences of large-scale livestock grazing on common lands.
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Driver who left fatally injured cyclist on grass patch after collision gets jail, driving ban
A driver, Chua Kun Yang, was sentenced to 1 year and 5 months in prison for leaving the scene of an accident that resulted in the death of cyclist Lee Lian Kuang. Chua, who failed to yield at a zebra crossing, initially moved the injured man but left before calling for help, leading to Lee's death from severe injuries. In addition to his prison sentence, Chua received an eight-year driving ban after pleading guilty to...
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