Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

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.

Notes:
Recently, a faunal survey at Thettekad Bird Sanctuary, Ernakulam, Kerala, added nine new species to its biodiversity checklist. It is the first bird sanctuary in Kerala, located on the banks of the Periyar River. Also called Dr. Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary, it was notified in 1983 on the recommendation of Dr. Salim Ali. The sanctuary lies at the foothills of the Western Ghats.

Notes:
The population of saltwater crocodiles has increased in the Sundarban Biosphere Reserve (SBR), as per a recent survey by the State Forest Department. Saltwater crocodile is the largest and heaviest living reptile in the world. It is also called estuarine crocodile, Indo-Pacific crocodile, marine crocodile, sea crocodile, or saltie. It is an opportunistic hypercarnivorous apex predator. It is native to saltwater habitats and brackish wetlands from India’s east coast to Southeast Asia, northern Australia, and Micronesia. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Notes:
Recently, Aaranyak, a premier biodiversity conservation organisation, organised an awareness programme at Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary in Morigaon district, Assam. The programme was conducted under the theme “Conservation and Coexistence” with support from partner organisations. Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary is located in eastern Guwahati, Assam and covers an area of 48.81 square kilometers. It comprises the Rajamayong Reserve Forest and Pobitora Reserve Forest. The area was declared a reserved forest in 1971 by the Government of Assam Tourism.

Notes:
Concerns were recently raised about unauthorised road construction and repair inside Srivilliputhur–Meghamalai Tiger Reserve (SMTR) in Theni district, Tamil Nadu. It was created in February 2021 by merging the Srivilliputhur Grizzled Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary and Megamalai Wildlife Sanctuary. It spans Theni, Virudhunagar, and Madurai districts in Tamil Nadu. The reserve links Kerala’s Periyar Tiger Reserve with Tamil Nadu’s Kalakkad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, ensuring wildlife corridor connectivity. It depends on Vaigai, Suruliyaru, and Shanmuganathi rivers for water resources.

Notes:
Odisha’s Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary received National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) approval in 2025 to become India’s newest tiger reserve. Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Bargarh district, Odisha. It is situated near Hirakud Dam on the Mahanadi River, the longest dam in India and the longest earthen dam in the world. The sanctuary covers an area of nearly 347 sq km. Debrigarh holds historical significance due to freedom fighter Veer Surendra Sai.

Notes:
Recently, a Forest Department patrol at Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary (TWS), Maharashtra, discovered a poached pangolin. Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Yavatmal district, Maharashtra. It is named after Goddess Tipai shrine in Tipeshwar village. The sanctuary lies in Patanbori and Parwa ranges of the Pandarkawad Forest Division. Four rivers—Purna, Krishna, Bhima, and Tapti—flow through it, making it the “Green Oasis of Eastern Maharashtra.” The land has basaltic volcanic soil and supports village livelihoods.

Notes:
A study documented 51 species of herpetofauna in Papikonda National Park, Eastern Ghats, Andhra Pradesh. The list includes 18 amphibians, 21 lizards, 10 snakes, and 2 turtles. Three species—Minervarya kalinga, Sphaerotheca maskeyi, and Hemidactylus kangerensis—were recorded for the first time in Andhra Pradesh. According to IUCN Red List (2024), 46 species are Least Concern, Hemidactylus kangerensis is Endangered, Lissemys punctata is Vulnerable, and three are unassessed. Papikonda National Park is located in East Godavari and West Godavari Districts of Andhra Pradesh.

Notes:
Recently, Pulicat Lake fishermen demanded a long-term solution as siltation threatens their livelihoods. Pulicat Lake is a large coastal shallow, brackish water lagoon along the Bay of Bengal. It is India’s second largest brackish water lagoon after Chilika, spanning Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The lagoon is separated from the Bay of Bengal by Sriharikota Island. It is fed by Aarani River in the south and Kalangi River from the northwest; Buckingham Canal passes through it. Pulicat Lake was designated a Ramsar site in 2002 for wetland conservation.

Notes:
Recently, scientists discovered a new fungus species named Paramyrothecium strychni in Kerala, India. It belongs to the Ascomycota division and Stachybotryaceae family. The fungus is a phytopathogenic species, meaning it causes diseases in plants. It is associated with leaf spots and blight disease on Strychnos dalzellii (family Loganiaceae). The species was identified using morpho-cultural and multigene molecular phylogenetic studies. According to Index Fungorum, there are 25 known species of Paramyrothecium worldwide. Most Paramyrothecium species are plant pathogens that cause leaf spots and blights in various plants.