Climate crisis trapping migratory species in habitat gridlock: Report

Migratory wildlife, including Himalayan species such as musk deer and snow trout, are facing increasing survival challenges, with rising temperatures forcing cold-adapted species to move higher into smaller, fragmented habitats, according to a new report.

- PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

The report released on Friday by the UN Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), based on an international expert workshop held in Edinburgh earlier this year, said climate-driven habitat shifts are compounding existing pressures from human activity.

‘The researchers also warned that Asian elephants are encountering a “habitat gridlock” with limited movement. “Climate and land-use changes are shifting elephant habitats eastward, but with limited connectivity, most elephants in India and Sri Lanka cannot follow, escalating human-elephant conflicts,” the report said.

The Himalayan ecosystem, already vulnerable to rising temperatures, is undergoing rapid changes.