Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
The All-India Tiger Estimation (AITE) 2026 recorded a strong tiger presence in the Amrabad Tiger Reserve. Amrabad Tiger Reserve is located in the Nallamala Hills of the Eastern Ghats in Telangana. It was carved out of the former Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve after the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh in 2014. The reserve is known for its rugged terrain, deep valleys, and dense forests. The Krishna River and its perennial streams flow through the reserve and support the Srisailam and Nagarjunasagar reservoirs.

Notes:
The Global Environment Facility approved US$1.26 million for a conservation project led by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The project will be implemented in Niokolo-Koba National Park, Senegal. The park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and an International Biosphere Reserve. It is one of the largest protected Sudanian savanna ecosystems in West Africa, covering nearly 913,000 hectares. The park is located in southeastern Senegal, near the Guinea border.

Notes:
During his visit to Seychelles, the Prime Minister visited the Seychelles National Botanical Garden and fed Aldabra giant tortoises. The Aldabra giant tortoise is the second-largest land tortoise in the world, after the Galápagos giant tortoise. It is endemic to the Aldabra Atoll in Seychelles. It inhabits scrub forests, mangrove swamps, coastal dunes, beaches, and grasslands (platins). Its grazing creates a unique grassland habitat known as “tortoise turf.”

Notes:
Researchers discovered five new species of Impatiens (flowering plants) in the Western Ghats of Kerala. The new species are Impatiens berchmansiensis, I. ninanii, I. filcyii, I. xanthopetala, and I. flavispicata. These species belong to the genus Impatiens of the Balsaminaceae family. Most of the new species were discovered in Idukki and Ernakulam districts. The discovery highlights the rich biodiversity and endemic flora of the Western Ghats.

Notes:
The tiger population at Nameri Tiger Reserve in Assam has quadrupled in three years. Nameri Tiger Reserve is located in Sonitpur district, Assam. It shares its northern boundary with Pakke Tiger Reserve (Arunachal Pradesh). The reserve comprises Nameri National Park, Sonai-Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary, Naduar Reserve Forest, and Balipara Reserve Forest. It is drained by the Jia Bhoroli River and its tributaries. The Jia Bhoroli River is famous for the Golden Mahseer, known as the “Tiger of Indian Rivers.”

Notes:
An expert committee of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has recommended against the proposed 2,000 MW Sharavathi Pumped Storage Project due to its likely impact on the Sharavathi Lion-Tailed Macaque Sanctuary. The Sharavathi Lion-Tailed Macaque Sanctuary is located in Karnataka’s Shivamogga district in the Western Ghats. It was formed by merging the Sharavathi Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, Aghanashini Lion-Tailed Macaque Conservation Reserve, and adjoining reserve forests.

Notes:
Valmiki Tiger Reserve (VTR) in West Champaran, Bihar, has emerged as one of the state’s richest reptile habitats, with more than 45 snake species recorded. It is located along the India–Nepal border and is Bihar’s only tiger reserve. The reserve comprises Valmiki National Park and Valmiki Wildlife Sanctuary. It represents the easternmost limit of the Himalayan Terai forests in India.

Notes:
Uzbekistan is reintroducing the houbara bustard to restore the degraded ecosystem of the Aral Sea region. The houbara bustard is a large, ground-dwelling desert bird divided into two vulnerable species: African houbara (Chlamydotis undulata) and Asian houbara (Chlamydotis macqueenii). It inhabits deserts, dry steppes, and gravel plains across North Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia. The Asian houbara undertakes long-distance seasonal migrations to Pakistan, Southwest Asia, and the Arabian Peninsula during winter. The IUCN Red List status of the houbara bustard is vulnerable.

Notes:
In a major conservation milestone, the Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia) was photographed for the first time in the Dhauladhar Wildlife Sanctuary. The Snow Leopard, known as the “Ghost of the Mountains,” is an endangered species. Dhauladhar Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh. It is home to wildlife such as Himalayan black bear, leopard, musk deer, and rare pheasants. The discovery highlights the sanctuary’s rich Himalayan biodiversity.

Notes:
Scientists discovered a new species of blind, blood-red eel named Rakthamichthys anchi in Goalpara district, Assam. The species was found in dug-out groundwater wells and is phreatobitic, living exclusively in groundwater aquifers. The eel is blind and lacks body pigment; its blood-red colour is due to visible blood vessels beneath transparent skin. The word “anchi” means “blood” in the Garo language. Rakthamichthys is an endemic Indian genus of swamp eels. Rakthamichthys anchi is the second species of the genus discovered in Northeast India.