Tiger Reserves & Project Tiger — Set 15

Correct Answer: C. Vindhyan Corridor

Kuno National Park is part of the Vindhyan landscape in Madhya Pradesh. While not currently a tiger reserve, its surrounding forests form part of connectivity zones. Kuno is in the Sheopur district and was originally selected for Asiatic lion reintroduction before becoming the site for cheetah reintroduction.

Correct Answer: C. 2006-2024

The most rapid expansion of tiger reserves happened between 2006 and 2024, when India went from around 28 reserves to 53. This followed the establishment of NTCA, increased funding, and stronger legal frameworks. Many new reserves were declared in states like Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Rajasthan, and the Northeast.

Correct Answer: B. Ensuring forests between reserves remain connected for tiger movement

Tiger landscape connectivity refers to maintaining forest cover and wildlife corridors between tiger reserves so tigers can move freely. This is critical for genetic exchange, dispersal of young tigers, and colonisation of empty habitats. Without connectivity, isolated populations become inbred and eventually die out.

Correct Answer: B. She was declared a man-eater responsible for 13 deaths

Tigress T1 'Avni' in Yavatmal district, Maharashtra, was declared a man-eater responsible for 13 deaths and was shot dead in November 2018. The case was highly controversial with activists arguing the killings were caused by habitat loss forcing tigers into human areas. The Supreme Court questioned the manner of her killing.

Correct Answer: A. National Wildlife Action Plan

The National Wildlife Action Plan (NWAP) provides the overarching framework for wildlife conservation in India including tiger conservation. Each tiger reserve also has its own Tiger Conservation Plan (TCP) mandated by NTCA. The TCP covers management prescriptions for core and buffer zones.

Correct Answer: C. Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam

Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve spans the Deccan peninsula landscape across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. It is in the nallamala forest region on the Deccan plateau. This landscape supports tigers in relatively drier, scrub-dominated habitat compared to the moist forests of central India.

Correct Answer: B. Hornbills

The correct answer is 'Hornbills'. Hornbills correctly answers the question about pakke tiger reserve in arunachal pradesh is famous for conservation of which bird family. This is an important fact in the topic of Project Tiger and tiger reserves in India, which is regularly tested in competitive exams such as RRB NTPC, SSC CGL, UPSC, and state PSC examinations. A thorough understanding of Project Tiger and tiger reserves in India helps candidates score well in the General Knowledge section.

Correct Answer: B. Wildlife Institute of India

All India Tiger Estimation is conducted by NTCA in partnership with the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun. WII provides the scientific methodology, field training, data analysis, and report preparation. State forest departments conduct the ground-level surveys under WII's guidance.

Correct Answer: B. Russia

The Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica), also called the Siberian tiger, is mainly found in the Russian Far East. It is the largest tiger subspecies. India's Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) is a distinct subspecies found across the Indian subcontinent.

Correct Answer: B. Melanistic (pseudo-black) tigers photographed

Simlipal Tiger Reserve in Odisha made international news for repeated photographic documentation of melanistic (pseudo-melanistic) tigers — tigers with abnormally wide dark stripes that make them appear mostly black. This genetic trait is unique to the Simlipal tiger population. Scientists believe inbreeding due to habitat isolation may have fixed this trait in the local population.