Recently there was a proposal to translocate some of the lions from their natural habitat in Gujarat to which one of the following sites ?
Show answer
Answer: B. Asiatic lions survive in the wild only in and around Gir in Gujarat, so a single disease outbreak could wipe them out. To create a second home, Kuno-Palpur Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh was chosen, and in 2013 the Supreme Court ordered the translocation of some Gir lions there. So the site is Kuno-Palpur (as of 2017; the lions were not moved, and Kuno received African cheetahs in 2022).
Watch for: Watch for Sariska; it is famous for relocating tigers, which makes it feel like a fit.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Wrong because Corbett in Uttarakhand is a tiger reserve, not the chosen lion site.
- C. Wrong because Mudumalai in Tamil Nadu was not proposed for lions.
- D. Wrong because Sariska in Rajasthan is known for tiger reintroduction, not lions.
Source to check: Supreme Court judgment, Centre for Environmental Law, WWF-I v. Union of India (2013); Wildlife Institute of India reports on Kuno (wii.gov.in)
Answer from the official UPSC key. Written and fact-checked by AI against the official key. Spotted a mistake? Report it.