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Subject: Conservation & Mitigation

1. Conservation Progs.
2. Worldwide initiatives
3. Mitigation Strategies
4. Conventions and Protocols

  • Eco-Sensitive Zones: SC may take up Kerala’s review

    The Supreme Court has indicated that it may consider taking up Kerala’s review of the Supreme Court’s judgment to have a 1km eco-sensitive zone ringing protected forests, national parks and wildlife sanctuaries across the country.

    What are the Eco-sensitive Zones (ESZs)?

    • Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs) or Ecologically Fragile Areas (EFAs) are areas notified by the MoEFCC around Protected Areas, National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries.
    • The purpose of declaring ESZs is to create some kind of “shock absorbers” to the protected areas by regulating and managing the activities around such areas.
    • They also act as a transition zone from areas of high protection to areas involving lesser protection.

    How are they demarcated?

    • The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 does NOT mention the word “Eco-Sensitive Zones”.
    • However, Section 3(2)(v) of the Act, says that Central Government can restrict areas in which any industries, operations or processes or class of industries, operations or processes shall be carried out or shall not, subject to certain safeguards.
    • Besides Rule 5(1) of the Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986 states that central government can prohibit or restrict the location of industries and carrying on certain operations or processes on the basis of certain considerations.
    • The same criteria have been used by the government to declare No Development Zones (NDZs).

    Defining its boundaries

    • An ESZ could go up to 10 kilometres around a protected area as provided in the Wildlife Conservation Strategy, 2002.
    • Moreover, in the case where sensitive corridors, connectivity and ecologically important patches, crucial for landscape linkage, are beyond 10 km width, these should be included in the ESZs.
    • Further, even in the context of a particular Protected Area, the distribution of an area of ESZ and the extent of regulation may not be uniform all around and it could be of variable width and extent.

    Activities Permitted and Prohibited

    • Permitted: Ongoing agricultural or horticultural practices, rainwater harvesting, organic farming, use of renewable energy sources, and adoption of green technology for all activities.
    • Prohibited: Commercial mining, saw mills, industries causing pollution (air, water, soil, noise etc), the establishment of major hydroelectric projects (HEP), commercial use of wood, Tourism activities like hot-air balloons over the National Park, discharge of effluents or any solid waste or production of hazardous substances.
    • Under regulation: Felling of trees, the establishment of hotels and resorts, commercial use of natural water, erection of electrical cables, drastic change of agriculture system, e.g. adoption of heavy technology, pesticides etc, widening of roads.

    What is the recent SC judgment that has caused an uproar in Kerala?

    • On June 3, a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court heard a PIL that sought to protect forest lands in the Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu, but was later expanded to cover the entire country.
    • In its judgment, the court while referring to the 2011 guidelines as “reasonable”, directed all states to have a mandatory 1-km ESZ from the demarcated boundaries of every protected area.
    • It also stated that no new permanent structure or mining will be permitted within the ESZ.
    • If the existing ESZ goes beyond 1-km buffer zone or if any statutory instrument prescribes a higher limit, then such extended boundary shall prevail, the court, as per the Live Law report, said.

    Why are people protesting against it?

    • There is a high density of human population near the notified protected areas.
    • Farmer’s groups and political parties have been demanding that all human settlements be exempt from the ESZ ruling.
    • The total extent of the wildlife sanctuaries in Kerala is eight lakh acres.
    • If one-km of ESZ is demarcated from their boundaries, around 4 lakh acres of human settlements, including farmlands, would come within that purview.

     

     

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  • Centre to set up Paddy Straw Pellet Units to arrest Stubble Burning

    stubble

    To prevent stubble burning, the Union Environment Ministry announced a ₹50 crore scheme on to incentivise industrialists and entrepreneurs to set up paddy straw pelletization and torrefaction plants.

    What is Stubble Burning?

    • Stubble (parali) burning is a method of removing paddy crop residues from the field to sow wheat from the last week of September to November.
    • It is usually required in areas that use the combined harvesting method which leaves crop residue behind.
    • This practice mostly carried out in Punjab, Haryana and UP contributes solely to the grave winter pollution in the national capital.

    Emissions from stubble burning

    • The process of burning farm residue is one of the major causes of air pollution in parts of north India, deteriorating the air quality.
    • Stubble burning is a significant source of carbon dioxide (CO2), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and hydrocarbons (HC).

