Which one of the following groups of animals belongs to the category of endangered species?
Contents18
- AGreat Indian Bustard, Musk Deer, Red Panda and Asiatic Wild Ass
- BKashmir Stag, Cheetal, Blue Bull and Great Indian Bustard
- CSnow Leopard, Swamp Deer, Rhesus Monkey and Saras (Crane)
- DLion-tailed Macaque, Blue Bull, Hanuman Langur and Cheetal
Show answer
Answer: (A) Great Indian Bustard, Musk Deer, Red Panda and Asiatic Wild Ass
The correct answer is the group where ALL species are endangered:
Option (a) — Great Indian Bustard (Critically Endangered), Musk Deer (Endangered), Red Panda (Endangered), Asiatic Wild Ass (Near Threatened/Endangered) — all are threatened species.
The other options can be eliminated because they contain common species:
- (b) includes Cheetal (deer) and Blue Bull (Nilgai) — both are abundant in India.
- (c) includes Rhesus Monkey — very common.
- (d) includes Blue Bull, Hanuman Langur, and Cheetal — all common species.
Elimination strategy: if you see Cheetal, Blue Bull, Nilgai, Rhesus Monkey, or Hanuman Langur — these are NOT endangered.
Answer: (a).
Great Indian Bustard is critically endangered with fewer than 200 birds remaining, making it one of India's most threatened species.
UPSC uses common species like Cheetal, Blue Bull, and Rhesus Monkey as trap options since students often assume all wild animals are endangered.
The question tests ability to distinguish between truly threatened species versus abundant wildlife that students encounter in news or national parks.
Critically Endangered Species in India
Environment Great Indian Bustard
Critically Endangered Species in India: UPSC Key Species
Great Indian Bustard is India's most critically endangered bird with less than 200 individuals
Musk Deer is endangered due to hunting for musk pods used in perfumes
Red Panda is endangered and found only in Eastern Himalayas
Asiatic Wild Ass survives only in Gujarat's Rann of Kutch
What Makes a Species Endangered
IUCN Red List categorizes species from Least Concern to Extinct. Critically Endangered means extremely high risk of extinction, Endangered means very high risk. India has over 2,500 animal species under threat.
Key Endangered Species from Options
Species | IUCN Status | Population | Primary Threat |
|---|---|---|---|
Great Indian Bustard | Critically Endangered | Less than 200 | Power lines, habitat loss |
Musk Deer | Endangered | Unknown | Poaching for musk |
Red Panda | Endangered | 2,500-10,000 | Habitat fragmentation |
Asiatic Wild Ass | Near Threatened | 4,000-5,000 | Habitat degradation |
Snow Leopard | Vulnerable | 400-700 in India | Climate change, prey depletion |
Lion-tailed Macaque | Endangered | 4,000 | Deforestation in Western Ghats |
Great Indian Bustard
Source: Roundglass Sustain — Out of Sight: The Rann, Thar, and the Great Indian Bustard · roundglasssustain.com
Protected Areas & Conservation
Great Indian Bustard - Protected in Desert National Park (Rajasthan) and Blackbuck National Park (Gujarat)
Red Panda - Found in Singalila National Park (West Bengal) and Namdapha (Arunachal Pradesh)
Musk Deer - Protected under Wildlife Protection Act 1972, trade banned under CITES
Asiatic Wild Ass - Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary in Little Rann of Kutch is the only habitat
Cheetal (Spotted Deer) appears in 2 wrong options - it's abundant, not endangered
Blue Bull (Nilgai) appears in 2 wrong options - it's common across India
Rhesus Monkey is widespread and Least Concern, not endangered
Hanuman Langur is common in forests and urban areas - not threatened
Don't confuse Red Panda with Giant Panda - Red Panda is native to India
Common Wildlife Species (Not Endangered)
Environment Cheetal Blue Bull Rhesus Monkey Hanuman Langur
Common Indian Wildlife: UPSC Elimination Strategy
Cheetal (Spotted Deer) is abundant in Indian forests and national parks
Blue Bull (Nilgai) is India's largest antelope, widespread and increasing
Rhesus Monkey is extremely common, used in medical research
Hanuman Langur is widespread across India, considered sacred
Why These Species Are Common
These species are adaptable to human-modified habitats and have stable populations. They often benefit from agriculture and are not hunted due to religious protection or lack of commercial value.
