UPSC CSE Prelims 2004

Correct Option

Statement 2 is correct. Gibbons are the only ape species native to India. The Hoolock gibbon (Hoolock hoolock and Hoolock leucomyurus) is found in the dense evergreen and semi-evergreen forests of the northeastern states, including Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura.

Incorrect Options

Statement 1 is incorrect. Pangolins, which are toothless mammals, are indeed found in India. Two species are native to the Indian subcontinent:

• The Indian Pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) is widely distributed across various parts of India.
• The Chinese Pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) is found in the northeastern regions of India.

Both species are listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, highlighting their conservation importance.

Option (a) is incorrect because statement 1 is false.

Option (c) is incorrect because statement 1 is false.

Option (d) is incorrect because while statement 2 is correct, the option suggests that neither statement is correct, which is not true for statement 2.