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Subject: SpeciesXThreats and Conservation efforts

  • 3 Great Indian Bustard Chicks Placed in Rewilding Tunnel

    Why in News?

    Three Great Indian Bustard (Godawan) chicks bred at the Godawan Conservation Centre, Jaisalmer, have been placed in a specially designed rewilding tunnel to prepare them for release into the Desert National Park under India’s captive breeding and species recovery programme.

    Background

    • The initiative is part of the Great Indian Bustard Recovery Programme, implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) in collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Rajasthan Forest Department and international conservation partners.

    Great Indian Bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps)

    • One of the heaviest flying birds in the world and endemic to the Indian subcontinent.
    • Locally known as Godawan in Rajasthan.
    • Inhabits arid grasslands, scrublands and semi-desert ecosystems.
    • Rajasthan’s Desert National Park holds the largest surviving wild population.

    Conservation Status

    • IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
    • Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I (highest protection)
    • CITES: Appendix I
    • CMS (Bonn Convention): Appendix I

    Major Threats

    • Collision with overhead power transmission lines (largest cause of mortality).
    • Habitat loss and fragmentation due to agriculture, infrastructure and renewable energy projects.
    • Predation of eggs and chicks by feral dogs and other predators.
    • Low reproductive rate (typically one egg per breeding season).

    Conservation Measures

    • National Conservation Action Plan for Great Indian Bustard (2013).
    • Species Recovery Programme under the Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats (IDWH) scheme.
    • Captive Breeding Centre at Jaisalmer for population augmentation.
    • Undergrounding or bird diverters on power lines in priority habitats following Supreme Court directions.
    • Habitat protection and predator management in key breeding areas.

    [2012] Which one of the following groups of animals belongs to the category of endangered species?
    (a) Great Indian Bustard, Musk Deer, Red Panda and Asiatic Wild Ass
    (b) Kashmir Stag, Cheetal, Blue Bull and Great Indian Bustard
    (c) Snow Leopard, Swamp Deer, Rhesus Monkey and Saras (Crane)
    (d) Lion tailed Macaque, Blue Bull, Hanuman Langur and Cheetal

  • Himachal Farmers Pioneer Sustainable Cultivation of Endangered Herb Kutki

    Why in News?

    Farmers in Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, have adopted a sustainable cultivation model for the endangered medicinal herb Kutki (Picrorhiza kurroa), reducing pressure on wild populations while improving rural livelihoods.

    What is Kutki?

    https://images.openai.com/static-rsc-4/eWJ2ajVfg0zD8mqVFk2bAyran6DbVQWDRMwp849TfVFy-KN1JhXyyDk3rpPBkEE95grNmcLcTJrOfGsKlfbQB7DKDSFiDYJduuI7CMrtuVLDHMvt0KP9aej7jW63DUIpIUlxRvBo5G2gKSlXtTHtdQ-pute8ik196DZec7QgGpKSGuy9WiCmGoGjNwUSJeAo?purpose=fullsize
    • A high-value Himalayan medicinal herb found at 2,700 to 4,500 m altitude.
    • Native to Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Nepal and Bhutan.
    • Widely used in Ayurveda for liver and digestive ailments.

    Why is it Endangered?

    • Overharvesting by uprooting the entire plant.
    • Habitat degradation and rising commercial demand.
    • Declining natural populations.

    Sustainable Cultivation Model

    • Developed by the Himalayan Research Group (HRG) under the Department of Science and Technology (DST).
    • Farmers harvest only the stolons (horizontal stems), leaving the mother plant intact.
    • This enables repeated harvesting, conserves the species, and provides a steady source of income.
    • The programme is supported by DST’s Science for Equity, Empowerment and Development (SEED) Division and expanded under the Department of Biotechnology’s Himalayan Bioresource Mission (2022).

    Conservation Status

    • IUCN Red List: Endangered
    • CITES: Appendix II (international trade regulated through permits)

    Prelims Value Added

    • CITES (1973; in force from 1975) regulates international trade in endangered species.
    • Secretariat: Geneva, Switzerland.
    • Appendix I: Commercial trade generally prohibited.
    • Appendix II: Regulated trade.
    • Appendix III: Protected by at least one country seeking international cooperation.

    [2022] With reference to “Gucchi” sometimes mentioned in the news, consider the following statements:
    1. It is a fungus.
    2. It grows in some Himalayan Forest areas.
    3. It is commercially cultivated in the Himalayan foothills of north-eastern India.
    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    [A] 1 only

    [B] 3 only

    [C] 1 and 2

    [D] 2 and 3

  • Consider the following statements

    Consider the following statements:

    Statement-I:
    The Indian Flying Fox is placed under the “vermin” category in the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.

    Statement-II:
    The Indian Flying Fox feeds on the blood of other animals.

    Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

  • Consider the following animals of India

    Consider the following animals of India:
    1. Crocodile
    2. Elephant
    Which of these is/are endangered species?

  • Which one of the following is not a site for in-situ method of conservation of flora

    Which one of the following is not a site for in-situ method of conservation of flora?

  • Vultures which used to be very common in Indian countryside some years ago are rarely seen nowadays. This is attributed to

    Vultures which used to be very common in Indian countryside some years ago are rarely seen nowadays. This is attributed to:

  • Which one of the following groups of animals belongs to the category of endangered species

    Which one of the following groups of animals belongs to the category of endangered species?

  • Consider the following fauna of India

    Consider the following fauna of India :
    (1). Gharial
    (2). Leatherback turtle
    (3). Swamp deer
    Which of the above is/are endangered?

  • The most important strategy for the conservation of biodiversity together with traditional

    The most important strategy for the conservation of biodiversity together with traditional
    human life is the establishment of:

  • Which one of the following is the national aquatic animal of India

    Which one of the following is the national aquatic animal of India?