Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

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Recently, an adult male tiger named ‘Explorer’ was reintroduced into the wild in Papikonda National Park as part of Operation Stripes. Papikonda National Park is located along the banks of the Godavari River in Andhra Pradesh. The park is recognized as an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area by BirdLife International.

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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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Two Maoists were killed in an encounter in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh during an anti-Naxal operation along the Indravati river belt. Indravati River is a major tributary of the Godavari River. It rises from Kalahandi district of Odisha on the western slopes of the Eastern Ghats. It flows westwards and joins the Godavari River, forming boundary between Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh at some places. Most of its 535 kilometre course flows through dense forests of Bastar district in Chhattisgarh. It is called the lifeline of Bastar, one of the greenest districts of India.

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Residents of Mudh village in Ladakh have protected the Ruddy Shelduck for over 20 years by safely escorting fledglings to the Indus River during breeding season. Ruddy Shelduck, also called Brahminy duck, is a large migratory water bird found in Europe, Central Asia and Africa, and winters in South Asia. In India, Ladakh is its only breeding site, nesting in high altitude wetlands from June to August. It lives in rivers, lakes, marshes, ponds and reservoirs from sea level up to 4,800 metres. It is listed as Least Concern by International Union for Conservation of Nature.

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Researchers discovered a new earthworm species Drawida vazhania in Peechi-Vazhani Wildlife Sanctuary. It was found near Vazhani Dam in Kerala. The species belongs to genus Drawida of the family Moniligastridae, mainly found in South, Southeast, and East Asia. It is a small-bodied earthworm belonging to the Barwelli species group. With this discovery, Drawida species recorded in India increased to 83. The Western Ghats now has 55 recorded Drawida species, highlighting its rich biodiversity.

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A recent survey of the Hindon River has revealed alarming water quality concerns, with preliminary tests showing zero dissolved oxygen (DO) at multiple locations, making the river “uninhabitable” for most aquatic life. The Hindon River is a tributary of the Yamuna River, flowing through parts of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. It originates in the Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh, in the Siwalik Hills, at an elevation of approximately 800 meters (2,625 feet) above sea level. The river flows across the industrial belt of Western Uttar Pradesh and Haryana before merging with the Yamuna near Noida, covering a total length of 400 km. Its main tributaries include the Kali (West) River and the Krishni River.

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A pair of Shaheen Falcon was recently found nesting in a multi-storey residential complex in Kochi, highlighting its adaptability to urban environments. The Shaheen Falcon (Falco peregrinus peregrinator) is a non-migratory subspecies of the Peregrine Falcon found mainly in the Indian subcontinent. It is found across India and also reported in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. It is listed as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

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A rare melanistic (black-coloured) spotted deer (chital) was recently sighted at the Umred Pauni Karhandla Wildlife Sanctuary near Nagpur. The sanctuary is located across Pauni tehsil in Bhandara district and Umred, Kuhi, and Bhivapur talukas of Nagpur district in Maharashtra. It is bounded along the northeast by the Wainganga River and the Gose Khurd Dam. The forest corridor along the Wainganga River connects this sanctuary with the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve, aiding wildlife movement and ecological connectivity.

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The National Biodiversity Authority has designated two institutions as National Repositories under Section 39 of the Biological Diversity Act 2002. The institutions are Centre for Marine Living Resources and Ecology and Agharkar Research Institute. The Centre for Marine Living Resources and Ecology hosts the Referral Centre Bhavasagara, focusing on deep-sea biodiversity with over 3,500 geo-referenced specimens, including fishes and invertebrates. It is the only national facility dedicated to preserving life from India’s deep-sea ecosystems. The Agharkar Research Institute hosts the MACS Microorganism & Fungal Collection, specialising in anaerobic and extremophilic microorganisms and diverse fungal cultures.

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International Union for Conservation of Nature has upgraded the Emperor Penguin and Antarctic Fur Seal to the Endangered category due to climate change impacts. Climate change in Antarctica is causing sea-ice loss, threatening emperor penguins that depend on stable “fast ice” for breeding and moulting. Emperor penguin populations have declined significantly, with projections indicating up to 50% reduction by the 2080s. Antarctic fur seal populations have dropped by over 50% since 1999 due to reduced food availability as krill shifts deeper warming oceans.