    Despite emissions, why do farmers burn stubble?

    • Crop residue burning is practised by the farmers to prepare the land for the next cultivation.
    • The major reason behind the stubble burning is the short time available between rice harvesting and sowing of wheat as delay in sowing wheat affects the wheat crop.
    • Between the harvesting of the paddy crop and the sowing of the next crop, there is only a two to three weeks’ time window is left.
    • Even though farmers are aware that the burning of straw is harmful to health, they do not have alternatives for utilizing them effectively.
    • The farmers are ill-equipped to deal with waste because they cannot afford the new technology that is available to handle the waste material.
    • Therefore, stubble burning is considered one of the cheapest methods to clean the field after the harvesting season.

    Impact of stubble burning

    • Air Pollution: Stubble burning emits toxic pollutants in the atmosphere containing harmful gases like Carbon Monoxide (CO), methane (CH4), carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds (VOC). These pollutants disperse in the surroundings and eventually affect air quality and people’s health by forming a thick blanket of smog. Along with vehicular emissions, it affects the Air Quality Index (AQI) in the national capital and NCR.
    • Soil degradation: Soil becomes less fertile and its nutrients are destroyed when the husk is burned on the ground. Organic content of soil is completely destroyed. Stubble burning generates heat that penetrates into the soil, causing an increase in erosion, loss of useful microbes and moisture.

    Alternative solutions

    • Power generation: The available paddy straw can be effectively used for power generation, which will go a long way towards overcoming the problem of disposal of crop residues and power deficit in the region.
    • In-situ decomposition: Suitable machinery for collection, chopping and in situ incorporation of straw is required. We can use Pusa Biodecomposer, Biomethanation etc.
    • Organic manuring: Convert the removed residues into enriched organic manure through composting.

    Conclusion

    • Unless financial assistance is to be provided by the Centre for boosting farm mechanization, it is difficult to completely stop stubble burning.
    • States need to make alternative arrangements for the consumption of paddy straw into the soil as per the directions of the NGT.

     

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  • Species in news: Sloth Bear

    sloth bear

    The first World Sloth Bear Day was observed yesterday to generate awareness and strengthen conservation efforts around the unique bear species endemic to the Indian subcontinent.

    Sloth Bear

    • The sloth bear (Melursus ursinus) is an important species and endemic to the Indian subcontinent with small populations in Nepal and Sri Lanka.
    • Classified as “vulnerable” on the IUCN Red List, sloth bears are endemic to the Indian sub-continent and 90% of the species population is found in India.
    • Listed under Schedule I of the (Wildlife Protection) Act of India, 1972, the species has the same level of protection as tigers, rhinos and elephants.
    • Commercial international trade of the sloth bear (including parts and derivatives) is prohibited as it is listed in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
    • The sloth bears are omnivorous and survived on termites, ants and fruits.

    Why protect sloth bears?

    • For a long time, sloth bears were exploited as dancing bears. Though the practice has been banned there are still a few cases of rescue.
    • Sloth bears are one of the most aggressive extant due to large human populations often closely surrounding reserves that hold bears.
    • Aggressive encounters and attacks are relatively frequent, though in some places, attacks appear to be a reaction to encountering people accidentally.

     

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  • Stubble burning in Punjab at 3-year low

    stubble

    Though early days, the number of crop fires reported out of Punjab are at a three-year low, suggest data from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) that tracks such fires via satellite.

    What is Stubble Burning?

    • Stubble (parali) burning is a method of removing paddy crop residues from the field to sow wheat from the last week of September to November.
    • It is usually required in areas that use the combined harvesting method which leaves crop residue behind.
    • This practice mostly carried out in Punjab, Haryana and UP contributes solely to the grave winter pollution in the national capital.

    Emissions from stubble burning

    • The process of burning farm residue is one of the major causes of air pollution in parts of north India, deteriorating the air quality.
    • Stubble burning is a significant source of carbon dioxide (CO2), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and hydrocarbons (HC).

    Despite emissions, why do farmers burn stubble?

