Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
A vibrant Monkey Puzzle butterfly was recently spotted in Pench Tiger Reserve (PTR), Madhya Pradesh. The Monkey Puzzle butterfly’s scientific name is Rathinda amor. It belongs to the lycaenid family, commonly called blue butterflies. It is a small-sized butterfly. It is endemic to South Asia, including India’s Western Ghats, southern Indian plains, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.

Notes:
Recently, the Odisha government announced plans to introduce tigers in Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary in Bargarh district. Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary is located near the Hirakud Dam on the Mahanadi River in Odisha. Hirakud Dam is the longest dam in India and the longest earthen dam in the world. It was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1985.

Notes:
A South African university launched a unique anti-poaching campaign by injecting radioactive isotopes into rhino horns. The initiative is called the Rhisotope Project and is led by the University of the Witwatersrand. It is supported by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Recently, five rhinos were injected with radioactive isotopes in the Waterberg Biosphere Reserve, South Africa. South Africa has lost more than 10,000 rhinos to poaching in the past decade, making the step urgently needed. Radioisotopes are unstable elements that emit radiation to become stable and can be traced. The isotopes are injected through a non-invasive method and are safe for rhinos.

Notes:
Recently, researchers discovered a new palm species named Phoenix roxburghii. It is named after William Roxburgh, known as the father of Indian Botany. The species grows between 12 to 16 metres tall. It is similar to Phoenix sylvestris, but has a taller solitary trunk, larger leaves and leaflets, musty-scented staminate flowers and bigger obovoid orange-yellow fruits. Its distribution is recorded along India’s eastern coast, in Bangladesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Pakistan. The discovery highlights the rich plant diversity of the region.

Notes:
Nepal has officially joined the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA), an India-led global initiative to protect seven species of big cats. The IBCA is a multi-country, multi-agency coalition of over 90 big cat range and non-range countries interested in conservation. Nepal joined by signing the Framework Agreement on August 24, 2025. Nepal’s landscape hosts snow leopard, tiger, and common leopard, strengthening global collaboration for big cat conservation. The alliance focuses on tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, cheetah, jaguar, and puma conservation.

Notes:
A year-long study by Tamil Nadu Forest Department found at least eight firefly species glowing with bioluminescence in Anamalai Tiger Reserve. The reserve is located in Anamalai Hills of Pollachi and Coimbatore districts, Tamil Nadu, at 1400 metres altitude, south of Palakkad Gap in Western Ghats. It is surrounded by Parambikulum Tiger Reserve, Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, Eravikulum National Park, and Kerala reserved forests.

Notes:
The National Zoological Park has increased surveillance and biosecurity measures. This action follows the discovery of a painted stork carcass near a pond. Another painted stork was found sick in the water bird aviary. The painted stork is a large wading bird belonging to the stork family. It is easily recognized by its heavy yellow beak with a down-curved tip. These birds are found across the plains of tropical Asia. Their range extends from the Indian Subcontinent to Southeast Asia, south of the Himalayas. They prefer freshwater wetlands as their main habitat. They are also found in irrigation canals and flooded rice fields during the monsoon.

Notes:
Odisha’s Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary received National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) approval in 2025 to become India’s newest tiger reserve. Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Bargarh district, Odisha. It is situated near Hirakud Dam on the Mahanadi River, the longest dam in India and the longest earthen dam in the world. The sanctuary covers an area of nearly 347 sq km. Debrigarh holds historical significance due to freedom fighter Veer Surendra Sai.

Notes:
A young male tiger recently travelled 450 km from Vidarbha and settled in Yedshi Ramling Ghat Wildlife Sanctuary after decades of no big cat presence. The sanctuary is in Osmanabad District, Maharashtra, and was established on May 23, 1997. It covers 22.38 sq. km in the Balaghat range of the Sahyadri hills. It has the ancient Ramling Temple of Lord Shiva, a waterfall, and a cave linked to Ramayana legends.

Notes:
Recently, conflict between humans and Himalayan brown bears has been rising across the Himalayas. The Himalayan brown bear is also called Himalayan red bear, isabelline bear, or Dzu-Teh and is a subspecies of the brown bear. It is mainly found in northwestern and central Himalayas in Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Tibet. In India, it is found in small, isolated populations in alpine and subalpine habitats of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) conservation status is Critically Endangered.