A major temple in Assam has signed a MoU with NGOs, the Assam State Zoo-cum-Botanical Garden and the Kamrup district administration for the long-term conservation of the rare freshwater black softshell turtle or the Nilssonia nigricans.

Two years back, one species from our newscard: Species in news: Hump-backed Mahseer made it into the CSP 2019.  The ‘Puntius Sanctus’ fish in the newscard creates such a vibe yet again.

A stand-alone species being mentioned in the news for the first time (and that too from Southern India) find their way into the prelims. Make special note here.

 

Q.Consider the following pairs

Wildlife		Naturally found in
1.	Blue-finned Mahseer	Cauvery River
2.	Irrawaddy Dolphin	Chambal River
3.	Rusty-spotted Cat	Eastern Ghats

Which of the pairs given correctly matched? (CSP 2019)

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

 

Nilssonia nigricans

• Until sightings along the Brahmaputra’s drainage in Assam, the black softshell turtle was thought to be “extinct in the wild”.
• It was confined only to ponds of temples in northeastern India and Bangladesh.
• The International Union for Conservation of Nature had in 2021 listed the turtle as “critically endangered”.
• But it does not enjoy legal protection under the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972, although it has traditionally been hunted for its meat and cartilage, traded in regional and international markets.

Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024

Attend Now