SSC
The Blackbuck National Park at Velavadar is located in:
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Answer: Option D — Gujarat
Detailed Solution
The Blackbuck National Park is located at Velavadar, in the Bhavnagar district of Gujarat, in the Bhal region near the Gulf of Khambhat.
About the Blackbuck National Park:
- It was declared a national park in 1976.
- It covers about 34 square kilometres of flat grasslands, which were once the hunting grounds of the Maharaja of Bhavnagar.
- It was created mainly to protect the blackbuck, and it has one of the largest populations of blackbuck in India.
- It is also home to wolves, striped hyenas, jungle cats, foxes, nilgai and many birds.
- It is known for one of the world's largest communal roosts of harriers (birds of prey), which migrate here in winter.
- It is an important habitat for the lesser florican, an endangered bustard species, and for birds such as the sarus crane.
About the blackbuck:
Its scientific name is "Antilope cervicapra". It is an antelope native to India and Nepal.
The males are dark brown or black on top with white undersides and long, spiral horns; females are fawn-coloured and usually hornless.
It is one of the fastest land animals, able to run at more than 70 km/h.
It is protected under Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, and is listed as "Least Concern" on the IUCN Red List after its population recovered.
It is the state animal of Andhra Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab.
It is held sacred by the Bishnoi community of Rajasthan, who protect it strongly.
Other protected areas for blackbuck:
- Point Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary: Tamil Nadu.
- Tal Chhapar Sanctuary: Rajasthan.
- Ranibennur Blackbuck Sanctuary: Karnataka.
Other national parks of Gujarat:
- Gir National Park: the only natural home of the Asiatic lion.
- Marine National Park: Gulf of Kutch; India's first marine national park (1980/82).
- Vansda National Park.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Rajasthan has the Tal Chhapar Sanctuary for blackbuck.
- ✗Andhra Pradesh has the blackbuck as its state animal.
- ✗Punjab also has the blackbuck as its state animal.
Quick tip
Remember: Blackbuck National Park = Velavadar, Bhavnagar, Gujarat (1976; harrier roost; lesser florican); blackbuck = state animal of Andhra Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab; Gir = Asiatic lions.
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Biodiversity, National Parks & Wildlife — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Biodiversity, National Parks & Wildlife, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers biodiversity and its conservation: biodiversity hotspots, endangered and endemic species, the IUCN Red List, in-situ and ex-situ conservation, India's national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, tiger reserves and biosphere reserves, and wildlife conservation projects. Questions commonly ask in which state a national park is located and which animal it is known for (Kaziranga in Assam for the one-horned rhinoceros, and Gir in Gujarat for the Asiatic lion), when Project Tiger began (1973), and which regions of India are biodiversity hotspots. The number of protected areas changes as new ones are declared, so check the latest lists. Practise the biodiversity and conservation questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.