Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

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India became the world’s first country to successfully artificially breed the Great Indian Bustard (GIB) with the birth of the third chick at Jaisalmer’s Desert National Park. The technology and training for artificial insemination were obtained from the Abu Dhabi-based “International Fund for Houbara Conservation” and specialized training from the Wildlife Institute of India. The GIB is protected under the Wild Life Protection Act, 1972.

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Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh has recently been renamed as Veerangana Rani Durgavati Tiger Reserve. It will become the third home of cheetahs in India under the cheetah reintroduction project. This follows the earlier relocation of eight cheetahs from Namibia to Kuno National Park in September 2022. Later, twelve more cheetahs were brought from South Africa, making Kuno the first cheetah home in India. The move to expand the habitat aims to support cheetah conservation and reduce pressure on existing reserves. This development highlights India’s growing efforts in wildlife restoration and biodiversity protection.

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In Maharashtra’s Kadbanwadi grassland, the Indian grey wolf faces rising danger from attacks by stray dogs. It is located in Indapur tehsil of Pune district and spreads over 2,000 hectares. The grassland supports various species such as the Bengal fox, striped hyena, Brahminy kite, and Indian grey wolf. The Indian grey wolf, scientifically called Canis lupus pallipes, is a subspecies of the grey wolf found from Southwest Asia to the Indian subcontinent. It lives in arid and semi-arid open plains and grasslands and plays the role of a top predator in these ecosystems. This wolf moves in smaller packs and is less vocal compared to other grey wolf types. It is protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, which gives it the highest level of legal protection in India.

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A Rs 1,500-crore project to restore a 44-kilometre stretch of the Adyar River has been stalled since 2023. The Adyar River starts near Chembarambakkam Lake in Kanchipuram district, Tamil Nadu. It is one of three rivers flowing through Chennai and joins the Bay of Bengal at the Adyar Estuary. The estuary covers about 300 acres and was declared a protected wildlife reserve in 1987. The river is 42.5 kilometres long and supports Chennai’s estuarine ecosystem. The Adyar Creek near its mouth carries tidal water back to the sea. The river drains water from 200 tanks, lakes, streams, and rainwater over an 860 square kilometre area. Unfortunately, much city waste flows into the river, causing pollution.

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California’s Tulare Lake, which had dried up long ago, reemerged after a gap of 130 years due to powerful atmospheric rivers over the region. Tulare Lake is located in the San Joaquin Valley in California, United States of America. It was once the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi River. The lake disappeared over time mainly due to man-made irrigation systems. In 2023, heavy atmospheric rivers brought record rainfall to California. This rare weather event caused Tulare Lake to reemerge after 130 years. The Kern River, which is fed by snowmelt from the southern Sierra Nevada, helps refill the lake. The Tachi Yokut tribe traditionally depended on Tulare Lake for survival as the region receives very little rainfall.

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The Uttarakhand Forest Department has set up the state’s first Cycad Garden at Haldwani. The garden covers about 0.75 hectare and showcases 31 cycad species, 17 of which are threatened. It includes 9 species native to India, like Cycas andamanica, Cycas beddomei, and Cycas circinalis. The project is funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Cycads are ancient plants from the Mesozoic era and are called “living fossils.” They grow slowly, reproduce less, and are vulnerable to habitat loss. They are ecologically important and fix nitrogen through symbiosis with cyanobacteria in their roots. This garden aims to support research, conservation, and public awareness.

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The Uttarakhand Forest Department’s latest report highlights the conservation of 2,228 plant species. It includes rare plants like the White Himalayan Lily and Tree Fern. The White Himalayan Lily (Lilium polyphyllum) is native to the Himalayas and has white or pink flowers with dark spots. It contains important chemicals like alkaloids and furocoumarins. Traditionally, it is used to treat conditions like excessive thirst, vomiting blood, bronchitis, and rheumatism. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has classified it as Critically Endangered.

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A rare migratory bird called the Caspian Gull (Larus cachinnans) was recently sighted for the first time in Kerala by a Kozhikode-based ornithologist. It is a monotypic, large, white-headed gull and is one of the rarest gulls found in India. It usually nests on flat, low-lying land near water bodies like lakes, rivers, and reservoirs in steppe and semi-desert areas of Central Asia. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), its conservation status is Least Concern.

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The Supreme Court recently ordered the Rajasthan government to immediately ban all mining activities in the core area of Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve. Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve is located in Sawai Madhopur district, southeastern Rajasthan. It is named after the Ranthambore Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site within the reserve. The reserve lies between the Vindhya and Aravalli hill ranges and was once a royal hunting ground of Jaipur’s Maharajas.

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Recently, security forces encountered Maoists during anti-Naxal operations in Indravati National Park (INP). Indravati National Park is located in Bijapur district, Chhattisgarh. The park is named after the Indravati River, which originates from the Dandakaranya range in Odisha and is a tributary of the Godavari River. The river forms the northern and western boundaries of the park, also marking the border between Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra.