National Parks & Wildlife — Set 16

Correct Answer: B. Satpura Tiger Reserve

The Tawa Reservoir and the surrounding Tawa forests in Hoshangabad (Narmadapuram) district form part of the buffer zone of the Satpura Tiger Reserve. The Tawa River is a major tributary of the Narmada and flows through the Satpura landscape. The Tawa Reservoir has created an important wetland habitat within the tiger reserve that supports both aquatic and terrestrial wildlife. The local tribal communities around Tawa have historically been involved in fishing and are now being transitioned to eco-tourism based livelihoods under the Satpura Conservation model.

Correct Answer: C. Diclofenac (veterinary)

The catastrophic 99% decline in Asian vulture populations in the 1990s and early 2000s was caused by diclofenac, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug used to treat livestock. When vultures consumed carcasses of animals treated with diclofenac, the drug caused visceral gout and kidney failure in the birds, leading to death within days. India banned veterinary use of diclofenac in 2006, followed by Nepal, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Madhya Pradesh has been proactive in establishing diclofenac-free zones around its wildlife areas and setting up vulture safe feeding stations. The World Vulture Day is observed on the first Saturday of September each year.

Correct Answer: B. Kanha Tiger Reserve

Panpatha Wildlife Sanctuary in Umaria district is administered as part of the buffer zone of Kanha Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh. The sanctuary covers about 246 sq km of dry deciduous forest and is contiguous with the Kanha landscape. The buffer zone approach allows for multiple-use zones where human activities can coexist with wildlife while protecting the core areas of the tiger reserve. Panpatha provides habitat for tigers, leopards, gaur, deer, and wild dogs and serves as a dispersal area for tigers moving out of the Kanha core zone.

Correct Answer: B. National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)

The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change conducts the All India Tiger Estimation exercise every four years using a scientifically robust methodology that includes camera trapping, pugmark tracking, and occupancy surveys. The most recent 2022 census estimated India's total tiger population at 3,167, the highest ever recorded. Madhya Pradesh with approximately 785 tigers led all states. The census also covers leopards and co-predators. NTCA was established under the Wildlife Protection Act following the amendment in 2006 to give statutory powers to Project Tiger.

Correct Answer: C. Tropical dry deciduous and moist deciduous forests

The Bori Wildlife Sanctuary and Satpura National Park represent tropical dry deciduous and moist deciduous forest types characteristic of the Satpura Range in Madhya Pradesh. These forests are dominated by teak, sal, bamboo, tendu, and mixed hardwood species. This type of forest landscape is the preferred habitat of the Bengal Tiger in central India. The seasonal nature of these forests with distinct wet and dry seasons creates diverse habitats that support a wide variety of prey species including sambar, spotted deer, gaur, and wild pigs, which in turn support healthy tiger and leopard populations.

Correct Answer: B. 2009

Panna Tiger Reserve received its first reintroduced tiger in 2009 when a tigress named T1 (originally from Pench) was translocated to initiate population recovery after the complete local extinction of tigers in the reserve. The first reintroduced male tiger arrived in late 2009 from Kanha. The translocation was a bold and controversial decision at the time but proved extraordinarily successful. By 2018-19, the population had grown to over 30 tigers and today estimates exceed 50 tigers in Panna. The Panna recovery is now studied globally as a conservation success story.

Correct Answer: B. 1955

Kanha National Park was officially declared India's first wildlife sanctuary in 1933 and was upgraded to a national park in 1955 under the MP State Government. It became one of the nine inaugural tiger reserves under Project Tiger in 1973. The area has been protected since colonial times when certain forests were reserved for wildlife in the late 19th century. Kanha's core zone covers about 940 sq km with sal and bamboo forests and famous meadows (maidans), while the total tiger reserve area including buffer is about 1,945 sq km.

Correct Answer: A. Sanctuaries allow limited human activities while National Parks have stricter protection

Under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972, National Parks have the highest level of protection where no human activity (including grazing and forest produce collection) is permitted. Wildlife Sanctuaries allow regulated human activities like grazing, collection of minor forest produce, and in some cases limited farming, but hunting and trapping are prohibited. Madhya Pradesh has both national parks and wildlife sanctuaries as part of its Protected Area Network. National Parks cannot have their boundaries altered without the approval of the state legislature, while sanctuary boundaries can be changed by the state government.

Correct Answer: A. Ghatbarra Wildlife Sanctuary

The creation of the Indira Sagar reservoir on the Narmada River in Khandwa district submerged significant portions of the Ghatbarra Wildlife Sanctuary and displaced thousands of tribal and forest-dwelling communities in the Narmada Valley. The Indira Sagar Dam, completed in 2005, is one of India's largest reservoirs. The submergence of forests and tribal lands led to significant social and ecological impacts, including displacement of wildlife and loss of biodiversity in the submerged zone. The dam is part of the Narmada Valley Development Project that aims to provide irrigation and power to Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat.

Correct Answer: C. Hilly, dry deciduous forests with grass and water

The Four-horned Antelope or Chousingha (Tetracerus quadricornis) is found in hilly, dry deciduous forest areas with abundant grass and water in Madhya Pradesh. It is the only four-horned bovid in the world and is endemic to the Indian subcontinent. The species is 'Vulnerable' on the IUCN Red List due to habitat loss and poaching. In Madhya Pradesh, it is found in forests of Satpura, Panna, and the Vindhyan landscapes. The male has four short horns, with the front pair being shorter than the rear pair, making it unique among all deer and antelope species.