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6 Jun 2026Environment & Ecology3 questions

Rare Caracal Spotted In Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park After Decades

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Article summary

A rare caracal, popularly known as the 'ghost of the grasslands', was recorded at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh during a camera-trap survey conducted by forest officials — the first confirmed sighting in the region in decades. The caracal (Caracal caracal) is a medium-sized wild cat listed as 'Least Concern' globally by the IUCN, but in India it is critically rare, with fewer than 50 individuals estimated to survive, making it one of the country's most threatened felids. Kuno National Park, already in the global spotlight as the reintroduction site for African cheetahs under Project Cheetah, hosts a mosaic of grassland and dry deciduous forest habitats that are ecologically suitable for the caracal. The sighting underscores the park's biodiversity value beyond the cheetah programme and highlights the importance of systematic camera-trap monitoring in detecting elusive species. For India, this record reinforces the need to expand conservation focus to lesser-known, data-deficient carnivores alongside flagship species.

What this tests

recallTests whether you read the article and retained key facts.
1Q
applicationTests whether you can apply the concept to a new scenario.
1Q
analysisTests whether you can reason across multiple related facts.
1Q

Sample questions — answers revealed after test

Environment & EcologyRecallEasy

Q1. With reference to the caracal (Caracal caracal) in India, which one of the following statements is correct?

AIt is listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and under Appendix I of CITES.
BIt is listed under Schedule II of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and under Appendix II of CITES.
CIt is listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, but has no listing under CITES as it is not subject to international trade.
DIt is categorised as 'Least Concern' on the IUCN Red List and receives only Schedule IV protection under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
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Environment & EcologyApplicationMedium

Q2. A wildlife biologist surveying Kuno National Park detects a caracal on a camera trap. She wants to formally record this sighting in a way that contributes to occupancy modelling and can influence the park's management plan. Which combination of institutional and legal frameworks would MOST directly govern how this data is used and what conservation obligations it triggers?

AThe sighting must be reported under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 to the National Biodiversity Authority, which then mandates a species recovery plan through the NBWL.
BAs a Schedule I species under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, the sighting data feeds into the National Wildlife Action Plan framework and can trigger mandatory review of the park's management plan by the Chief Wildlife Warden.
CSince the caracal is listed in CITES Appendix I, any confirmed sighting must be reported to the CITES Secretariat within 90 days, which then coordinates with the IUCN to update the Red List.
DCamera-trap data are protected under the Forest Rights Act, 2006, and community forest management committees must approve any use of such data in official management plans.
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Environment & EcologyAnalysisHard

Q3. Consider the following statements regarding the conservation of the caracal and the broader implications of its sighting at Kuno National Park: 1. India's grasslands are among the most threatened ecosystems partly because they are frequently classified as 'wastelands' in land-use records, making them vulnerable to diversion for agriculture and plantations. 2. The caracal's presence at Kuno is ecologically significant because, as an apex mesopredator, it is an indicator of a functional prey base of small mammals and birds in the dry deciduous forest ecosystem. 3. Camera-trap occupancy modelling requires lethal sampling of the target species to generate statistically valid population estimates. 4. Kuno National Park falls within the Khathiar-Gir dry deciduous forests ecoregion and is primarily known as the site of India's cheetah reintroduction under Project Cheetah. Which of the statements given above are correct?

A1, 2 and 4 only
B2 and 4 only
C1 and 3 only
D1, 2, 3 and 4
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