Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
Following the arrest of a passenger at Kempegowda International Airport (Bengaluru) for smuggling two red-shanked douc monkeys, attention has been drawn to the illegal wildlife trade involving critically endangered primates. The red-shanked douc (Pygathrix nemaeus) is an Old World monkey often described as the “Queen of primates” due to its striking appearance. The species is mainly distributed across Southeast Asia, particularly Vietnam, southern Laos, and Cambodia. The IUCN Red List classifies the red-shanked douc as Critically Endangered, indicating an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.

Notes:
Bannerghatta Biological Park in Karnataka recently imported eight black-capped capuchin monkeys (Sapajus apella) from South Africa under an animal exchange programme. Black-capped capuchins are also called tufted capuchins and are native to South America, mainly across the Amazon River Basin. They are mainly found in tropical, subtropical, dry, submontane, savannah, and mangrove forests. They are predominantly arboreal (tree-dwelling) and diurnal (active during the day). Conservation status is listed as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Notes:
Lantana camara is a highly invasive, strongly scented flowering shrub that has spread across millions of hectares in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions across the world. It is an invasive alien plant species, originally native to Central and South America, where it grew naturally as a harmless ornamental shrub. Due to failed control efforts worldwide, the IUCN declared Lantana camara one of the world’s worst invasive species in 2000. Climate change and global warming are accelerating its spread, although some local communities now use its woody stems for furniture and handicrafts, converting an ecological threat into a livelihood opportunity.

Notes:
A powerful winter storm rapidly intensified into a bomb cyclone named Winter Storm Ezra across the United States of America (USA). More than 58 million people were under winter storm warnings, with blizzards, strong winds, and power outages. A bomb cyclone forms when atmospheric pressure drops sharply within 24 hours, causing extreme weather. Authorities warned against travel as hazardous conditions continue moving eastward.

Notes:
Bhitarkanika National Park in Kendrapara district of Odisha has reported a marginal rise in migratory birds as per the latest forest department census. The park covers about 672 square kilometres of mangrove swamps formed by the Brahmani, Baitarani, and Dhamra river delta. It contains creeks, backwaters, estuaries, deltas, and mudflats and is surrounded by Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary. Gahirmatha Beach and Marine Sanctuary lie to the east near the Bay of Bengal. It is India’s second largest mangrove ecosystem after the Sundarbans and is a Ramsar site.

Notes:
Researchers have discovered a new mushroom species named Hemileccinum indicum in the temperate forests of the Indian Himalayas. The species was found growing under oak (Quercus) trees in Bageshwar district of Uttarakhand. This discovery marks the first-ever record of the genus Hemileccinum in India. The identification was confirmed using multigene molecular phylogenetic analysis, which maps evolutionary relationships through genetic data.

Notes:
Thailand launched its first rewilding effort by releasing a young Indo-Pacific leopard shark near Maiton Island. Indo-Pacific leopard sharks are also called zebra sharks due to their changing spotted or striped patterns with age. They are slow-swimming reef sharks found in tropical coastal waters of the Indo-Pacific. It is classified as Endangered, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Notes:
The Arunachal Pradesh government recently approved capturing a tiger that killed a head constable along the Roing–Mayodia road inside Mehao Wildlife Sanctuary. Mehao Wildlife Sanctuary is in Arunachal Pradesh and is named after the scenic Mehao Lake in its core zone. The terrain is hilly, with altitudes ranging from 400 m to 3,560 m. The sanctuary has four forest types: Tropical Evergreen, Sub-Tropical & Temperate, Temperate Broadleaf, and Temperate Conifer Forests.

Notes:
A giant female reticulated python found in Sulawesi, Indonesia, is confirmed by Guinness World Records as the longest measured snake at 7.22 metres. The reticulated python belongs to the Pythonidae family and its scientific name is Malayopython reticulatus. It is the world’s longest snake and the third heaviest after the green anaconda and Burmese python. It is a non-venomous constrictor that kills prey by tightening its coils. It is native to South and Southeast Asia, living in tropical forests of India, Indonesia, and nearby regions. Its conservation status is Least Concern under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Notes:
The Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife recommended diversion of about 272 hectares of forest for the Kopra Medium Irrigation Project. The diversion lies in the core area of Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh. Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve is located in Madhya Pradesh. It includes areas of Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary and Durgavati Wildlife Sanctuary. The reserve lies across the Narmada and Yamuna river basins.