Context:
A Sessions Court of Rajasthan has ordered the payment of half of the fine amount, imposed on a convict in a chinkara killing case to the informer as a prize.
About Chinkara:
- State animal of Rajasthan.
- Revered and considered sacred by the Bishnoi community of Rajasthan.
- The smallest antelope found in Asia.
- Characteristics:
- Covered with reddish brown smooth and glossy fur in Summer (in winter the shade becomes white)
- Reddish colour of the coat helps them in camouflaging in the grassland in order to hide from predators.
- Live for a long time without water and survive on water obtained from leaves and plants.
- When in danger, they stamp their fore foot and produce a sneeze like hiss.
- Habitat – Grasslands, dry scrub areas, desert, sand dunes, open woodlands.
- Found in – India, Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan
- In India –
- Found in Plains and low hills of Punjab, Rajasthan, Central India and the Deccan Plateau.
- Easily spotted in:Gir National Park, Panna National Park, Ranthambore National Park, Desert National Park, Bandhavgarh National Park
- Major threats – Illegal hunting, Habitat loss through overgrazing, agriculture and industrial expansion etc.
- Protection Status –
- IUCN Red List: Least concern
- Included in the CITES Appendix III and Conservation of Migratory Species
- Schedule I of Wildlife Protection Act of India, 1972
About Bishnois:
- Founder: Guru Jambeshwar, a Rajput chieftain of Marwar, in western Rajasthan.
- 29 commandments – Covers environmental protection and compassion for all living creatures.
- They are commanded to provide shelter for abandoned animals and prohibited to cut down trees (e.g. Khejri trees).
- Bishnoi Movement was led by Amrita Devi in which around 363 people sacrificed their lives for the protection of their forests.
Khejri trees (State tree of Rajasthan) plays an important role in maintaining the ecosystem of Thar region because of its ability to survive in dry weather. Their fruit is used to make the popular dish ‘Sangri’.
Which one of the following makes a tool with a stick to scrape insects from a hole in a tree or a log of wood?
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2023 Prelims]
- Fishing cat
- Orangutan
- Otter
- Sloth bear
Source: The Hindu