    • Crop residue burning is practised by the farmers to prepare the land for the next cultivation.
    • The major reason behind the stubble burning is the short time available between rice harvesting and sowing of wheat as delay in sowing wheat affects the wheat crop.
    • Between the harvesting of the paddy crop and the sowing of the next crop, there is only a two to three weeks’ time window is left.
    • Even though farmers are aware that the burning of straw is harmful to health, they do not have alternatives for utilizing them effectively.
    • The farmers are ill-equipped to deal with waste because they cannot afford the new technology that is available to handle the waste material.
    • Therefore, stubble burning is considered one of the cheapest methods to clean the field after the harvesting season.

    Impact of stubble burning

    • Air Pollution: Stubble burning emits toxic pollutants in the atmosphere containing harmful gases like Carbon Monoxide (CO), methane (CH4), carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds (VOC). These pollutants disperse in the surroundings and eventually affect air quality and people’s health by forming a thick blanket of smog. Along with vehicular emissions, it affects the Air Quality Index (AQI) in the national capital and NCR.
    • Soil degradation: Soil becomes less fertile and its nutrients are destroyed when the husk is burned on the ground. Organic content of soil is completely destroyed. Stubble burning generates heat that penetrates into the soil, causing an increase in erosion, loss of useful microbes and moisture.

    Alternative solutions

    • Power generation: The available paddy straw can be effectively used for power generation, which will go a long way towards overcoming the problem of disposal of crop residues and power deficit in the region.
    • In-situ decomposition: Suitable machinery for collection, chopping and in situ incorporation of straw is required. We can use Pusa Biodecomposer, Biomethanation etc.
    • Organic manuring: Convert the removed residues into enriched organic manure through composting.

    Conclusion

    • Unless financial assistance is to be provided by the Centre for boosting farm mechanization, it is difficult to completely stop stubble burning.
    • States need to make alternative arrangements for the consumption of paddy straw into the soil as per the directions of the NGT.

     

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  • PUC Certificate must to buy fuel in New Delhi

    Motorists will not be able to buy fuel in Delhi without a valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate from October 25.

    What is PUC Certificate?

    • The PUC certificate is a document that any person driving a motor vehicle can be asked to produce by a police officer in uniform authorized by the state government.
    • These issue certificates if a vehicle is found complying with the prescribed emission norms.
    • Since the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019 came into force, PUC certificate has been made mandatory.
    • A PUC certificate contains information such as the vehicle’s license plate number, PUC test reading, date on which the PUC test was conducted and the expiry date.

    Compliance rules

    • According to Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, every motor vehicle is required to carry a valid PUC Certificate after the expiry of period of one year from the date of its first registration.
    • This includes those conforming to BS-I/ BS-II/ BS-III/BS-IV /BS-VI as well as vehicles plying on CNG/LPG.
    • However, the validity of four-wheeled BS-IV compliant vehicles is one year and for other vehicles it is three months.

    How is a pollution control check carried out?

    • The computerized model for pollution check was developed by the Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers.
    • A gas analyzer is connected to a computer, to which a camera and a printer are attached.
    • The gas analyzer records the emission value and sends it to the computer directly, while the camera captures the license plate of the vehicle.
    • Subsequently, a certificate may be issued if the emission values are within the limits.

    Why obtain PUC Certificate?

    • Emissions from automobiles are major contributors to air pollution all over the world.
    • The smoke emitted from vehicles contains the following pollutants:
    1. Hydrocarbons (HC)
    2. Carbon Monoxide (CO)
    3. Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx)
    4. Particulate Matter (PM)
    5. Sulphur Dioxide (SO2)
    6. Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
    7. Nitrous Oxide (N2O)

     

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  • Ranipur TR: 4th Tiger Reserve in UP

    ranipur

    The UP cabinet approved the notification of Ranipur Tiger Reserve under Section 38(v) of the Wild life (Protection) Act of 1972.

    About Ranipur WS

    • Ranipur WS, was founded in 1977, is one of the attractions of Chitrakoot district in Uttar Pradesh.
    • It is spread over 230 sq.km and is noted for its diverse wildlife, but is not very frequently visited by tourists because of the difficult access.
    • The Ranipur TR has tropical dry deciduous forests and is home to fauna such as tigers, leopards, sloth bears, spotted deer, sambhar, chinkara and a number of birds and reptiles, the statement added.
    • The Ranipur TR will be the fourth in UP, after Dudhwa, Pilibhit and Amangarh (buffer of Corbett Tiger Reserve).
    • It will also be the first in the state’s portion of the Bundelkhand region, which it shares with neighbouring Madhya Pradesh.

