Question 16 from UPSC CSE 2017 - Current
Affairs

Question

Recently there was a proposal to translocate some of the lions from their habitat in Gujarat to which one of the following sites?

IASCODEX · Accepted Answer

Correct Option: B. Kuno Palpur Wildlife Sanctuary

Strategy: Focus on the Asiatic lion conservation current affairs. Identify Gir as the only natural habitat and the Supreme Court's mandate for relocation. Select Kuno Palpur as the designated site. Eliminate other options as they are unrelated to lion translocation:
- Corbett (tiger reserve)
- Mudumalai (elephant habitat)
- Sariska (tiger reserve)

Key Info: Asiatic lions (Panthera leo persica) are currently found only in the Gir Forests of Gujarat. To mitigate risks from disease, natural calamities, or human pressures, experts have advocated for establishing a second wild population to ensure the species' safety.

In 2013, the Supreme Court of India directed the translocation of selected lions to Kuno Palpur Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh. Kuno was chosen following ecological assessments that confirmed its suitable habitat and prey base. The sanctuary was later upgraded to Kuno National Park in 2018, with prey augmentation and local relocation efforts undertaken to prepare for the lions' introduction.

Other national parks were not considered for this project:
- **Corbett National Park** (Uttarakhand) and **Sariska National Park** (Rajasthan) are renowned tiger reserves.
- **Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary** (Tamil Nadu) is known for its elephant population and Western Ghats biodiversity.

This translocation project is a key component of India's broader wildlife conservation and species recovery strategies.

IASCODEX · Answer

Option A: Corbett National Park

IASCODEX · Answer

Option C: Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary

IASCODEX · Answer

Option D: Sariska National Park