Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

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A rare oarfish, often called the “doomsday fish” in Japanese culture, was recently seen off the coast of Tamil Nadu, India. In the past 20 days, oarfish sightings were also reported in Australia, New Zealand, and Mexico’s Baja California Sur. The oarfish is a deep-sea fish that lives between 200 and 1,000 meters below the ocean surface. It has a long, ribbon-like body and can grow over 30 feet (9 meters) in length, making it the longest bony fish in the world. It is called the “doomsday fish” because its appearance is believed to warn of natural disasters.

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Recently, a plan was prepared to adjust the boundary of the Critical Tiger Habitat (CTH) of Sariska Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan to possibly reopen over 50 marble and dolomite mines closed by a Supreme Court order in 2023 due to their closeness to the protected area. Sariska Tiger Reserve is located in Rajasthan and lies within the Aravalli mountain range, which is the world’s oldest. The reserve is known for heritage sites like Pandu Pol, Bhangarh Fort, Ajabgarh, Pratapgarh, Siliserh Lake, and Jai Samand Lake.

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A rare albino “sunflower” squirrel was recently spotted in Tonk district, Rajasthan, creating excitement among wildlife lovers and researchers. It was seen at the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) campus in Tonk-Deoli, living in a neem tree. Albino squirrels are extremely rare, occurring in about one in 100,000 cases. Although such squirrels have been seen before in Banswara and Dungarpur, they remain very uncommon. Experts say albino traits are genetic, and the offspring may not inherit the condition.

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Recently, the Union government issued the final notification declaring the Eco Sensitive Zone (ESZ) around the Kappatagudda Wildlife Sanctuary, ending a 10-year-long movement to protect the area in north Karnataka. The Kappatagudda Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the Gadag district of Karnataka. It has a variety of habitats like dry deciduous forests, grasslands, scrublands, and riverine zones, and is often called the “Western Ghats of North Karnataka.”

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Recently, a tigress and her four cubs were found dead in Male Mahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary. Male Mahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Chamarajanagar district of Karnataka. It is connected to Biligiri Ranganatha Temple Tiger Reserve, Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve and Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary. The forests here are mainly dry deciduous, with some moist deciduous, semi-evergreen, evergreen and shola forests at different heights.

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Recently, the Union Minister for Environment, Forest, and Climate Change released details of new Animal Discoveries and Plant Discoveries for 2024. The Zoological Survey of India publishes Animal Discoveries, while the Botanical Survey of India publishes Plant Discoveries every year. In 2024, India added 683 new faunal species, including 459 new species and 224 new records. It also added 433 plant taxa, with 410 species and 23 infra-specific taxa. Kerala topped faunal discoveries with 101 species, followed by Karnataka with 82, and Tamil Nadu with 63. In the northeast, Arunachal Pradesh found 72 species, Meghalaya 42, and West Bengal 56. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands recorded 43 faunal discoveries.

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Recently, 300 acres of encroached forest land were cleared in Bukkapatna Chinkara Wildlife Sanctuary. It is located in Tumakuru district of Karnataka. This area was declared a sanctuary in 2019 to protect the Indian Gazelle, also called Chinkara. It is the second Chinkara sanctuary in Karnataka after Yadahalli in Bagalkot district, declared in 2016. The sanctuary has wood savannahs with plenty of grasses and scattered native trees. It supports rich wildlife and helps conserve the Chinkara population.

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Recently, the Assam Forest Department began DNA profiling of rhino horns to add them to the Rhino DNA Index System (RhoDIS) India database. RhoDIS India was launched in 2016 by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) in collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), forest departments of Assam, West Bengal, and Uttar Pradesh, and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) India. RhoDIS is a wildlife forensic tool designed to help in solving wildlife crime cases. It creates a unique genetic signature for each rhino using DNA indexing.

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Indian scientists recently discovered a new lichen species named Allographa effusosoredica in the Western Ghats. It is the 22nd species of Allographa from the Western Ghats and 53rd from India. This is the first Indian species of Allographa ever sequenced from India. It is a crustose lichen with striking effuse soredia and rare chemical traits. It contains norstictic acid, a rare compound among similar Allographa species. The study used morphological, chemical, and molecular techniques.

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The Pale-capped Pigeon was recently spotted in Dehing Patkai National Park, Assam, marking a rare and important sighting for birdwatchers and conservationists. It is also called the Purple Wood Pigeon due to its dark purplish-maroon colour. It is found locally across parts of northern and northeastern India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. The bird lives mainly in primary or secondary evergreen forests, and also in bamboo groves and farmlands near forests.