    Why make it a tiger reserve?

    • RWS has no tigers of its own.
    • But pugmarks of the animals are frequently seen there as tigers from nearby Panna frequent it.

     

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  • Jaldoot App to capture data on Groundwater Levels

    With the rapidly declining water table threatening to push many regions into drought, the Union government on has launched a mobile application — Jaldoot.

    Jaldoot App

    • Jaldoot is jointly developed by the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Ministries to monitor the groundwater levels across the country.
    • The App will enable Gram Rojgar Sahyak to measure the water level of well twice a year pre-monsoon and post-monsoon.
    • Jaldoots, that is, officers assigned to measure the water levels, should also upload the geo-tagged photographs through the app on every occasion of measurement.
    • This Mobile app will work in both online and offline mode.
    • So water level can be captured even without internet connectivity and captured date will be stored in mobile and when mobile comes in the connectivity area, data will synchronize with the central server.

    Utility of the App

    • The despite promoting watershed development, afforestation, waterbody development and renovation, rainwater harvesting like initiatives, the ground water level in various parts of the country has depleted.
    • The regular data to be input by the Jaldoots would be integrated with the database of National Water Informatics Centre (NWIC), which can be utilised for analysis and display.
    • The app will facilitate in observing water tables across the country and the resulting data can be utilized for Gram Panchayat Development Plan and Mahatma Gandhi NREGA Plans.

     

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  • The great Indian thirst: The story of India’s water stress

    water stressContext

    • United Nations World Water Development Report of 2022 has expressed global concern over the sharp rise in freshwater withdrawal from streams, lakes, aquifers and human made reservoirs, significant water stress and also water scarcity being experienced in different parts of the world.

    Who publishes the UNs world water development report?

    • The United Nations World Water Development Report (WWDR) is published by UNESCO, on behalf of UN-Water and its production is coordinated by the UNESCO World Water Assessment Program (WWAP).

    What is the level of water stress in India?

    • The Global Drought Risk and Water Stress map (2019): It shows that major parts of India, particularly west, central and parts of peninsular India are highly water stressed and experience water scarcity.
    • Composite Water Management Index (2018): Released by Niti Aayog indicates that more than 600 million people are facing acute water stress.
    • India is the world’s largest extractor of groundwater: Accounting for 25 per cent of the total. 70 percent of our water sources are contaminated and our major rivers are dying because of pollution.

    water stressWhy is Rural to Urban transfer of water becoming an issue in India?

    • Rising urban population: According to Census 2011, the urban population in India accounted for 34% of total population. It is estimated that the urban population component in India will cross the 40% mark by 2030 and the 50% mark by 2050 according to World Urbanization Prospects, 2018.
    • Water use in the urban areas: Water use in the urban sector has increased as more and more people shift to urban areas. Per capita use of water in these centers rises, which will continue to grow with improved standards of living.
    • Shifting of water source in Urban areas: As the city grows and water management infrastructures develop, dependence shifts to surface water from groundwater. For example: In Ahmedabad, more than 80% of water supply used to be met from groundwater sources till the mid-1980s. Due to such overexploitation of groundwater the depth to groundwater level reached 67 meters in confined aquifers. The city now depends on the Narmada canal for the bulk of its water supply.
    • Dependence of urban areas on rural areas for water source and rural-urban disputes over water: Cities largely depend on rural areas for raw water supply, which has the potential to ignite the rural-urban dispute. For example: Nagpur and Chennai face the problem of rural-urban water disputes.

     

    water stressReasons for disputes

    • Diversion of resource: Water is transported to urban areas at the expense of rural areas. Due to the high population in urban areas the water requirement for daily use is very high.
    • High demand of water for industrial purposes: In urban areas the water is heavily used in industries creating water stress.
    • High Agriculture dependence: In the rural areas water is used mainly for irrigation purposes and due to heavy dependence on agriculture the water is very essential in rural areas.
    • Water pollution: In cities, most of this water is in the form of grey water with little recovery or reuse, eventually contributing to water pollution.
    • Bad governance: Politicization of water for vote bank and skewed distribution of water particular regions For example: Andhra and Telangana.

    water stress Climate change exacerbate the rural-urban disputes 

    • Affecting rainfall pattern: Climate change affects the amount of rainfall in the region which is the prime source of both surface water and groundwater.
    • Increase rate of evaporation over surface water: because of high temperature the surface waters of lakes, rivers, canals etc. face high evaporation water loss.
    • Melting of glaciers: glaciers are the sources for perennial rivers of India. Due to global warming, glaciers are melting and hence affecting the perennial nature of rivers.
    • Frequent droughts: It affects the groundwater recharge process and drying of surface waters which creates shortage of water. It exacerbate the rural-urban conflict.

