Previous Year Question
Consider the following pairs:
Protected Area | Well-known for |
1. Bhitarkanika, Odisha | Salt Water Crocodile |
2. Desert National Park, Rajasthan | Great Indian Bustard |
3. Eravikulam, Kerala | Hoolock Gibbon |
Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?
1 only
1 and 2 only
2 only
1, 2 and 3
Correct Answer: B
Detailed Solution
Pair 1 is correctly matched: Bhitarkanika is a mangrove and wetland ecosystem located in the Brahmani-Baitarani estuarine region of Odisha.
Bhitarkanika National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary are particularly famous for the conservation of the Salt Water Crocodile.
The scientific name of the Salt Water Crocodile is Crocodylus porosus, and it can attain the largest size among living crocodilian species.
It occurs in estuaries, tidal rivers, mangrove swamps and brackish and saline waters.
A breeding and conservation programme for Salt Water Crocodiles was undertaken at Bhitarkanika, resulting in the recovery of its population.
The Bhitarkanika mangroves also provide habitat to waterbirds, pythons, monitor lizards, chital and numerous fish and turtle species.
Pair 2 is correctly matched: The Desert National Park is located in the Thar Desert across the Jaisalmer and Barmer districts of Rajasthan.
It is one of the last major natural habitats and conservation sites of the Great Indian Bustard.
The scientific name of the Great Indian Bustard is Ardeotis nigriceps, and it occurs in open grasslands, scrublands and semi-arid landscapes.
Conversion of grasslands, human disturbance and collisions with overhead power lines are its major threats.
Chinkara, desert fox, desert cat and several resident and migratory birds also occur in the Desert National Park.
Pair 3 is incorrectly matched: Eravikulam National Park is situated in the high-altitude shola-grasslands of the Western Ghats in the Idukki district of Kerala.
Eravikulam is mainly famous for conserving the Nilgiri Tahr, not the Hoolock Gibbon.
The scientific name of the Nilgiri Tahr is Nilgiritragus hylocrius, and it is adapted to the steep cliffs and montane grasslands of the southern Western Ghats.
Anamudi, the highest peak of southern India, is situated within the Eravikulam landscape, which is also famous for the mass flowering of Neelakurinji.
The Hoolock Gibbon is India’s only naturally occurring ape, and its distribution is mainly restricted to the evergreen and semi-evergreen forests of north-eastern India.