Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
Interpol (International Criminal Police Organization) reported a global crackdown on illegal wildlife and forestry trade in 2025. The operation ran from 15 September to 15 October 2025 across 134 countries. Police, customs, border security, forestry and wildlife agencies worked together. A total of 4,640 seizures were made in one month. More than 30,000 live animals, protected plants, timber and spices were seized. The crackdown was called Operation Thunder 2025 and was led by Interpol with the World Customs Organization. Authorities seized ivory, rhino horns, pangolin scales, reptiles, birds, insects, plants and illegal timber. Interpol warned that wildlife crime is worth up to 20 billion US dollars yearly and linked to other serious crimes.

Notes:
Karnataka has requested the Central Water Commission (CWC) to intervene, alleging excess and unauthorised use of Bhima River water by Maharashtra, violating agreed allocations. Bhima River is a major perennial river in western and southern India and a key tributary of the Krishna River. Locally, it is also called the Chandrabhaga River, especially near Pandharpur. The river originates near Bhimashankar hills in the Western Ghats (Sahyadris), close to the Bhimashankar Temple in Pune district, Maharashtra.

Notes:
To promote tourism and wildlife conservation, the Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve (MHTR) administration in Kota launched a poster and trailer of a documentary titled Enchanting Mukundra. Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve, also called Darrah Wildlife Sanctuary, spreads across Bundi, Kota, Jhalawar, and Chittorgarh districts of Rajasthan. It lies in a valley between the Mukundra and Gargola mountain ranges. It forms a vital wildlife corridor between Ranthambore Tiger Reserve and Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh.

Notes:
Recently, an ultra-rare leopard colour morph was documented in Vijayanagara district of Karnataka, marking the first such sighting in the state and the second in India. The leopard has been named the “Sandalwood Leopard” due to its pale reddish-pink coat resembling sandalwood. The animal is a female leopard (Panthera pardus), around seven years old, seen with a normally coloured cub. Such leopards are globally called “strawberry leopards” and are extremely rare. Globally, this colour morph has been recorded only five times, including one earlier sighting in Rajasthan in 2021.

Notes:
The first phase of the All-India Tiger Estimation 2026 (AITE-26) has started in the Thanthai Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. It is located in the Bargur Hills of Erode district in Tamil Nadu. The sanctuary lies between Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve of Tamil Nadu and Male Mahadeshwara and Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuaries of Karnataka. The area is part of the Nilgiris Elephant Reserve.

Notes:
The latest crocodile census shows an increase in crocodile population in Similipal National Park of Odisha, highlighting successful wildlife conservation. Similipal National Park is located in Mayurbhanj district of Odisha and covers about 2,750 square kilometres. The park is named after the Simul or silk cotton tree found in large numbers. It is a National Park, Tiger Reserve, Wildlife Sanctuary, Biosphere Reserve, and part of the Mayurbhanj Elephant Reserve.

Notes:
Indian scientists discovered a rare subterranean amphibian species named Gegeneophis valmiki in the northern Western Ghats of Maharashtra. The species is named after Maharshi Valmiki Mandir located near the discovery site. It belongs to the genus Gegeneophis, commonly known as blind caecilians. Caecilians are limbless, worm-like amphibians that live underground with eyes hidden under skin and bone. They do not croak like frogs, making field identification very difficult. The Western Ghats host 26 endemic caecilians, and this is the first Gegeneophis discovery in over a decade.

Notes:
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change declared Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary in the Aravalli mountain range as an Eco-Sensitive Zone. The move aims to conserve the area’s flora and fauna and support indigenous communities living nearby. Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the Aravalli mountain range, a significant hill system in western India, covering parts of Rajasthan’s Rajsamand, Pali, and Udaipur districts. The 0–1 km area around the sanctuary hosts leopards, striped hyenas, jungle cats, Indian pangolins, blue bulls, chinkaras, and birds like painted francolin.

Notes:
Scientists from China, Madagascar, Slovenia, and the United States studied bark spiders to understand how they produce extremely tough silk. The study focused on Darwin’s Bark Spider (Caerostris darwini) and Caerostris kuntneri. Darwin’s Bark Spider is known for making the largest and toughest webs in the animal kingdom. The species was discovered in 2001 and formally described in 2009. It lives in riverine forests and wetlands. The spider is found in Madagascar’s forests.

Notes:
Researchers from Kerala and Tamil Nadu discovered two new rare ant fly species from India. The species are Metadon ghorpadei and Metadon reemeri of subfamily Microdontinae (Syrphidae). Their larvae live inside ant nests and feed on ant brood, a behaviour called myrmecophily. Metadon ghorpadei was found in Delhi’s northern ridge, a disturbed urban forest of the Aravalli range. Metadon reemeri was discovered in the Siruvani hills of the Western Ghats, Tamil Nadu. The discovery highlights the biodiversity value of urban forests and protected hotspots.