Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

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The forest department’s relocation drive at Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary (BWS) in Khanapur taluk has faced hurdles as Amagaon villagers set conditions before moving. Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the Belgaum district of Karnataka. It is named after Bhimgad Fort, built by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the 17th century to guard against Portuguese expansion from Goa. The forest mainly has tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf vegetation.

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Continuous floods at the Prakasam Barrage on the Krishna River have forced the closure of Bhavani Island and suspension of boat services, affecting tourism revenue. Bhavani Island, located near Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh, is one of India’s largest river islands. The Krishna River, 1,400 km long, originates near Mahabaleshwar in Maharashtra and flows through Karnataka, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh before entering the Bay of Bengal. Its basin covers about 2.59 lakh sq. km, the second largest in peninsular India after the Godavari.

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A new species of jumping spider named Pilia malenadu was recently discovered in the Western Ghats of Karnataka. It was found in Madhugundi, located in Mudigere taluk of Chikkamagaluru district. The species belongs to the Pilia genus of jumping spiders. It was named “Pilia malenadu” to honour the region where it was discovered. This is a historic find as the last Pilia species was recorded 123 years ago in 1902 in Kerala. For the first time, researchers found both male and female spiders of this genus.

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Wildlife experts in Uttarakhand recently warned that Himalayan Black Bears (Ursus thibetanus laniger) are becoming aggressive due to erratic weather disrupting their hibernation. It is a subspecies of the Asian Black Bear, also known as the Asiatic Black Bear or Moon Bear. It is mainly found in the Himalayas across India, Nepal, Tibet, Pakistan, and China. It is listed as Vulnerable under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

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The Supreme Court recently ordered the Jharkhand government to notify the Saranda Forest as a wildlife sanctuary and conservation reserve. The Court also banned all mining activities within a one-kilometre radius of the forest boundary. Saranda, called the “land of seven hundred hills,” is a dense Sal forest in Jharkhand. It lies in the Chhotanagpur bio-geographic zone and connects with forests of Odisha and Chhattisgarh.

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Researchers recently confirmed a new species called Lycodon irwini, a glossy-black wolf snake from Great Nicobar Island, giving fresh importance to India’s biodiversity studies. It was discovered on the remote southern tip of the Nicobar Islands and belongs to the Lycodon subcinctus group. It is named after Australian conservationist Stephen Robert Irwin. It stayed unidentified for years because it closely resembled a widespread species. It has a uniform glossy-black colour, unlike relatives with white bands.

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Semeru Volcano on Indonesia’s main island of Java erupted recently, sending ash and gas kilometres into the sky and prompting officials to raise the alert to the highest level. It is located in East Java, Indonesia, and is one of the country’s most active volcanoes. At 3,676 metres (12,060 feet), it is the highest peak on Java and part of the Pacific “Ring of Fire”. The volcano lies at the southern end of a volcanic massif extending north to the Tengger caldera. Its summit shifts from northwest to southeast, creating complex topography.

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The first India-born cheetah named Mukhi has recently given birth to five cubs at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, showing successful cheetah conservation efforts. Kuno National Park is located in the Sheopur district of Madhya Pradesh near the Vindhyan Hills. It was originally established as Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary in 1981 and upgraded to National Park in 2018. The park covers 750 square kilometres and is named after the Kuno River, a tributary of the Chambal River.

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Hayli Gubbi volcano has erupted after 10,000 years, sending a massive ash cloud towards northern India. It is located in Ethiopia’s Afar region, northeast of Addis Ababa and close to the Eritrean border. It is a shield volcano situated in the Danakil Depression, one of the hottest and most remote places on Earth. Hayli Gubbi is the southernmost volcano in the Erta Ale range. The Erta Ale range is famous for persistent lava lakes and mainly consists of shield volcanoes. Hayli Gubbi has no previously recorded eruptions in modern history, making this event significant.

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The Patra River flows through Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. It was once known for its therapeutic qualities, and Raja Bhoj is said to have been cured of a severe ailment after bathing in it. The river originally functioned as a natural drainage system and carried freshwater into the Upper Lake (Bada Talab). Over time, rapid urbanisation, encroachment, and unregulated waste discharge severely degraded the river. Today, it has become a polluted drain, losing nearly all its ecological and cultural significance. Authorities and environmental experts are now focusing on its revival and restoration.