Common Species vs Endangered
Species | Conservation Status | Population Trend | Habitat |
|---|---|---|---|
Cheetal | Least Concern | Stable/Increasing | Forests, grasslands, parks |
Blue Bull (Nilgai) | Least Concern | Increasing | Agricultural areas, scrublands |
Rhesus Monkey | Least Concern | Stable | Urban, rural, forest areas |
Hanuman Langur | Least Concern | Stable | Forests, urban areas, temples |
Kashmir Stag | Critically Endangered | Increasing slowly | Dachigam National Park only |
Swamp Deer | Vulnerable | Stable in reserves | Grasslands, swampy areas |
UPSC Elimination Clues
Agricultural pests like Blue Bull are never endangered - farmers consider them problems
Temple animals like Hanuman Langur receive protection and food from humans
Research animals like Rhesus Monkey are bred in captivity and widely distributed
Park-common species like Cheetal are easily spotted by tourists in most national parks
Blue Bull = Nilgai - same animal, different names, always common
Don't confuse Kashmir Stag (endangered) with Cheetal (common deer)
Swamp Deer is vulnerable but Cheetal is abundant - know the difference
Hanuman Langur ≠ Lion-tailed Macaque - Hanuman common, Lion-tailed endangered
IUCN Red List Categories
Environment
IUCN Red List: Conservation Status Categories
IUCN Red List is the global standard for assessing extinction risk of species
Critically Endangered means extremely high risk of extinction in wild
Categories range from Least Concern to Extinct
Global Conservation Authority
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) maintains the Red List since 1964. It evaluates species based on population size, rate of decline, geographic range, and fragmentation.
IUCN Categories (Increasing Risk)
%%{init: {"flowchart": {"wrappingWidth": 460}}}%%
flowchart TD
s1["`**Least Concern (LC)**
Widespread, abundant species`"]
s2["`**Near Threatened (NT)**
Close to qualifying for threatened category`"]
s3["`**Vulnerable (VU)**
High risk of endangerment in wild`"]
s4["`**Endangered (EN)**
Very high risk of extinction in wild`"]
s5["`**Critically Endangered (CR)**
Extremely high risk of extinction`"]
s6["`**Extinct in Wild (EW)**
Survives only in captivity`"]
s7["`**Extinct (EX)**
No known individuals remaining`"]
s1 --> s2
s2 --> s3
s3 --> s4
s4 --> s5
s5 --> s6
s6 --> s7Indian Species by IUCN Category
Category | Example Species | Population Estimate | Key Characteristic |
|---|---|---|---|
Critically Endangered | Great Indian Bustard | <200 | Immediate extinction risk |
Endangered | Red Panda, Musk Deer | Few thousand | Very high extinction risk |
Vulnerable | Snow Leopard | 400-700 in India | High risk of endangerment |
Near Threatened | Asiatic Wild Ass | 4,000-5,000 | Could become threatened soon |
Least Concern | Cheetal, Rhesus Monkey | Hundreds of thousands | Stable, widespread populations |
Vulnerable ≠ Endangered - Vulnerable is one step less severe than Endangered
Near Threatened is NOT the same as Least Concern - it's one step away from Vulnerable
UPSC often mixes species from different threat categories in wrong options
Wildlife Protection Framework in India
Environment
Wildlife Protection in India: Laws & Conservation
Wildlife Protection Act 1972 is India's main wildlife conservation law
India has 104 National Parks and 566 Wildlife Sanctuaries
Project Tiger (1973) and Project Elephant (1992) are flagship programs
Legal Framework
Wildlife Protection Act 1972 provides legal framework for protection of wild animals and plants. Schedule I gives absolute protection to endangered species with maximum penalties for hunting or trade.
Wildlife Protection Schedules
Schedule | Protection Level | Example Species | Penalty for Hunting |
|---|---|---|---|
Schedule I | Absolute Protection | Tiger, Leopard, Rhino | 3-7 years imprisonment |
Schedule II | High Protection | Monkey, Deer species | Up to 6 years imprisonment |
Schedule III | Moderate Protection | Sambhar, Barking Deer | Up to 3 years imprisonment |
Schedule IV | Limited Protection | Small mammals, birds | Up to 3 years imprisonment |
Schedule V | Vermin (can be hunted) | Wild Boar, Rhesus Monkey | No protection in some states |
Key Conservation Bodies
National Board for Wildlife - Apex body chaired by Prime Minister for wildlife policy
Central Zoo Authority - Regulates zoos and breeding programs under Environment Ministry
Wildlife Crime Control Bureau - Combats organized wildlife crime and illegal trade
Project Tiger - Manages 51 Tiger Reserves covering 75,000 sq km across India
Protected Area Network
# Protected Areas in India
## National Parks
- 104 parks
- Core areas
- No human activity
- State government managed
## Wildlife Sanctuaries
- 566 sanctuaries
- Buffer zones
- Limited human activity
- Larger area coverage
## Tiger Reserves
- 51 reserves
- Core + buffer
- NTCA managed
- Special funding
## Biosphere Reserves
- 18 reserves
- UNESCO program
- Conservation + research
- Local community involvement