UPSC Prelims 2018 CSAT Paper II · Q80 of 58 Comprehension medium

Passage

A male tiger was removed from Pench Tiger Reserve and was relocated in Panna 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 a third of India's tigers live outside tiger reserves, a situation that is dangerous for both human and animal. Prey and tigers 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 conservation 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?

  1. (a) 1 only ✓ UPSC's answer
  2. (b) 2 only
  3. (c) Both 1 and 2
  4. (d) Neither 1 nor 2

Why the answer is (a)

• The passage states that a tiger relocated from Pench to Panna trekked 250 miles back to its home, indicating that this specific relocation strategy failed to retain the animal in the new protected area.

• This single instance supports the assumption that relocating wildlife from one protected area to another is not often successful, as the tiger did not stay in the destination reserve.

• The passage attributes the presence of tigers outside reserves to the lack of recognized land corridors between protected areas, not to a failure of legislation or overall conservation efforts.

• There is no mention in the text regarding the inadequacy of Indian legislation or a general failure of conservation efforts that forced tigers to live outside protected areas.

• Therefore, only Assumption 1 is valid based on the provided text, leading to option (a).

Why the other options are wrong

(b) 2 only
Assumption 2 is invalid because the passage does not cite legislation or general conservation failure as the reason for tigers living outside reserves, but rather the lack of land corridors.
(c) Both 1 and 2
Assumption 2 is invalid because the passage does not support the claim that India lacks suitable legislation or that conservation efforts have failed.
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Assumption 1 is valid because the tiger's return trek demonstrates the failure of the relocation strategy described in the passage.

Asked in the CSAT Paper II of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2018, held on 3 June 2018. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.

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