    .

      

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  • Fly ash generation and Disposal

    fly ashContext

    • India depends heavily on coal for power generation. This creates the problem of fly-ash generation and its proper disposal, usage.
    • The National Green Tribunal (NGT) noted September 19, 2022 that there was an urgent need to augment the utilisation and disposal of fly ash in Chhattisgarh.

    What is fly ash?

    • Fly ash is a by-product of coal combustion. It contains Aluminium Silicate, SiO2, CaO, oxides of iron, magnesium and toxic metals like lead, arsenic, cobalt, and copper.
    • It can travel to far places. India is growing to double its power generation in the next decade and with coal being the biggest source of fuel for power generation, the problem of fly ash is going to increase too.

    fly ash Environmental Problems with fly ash

    • A large quantity of fly ash dumped into poorly designed and maintained ash ponds. About a billion tonnes of this toxic ash lie dumped in these ponds, polluting land, air, and water.
    • All the heavy metals found in fly ash—nickel, cadmium, arsenic, chromium, lead, etc—are toxic in nature. They leech into the surrounding soil and can enter food-chains.
    • Fly ash gets easily ingested through respiration, which causes many diseases such as asthma, neurological disorders.
    • Suspended fly ash in the air acts as a global warming agent and heats the earth’s surface.
    • Fly ash settles on leaves and crops and reduces crop productivity.
    • It pollutes the groundwater.
    • There is a reduction in recharging of groundwater due to fly ash filled mine voids.
    • Reduces visibility by creating dense fog in the winter season.

    fly ashIssues with fly ash management

    • The government mandates that all coal power plants (CPPs) reach 100% utilization of fly ash.
    • Along with it, CPPs should give a certain amount of fly ash free of cost for MSMEs to manufacture bricks, tiles and rest of the fly ash should be sold to other industries.
    • CPPs will have to maintain fly ash ponds to reduce its suspension in air.
    • But all these steps for utilization areas are problematic as they do little to mitigate these risks.
    • The pricing of fly ash is increasingly becoming a contentious issue that is hampering its gainful utilization.
    • The current approaches to evaluating risks with fly ash disposal are very limited, and they may underestimate the true risks
    • In spite of initiatives taken by the government, several nongovernmental and research and development organizations for fly ash utilization, the level of fly ash utilization in the country is quite low at only 38% which is less than the global standards.
    • Hence, rather than being utilized, fly ash is being stored despite warnings from regulators.
    • Deposition in storage places has negative influences on water and soil because of their mineral composition as well as morphology and filtration properties.
    • Ash-handling units are the biggest consumers of water in CPPs. The government advocates the designed ash-to-water ratios as approximately 1:5 for fly ash, but the observed ratios have been around 1:20.
    • Certain states have discouraged the use of blended cement and fly ash bricks in public works.

    fly ashThe above issues can be addressed by

    • Greater regulatory oversight and price control,
    • Revision of cement blending standards,
    • Research in improving fly ash quality,
    • Reducing the cost of transportation,
    • Provisions for overcoming information asymmetries,
    • Incentivising use in brick kilns for producing fly ash bricks,
    • Overall sensitization of key decision-makers on the matter.
    • Instead of dumping it on ash ponds, can be used for construction due to its reuse as pozzolan, and replacement of portland cement by hydraulic cement
    • Due to its grain size distribution, enhanced strength permeability, it can be used to construct embankments at road construction, concrete dams like GHATGHAR DAM
    • Strong penalties for those production units who do not use proper filtration devices
    • Moving to renewable energy production away from coal-based thermal production.

