Comprehension : Comprehension

Q 241 / 466

UPSC CSE Prelims 2018

A male tiger vas removed from the Pench Tiger Reserve and was relocated in Parma National Park. Later, this tiger trekked toward his home 250 miles away. The trek of this solitary tiger highlights a crisis. Many wildlife reserves exist as islands of fragile habitat in a vast sea of humanity, yet tigers can range over a hundred miles, seeking prey, mates and territory. Nearly one third of India’s tigers live outside the tiger reserves, a situation that is dangerous for both human and animals. The tigers and prey can only disperse if there are recognized corridors of land between protected areas to allow unmolested passage.

With reference to the above passage, the following assumptions have been made.

  1. The strategy of conversation of wildlife by relocating them from one protected area to another is not often successful.
  2. India does not have suitable legislation to save the tigers and its conservation efforts have failed which forced the tigers to live outside protected areas.

Which of the above assumptions is/are valid?

EXPLANATION

Correct Option (1)

The passage details an instance where a male tiger, after being relocated from Pench Tiger Reserve to Panna National Park, trekked 250 miles back towards its original habitat. This specific event directly illustrates a limitation in the strategy of wildlife relocation. The tiger's behavior suggests that such relocation efforts may not always be successful, particularly when the animals possess strong homing instincts and the landscape lacks adequate corridors for natural movement. Thus, the assumption that the strategy of conservation by relocating wildlife is not often successful is valid, as demonstrated by the provided example.

Incorrect Options:

The passage does not provide any information to support the assumption that India lacks suitable legislation for tiger conservation or that its conservation efforts have failed. Instead, the passage identifies the core issue as fragmented habitats and the absence of recognized land corridors between protected areas, which restrict the movement of tigers and prey. The crisis highlighted is one of ecological connectivity and habitat management, not a deficiency in legal frameworks or a complete failure of conservation initiatives. Therefore, the second assumption is not valid based on the context provided in the passage.