Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
In a historic move, National Waterway-57 (River Kopili) was recently made operational to boost Assam’s river trade and sustainable logistics. River Kopili is a major south bank tributary of the Brahmaputra River in Assam. It originates from Saipong Reserve Forest in North Cachar Hills, Meghalaya, at 1525 meters altitude in the Borail Range. It is an interstate river flowing through Meghalaya and Assam. It passes through North Cachar Hills, Karbi Anglong, Nagaon, and Morigaon districts of Assam.

Notes:
A new species of rain snake named Smithophis leptofasciatus was recently discovered by researchers from Mizoram University. The species belongs to the Smithophis genus, known for semi-aquatic snakes found in rain-prone areas. The name leptofasciatus means “narrow-banded” in Greek and Latin, describing its unique dorsal markings. It is commonly called the narrow-banded rain snake. It was found in tropical montane forests of Mizoram at elevations between 900–1,200 meters. With this discovery, the total number of known Smithophis species becomes five, all from northeastern India and nearby regions.

Notes:
Assam government launched Operation Falcon last year to protect one-horned rhinos from poachers. It is a joint anti-poaching drive by Assam Police and Assam Forest Department to end rhino poaching and illegal wildlife trade. It integrates digital tracking, on-ground surveillance, and rapid deployment teams for swift action. In 2025, 42 poachers were arrested, six major gangs dismantled, and nine poaching attempts foiled. The effort led to zero rhino killings in 2025 and an 86% drop in poaching since 2016. Assam has 2,895 rhinos according to the 2022 census, mostly in Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve.

Notes:
A Kerala tourist miraculously survived an elephant attack in Karnataka’s Bandipur Tiger Reserve (BTR) after being pushed down and pinned under the tusker’s foot. Bandipur Tiger Reserve (BTR) is located in Mysore and Chamarajanagar districts of Karnataka at the tri-junction of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala. It is an “ecological confluence” of the Western and Eastern Ghats and was once a hunting ground of Mysore rulers. It forms part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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A new study found that native plants Bombax ceiba and Lagerstroemia speciosa are joining invasive species and altering the riverine ecosystem of Dibru-Saikhowa National Park in eastern Assam. Dibru-Saikhowa National Park is located in Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts of Assam, India. It was designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1997. The park is bounded by the Brahmaputra and Lohit Rivers in the north and the Dibru River in the south.

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The first Atlantic hurricane of 2025, named Erin, rapidly intensified and became a major storm north of the Caribbean Islands. The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported that Erin was downgraded from Category-5 to Category-4. The storm has maximum sustained winds of 240 kilometers per hour. It brings heavy rainfall across the northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico.

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Recently, the central government initiated steps to include the Pampa River under the National River Conservation Plan (NRCP). Pampa is the third longest river in Kerala after the Periyar River and Bharathappuzha River. It is called ‘Dakshina Bhageerathi’ or the Ganga of Kerala, with deep religious importance linked to Sabarimala temple. Pilgrims to Sabarimala take a holy dip in the Pampa before and after the trek.

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A young male tiger recently travelled 450 km from Vidarbha and settled in Yedshi Ramling Ghat Wildlife Sanctuary after decades of no big cat presence. The sanctuary is in Osmanabad District, Maharashtra, and was established on May 23, 1997. It covers 22.38 sq. km in the Balaghat range of the Sahyadri hills. It has the ancient Ramling Temple of Lord Shiva, a waterfall, and a cave linked to Ramayana legends.

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A rare scarlet dragonfly was recently spotted in the valleys of Munnar in Kerala’s Western Ghats. Its scientific name is Crocothemis erythraea. It is also known by common names such as broad scarlet, common scarlet-darter, and scarlet darter. This dragonfly belongs to the family Libellulidae. It is widely distributed in southern Europe, Africa, western Asia, and extends up to southern China. It prefers habitats near rivers, streams, and ponds in sunny locations. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), it is classified as Least Concern.

Notes:
The Red-necked Phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus), a rare shorebird, was recently spotted at Nanjarayan Bird Sanctuary in Tirupur city, Tamil Nadu, for the first time. It is unusual for this bird to make a stopover in an inland water body. This marks the 192nd bird species recorded in the sanctuary. The species is found in boreal and tundra ecosystems across the world. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, it is classified as Least Concern.