Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
A group of tourists in Spiti Valley, Himachal Pradesh, recently had a rare encounter with a snow leopard, often called the ‘ghost of the mountains’ due to its elusive nature. The snow leopard, scientifically known as Panthera uncia, is a medium-sized big cat found in the rugged mountains of Central and South Asia. Although it has a wide range of over 2 million square kilometres, only around 3,920 to 6,390 are estimated to remain in the wild. It lives between 1,800 to 5,500 metres in altitude and is found in 12 countries including India, China, Nepal, and Russia. In India, it is found in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh. It is listed as Vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, under Appendix I of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), and in Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 in India.

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The pre-monsoon estimation of tigers and other animals has recently begun in the Pollachi and Tiruppur divisions of Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR). It is located in the Anamalai Hills at an altitude of 1400 metres in the Pollachi and Coimbatore districts of Tamil Nadu. It lies on the southern side of the South Western Ghat landscape. It is bordered by Parambikulam Tiger Reserve to the east and Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary and Eravikulam National Park to the southwest. It is also surrounded by Nenmara, Vazhachal, Malayattur, and Marayur reserved forests of Kerala. UNESCO has identified Kariyan Shola, Grass Hills, and Manjampatti within ATR as a World Heritage Site.

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Scientists recently studied the offshore breakwater system using geotube technology along the Poonthura coast in Kerala. The study showed that the system led to major positive changes in the coastal landscape behind the breakwater stretch. Geotubes are large, strong fabric tubes filled with sand or dredged material. They are made from high-strength, permeable geotextile, usually polypropylene, which lets water escape while keeping solid particles inside. These tubes are used to build seawalls and barriers that protect coastlines from erosion caused by waves. Geotubes help reduce wave impact and retain sand on beaches, canals, and bays. They can be designed in different sizes and shapes for specific locations.

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A new genus and species of eusauropod dinosaur named Jinchuanloong niedu was recently discovered from a fossilized partial skeleton with a nearly complete skull in Gansu province, China. Jinchuanloong niedu is an early member of Eusauropoda, a group of long-necked, herbivorous, four-legged dinosaurs. Its fossil was found in the lower Xinhe Formation near Jinchang city, dating back to the Middle Jurassic period, about 165 million years ago. Sauropods are known for their large size, long necks and tails, four legs, and plant-based diet. They were the largest land animals ever and lived from the Early Jurassic to Late Cretaceous worldwide. After a global warming event in the late Early Jurassic, eusauropods became the only surviving sauropod lineage.

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A year-long camera-trap survey by Holématthi Nature Foundation (HNF), led by conservation biologist Dr. Sanjay Gubbi, revealed 80–85 wild leopards around Bengaluru. This makes Bengaluru the metro city with the highest number of free-ranging leopards, surpassing Mumbai’s 54 leopards. The survey recorded 54 leopards inside Bannerghatta National Park (BNP) and 30 in surrounding reserved and private forests. Bannerghatta National Park is located in Karnataka.

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Conservation activists have raised concerns about promoting tourism through wildlife safari in the Kali Tiger Reserve due to its ecological sensitivity. Kali Tiger Reserve, formerly known as Dandeli-Anshi Tiger Reserve, is located in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka. The reserve borders Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary in Karnataka and connects to Radhanagari and Koyna sanctuaries in Maharashtra. The Kali River flows through the reserve and is a vital water source for the region.

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Kanha Tiger Reserve has become the top tiger habitat in India based on ungulate population, as per a recent report by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun. Kanha Tiger Reserve, also known as Kanha National Park, is located in the Maikal ranges of the Satpura hills in Mandla and Balaghat districts of Madhya Pradesh. It lies in the Central Indian Highlands, which form part of India’s main peninsula.

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Recently, hundreds of buffaloes were found grazing illegally inside the restricted area of Pong Wildlife Sanctuary in Samkehar, Bathu, and Panalath, violating sanctuary rules. Pong Dam Lake Wildlife Sanctuary is also known as Maharana Pratap Sagar. It is a manmade reservoir created by the Pong Dam on the Beas River in the Shivalik hills, Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh. The sanctuary includes both the reservoir water body and surrounding wetland areas. It was declared a Ramsar Site in 2002 for its ecological importance.

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Recently, the Karnataka government violated the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and Supreme Court orders by approving a proposal to reduce Shettihalli Wildlife Sanctuary without proper compensation. The National Board of Wildlife (NBWL) failed to ensure that the denotification of 300 sq km of sanctuary land is properly compensated. Shettihalli Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Shimoga District, Karnataka.

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Recently, Assam’s successful ‘Hargila Army’ model was introduced in Cambodia’s Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve for stork conservation. The model is led by Purnima Devi Barman, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Champion of the Earth and biologist at Aaranyak. A training was held on July 28 for 20 Cambodian women conservationists and park rangers at Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary. The training focused on protecting the endangered greater adjutant stork using community-led, women-centric strategies.