Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

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Chhattisgarh Forest Department started six hornbill restaurants in Udanti Sitanadi Tiger Reserve to support the Malabar Pied Hornbill and promote natural forest growth. Malabar Pied Hornbill, scientifically called Anthracoceros coronatus, belongs to the hornbill family. It is a medium-sized bird with black and white feathers and a large casque on its beak. It lives in evergreen and moist deciduous forests, often near human settlements. It is found in Western Ghats, north-eastern Himalayan foothills, Satpuda Hills, Nepal and Sri Lanka. It is listed as Near Threatened by International Union for Conservation of Nature due to habitat loss.

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Recent study shows lion-tailed macaque population is stable and increasing in some plantation-dominated areas.
Lion-tailed macaque is an endemic primate of Western Ghats. International Union for Conservation of Nature status is Endangered. It is called bearded monkey due to grey mane and has lion-like tail. It is found in evergreen rainforests of southern Western Ghats in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka. Two genetically distinct groups exist on either side of Palghat Gap.

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An Right to Information (RTI) activist filed an online petition to the Prime Minister’s Office seeking criminal, departmental and regulatory action over pollution of the Bhavani River. Bhavani River is a major tributary of the Cauvery River. It flows through Kerala and Tamil Nadu and is the second largest river of Tamil Nadu. It originates in the Nilgiri Hills of the Western Ghats. It passes through Silent Valley National Park in Kerala, then re-enters Tamil Nadu. It merges with the Cauvery at Bhavani near Bhavani Sangameshwarar Temple.

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Gentoo penguins became first bird species confirmed with H5 avian influenza in an Australian territory. It is closely related to Adélie penguin and Chinstrap penguin. It is found along Antarctic Peninsula, sub-Antarctic islands and Falkland Islands in Southern Hemisphere between 45° and 65° south latitude. It lives near shorelines for easy food access and nesting. It is fastest underwater swimmer among penguins. It is diurnal, social and breeds in colonies. International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) status is Least Concern.

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The first scientific assessment of the Fishing cat has identified Kaziranga National Park and Kaziranga Tiger Reserve as strongholds of this small wild feline species. The fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) is a medium-sized wild cat known for its strong association with wetlands. It inhabits a variety of wetland ecosystems, including mangrove forests, swamps, marshes, and floodplains. It is native to South and Southeast Asia and has a fragmented distribution across the region. In India, it is primarily found in the mangrove forests of the Sundarbans, along the foothills of the Himalayas in the Ganga and Brahmaputra river valleys, and in parts of the Western Ghats.

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Over the past 200 years, the Kosi River has shifted its course westward by over 100 km. Kosi is a transboundary river flowing through China, Nepal, and India, and is a major tributary of the Ganges. It is called the “Sorrow of Bihar” due to frequent and severe flooding in Bihar. Formed by the confluence of Sun Kosi, Arun Kosi, and Tamur Kosi, originating in the Himalayan region of Nepal and Tibet. About 48 km north of the India-Nepal border, it gathers tributaries and flows south through the Siwalik Hills at Chatra Gorge.

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A rare sighting of the Blue-and-White Flycatcher was recently reported at Pavagadh Hills, Gujarat. It is a small migratory songbird belonging to the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae. It mainly breeds in Japan, Korea, northeastern China, and the Russian Far East. During winter it migrates to Southeast Asia, especially Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Sumatra, and Borneo. It prefers wooded lowlands, submontane forests, taiga, slopes and gullies up to about 1200 metres, and also occurs in scrub, bushes and plantations. Conservation status in the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List is Least Concern.

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Scientists from Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) discovered two new lichen moth species: Caulocera hollowayi and Asura buxa in the eastern Himalayas. Caulocera hollowayi was found near Golitar, Sikkim and identified through unique wing patterns, colour bands, and microscopic body structures. Asura buxa was discovered at Panijhora, West Bengal, recognised by distinct wing colours and unique internal anatomical features. Lichen moth caterpillars feed on lichens, organisms extremely sensitive to air pollution. Since lichens react quickly to polluted air, the presence or absence of these moths helps scientists monitor air quality and ecosystem health.

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Scientists in West Bengal have discovered a new estuarine fish species named Butis bargabhimae in the Rupnarayan River, a tributary of the Hooghly River near Tamluk, West Bengal. Butis bargabhimae belongs to the butid family, commonly known as gudgeon goby, which usually live in brackish water where rivers meet the sea. The species is unique because it has interorbital scales (scales between the eyes), unlike most related fish which have smooth areas there. It also has additional auxiliary scales across its body, making it structurally distinct. The fish shows clear light and dark bands on its pectoral fins, which are absent in similar species.

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Researchers discovered two ancient petroglyphs near Beerappa Temple in Manchirevula, Telangana, inside a rock shelter. Petroglyphs are rock engravings made by removing surface material using techniques like pecking, incising, drilling, and polishing. They differ from petrographs, which are painted or drawn images on rocks. The term comes from Greek words “petros” (stone) and “glyphein” (to carve). Petroglyphs appear as scratches or deep carvings and are linked to prehistoric human activity. They are found worldwide except Antarctica, with major presence in Africa, Americas, Europe, Siberia, and Australia. In India, Edakkal Caves in Kerala is a famous example.