Q. Which one of the following protected areas is well-known for the conservation of a sub-species of the Indian swamp deer (Barasingha) that thrives well on hard ground and is exclusively graminivorous?

  • Kanha National Park
  • Manas National Park
  • Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary
  • Tal Chhapar Wildlife Sanctuary

Answer: (a) Kanha National Park

Notes:

  • Barasingha is the one of the rarest species of deer family spread across central and northern India only in small congregations.
  • The deer is native to India and Nepal. Barasingha are also known as swamp deer due to their nature to survive close to river valleys or swampy regions.
    • It is extinct in Pakistan and Bangladesh.
  • Kanha National Park is located in Madhya Pradesh and a renowned place for tigers. But the park’s major achievement is to save nearly extinct barasingha (swamps deers). It was a landmark achievement by preserve the highly endangered barasingha.
    • Once it only 66 of these in Kanha, but careful BarahsIngha conservation and management raised their population to over 500.
  • Barasingha can be seen in the following National Parks-
    • Dudhwa National Park, UP
    • Kanha National Park, MP
    • Pilibhit Tiger Reserve, UP
Kanha National Park
  • It is located in Madhya Pradesh and is the largest national park of MP.
  • The present-day Kanha area is divided into two protected areas, Hallon and Banjar.
  • Bengal tiger, Indian leopard, sloth bear, barasingha and dhole are important species found here.