    Conclusion

    • Utilization of Fly Ash is not only possible but also essential. In this context “Fly Ash Mission of Government of India” is a slow but steady start, the pace of which needs to be ramped up. An honest effort is required by the concerned stakeholders to improve the perceptions of fly ash-based cement or concrete; increase its use, particularly for government works; and impart scientific knowledge about fly ash, its uses, and possible impacts.

    Mains question

    Q. What is fly ash? Discuss the environmental challenges it poses. Suggest how to address the situation.

     

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  • What are the Big Seven Cats?

    We often get confused to differentiate between Cheetah/Bagh/Sher/Puli. The cheetah, which is being re-introduced to India from Africa, is not to be confused with the leopard, which too has spots that look somewhat similar.

    How are all Big Cats differentiated?

    [A] Genus Panthera

    • This is the genus of large wild cats that can roar but can’t purr.
    • Among them, the lion, the leopard, and the jaguar are more closely related, while the other strand has the tiger and the snow leopard.
    • The snow leopard is an exception to the rest of the group in that it can’t roar.

    (1) Tiger (Panthera Tigris)

    Size: 75-300 kg | IUCN status : Endangered

    • Jim Corbett’s “large-hearted gentleman with boundless courage”, the solitary and strongly territorial tiger is the largest of all wild cats and also the earliest Panthera member to exist.
    • Primarily a forest animal, they range from the Siberian taiga to the Sunderban delta.
    • The national animal of India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, and South Korea, the tiger was voted the world’s favourite animal ahead of the dog in a 2004 Animal Planet global online poll.

    (2) Lion (Panthera Leo

    Size: 100-250 kg | IUCN status: Vulnerable

    • Native to Africa and Asia, the lion is the most social cat, and lives in groups called prides.
    • They prefer open forests such as scrubland, and adult males have a prominent mane.
    • The lion is arguably the most widely recognised animal symbol in human culture — be it the Ashoka pillar in Sarnath, the main entrance to Buckingham Palace, or the 20th Century Fox and MGM logo.

    (3) Jaguar (Panthera Onca)

    Size: 50-110 kg | IUCN status: Near Threatened

    • The largest cat in the Americas, the Jaguar has the strongest bite force of all wild cats, enabling it to bite directly through the skull of its prey.
    • Melanistic (black) Jaguars are common and are often called black panthers.
    • Jaguar was a powerful motif in the Mayan and Aztec civilisations.

    (4) Leopard (Panthera Pardus)

    Size: 30-90 kg | IUCN status: Vulnerable

    • Similar in appearance to the Jaguar with a rosette patterned coat, the leopard was described by Jim Corbett as “the most beautiful of all animals” for its “grace of movement and beauty of colouring”.
    • The most adaptable of all big cats, they occupy diverse habitats at all altitudes across Africa and Asia.
    • Like black jaguars, melanistic leopards are called black panthers.
    • In some African cultures, leopards are considered to be better hunters than lions.

    (5) Snow leopard (Panthera Uncia)

    Size: 25-55 kg | IUCN status : Vulnerable

    • The ghost of the mountains, this smokey-grey cat lives above the snow line in Central and South Asia.
    • The most elusive of all big cats, it cannot roar, and has the longest tail of them all — which comes in handy for balance while hunting along the cliffs, and also gives warmth when wrapped around the body.
    • The snow leopard is the state animal of Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh.

    [B] Genus Puma

    • Closely related to the domestic cat, this genus has only one extant species, the cougar.

    Cougar (Puma concolor)

    Size: 40-100 kg | IUCN status: Least Concern

    • The cougar is the second-largest cat in the Americas. (The Jaguar is the largest.)
    • Cougars are also called ‘mountain lion’ and ‘panther’ across their range from the Canadian Yukon to the Southern Andes.
    • Concolor is latin for “of uniform colour”. The Incas designed the city of Cusco in the shape of a cougar.

    [C] Genus Acinonyx

    • This is a unique genus within the cat family, with only one living member, the cheetah.

    Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)

    Size: 20-70 kg | IUCN status: Vulnerable

    • The fastest land mammal, the cheetah is the only cat without retractable claws — the grip helps it accelerate faster than any sports car (0-100 km/hr in 3 seconds).
    • Cheetahs are not aggressive towards humans, and they have been tamed since the Sumerian era.
    • They don’t breed well in captivity — picky females play hard to get.
    • Cheetahs are not really big, and they hunt during the day to avoid competing with other big cats.

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