RAS question
National Chambal Sanctuary is famous for conservation of which species?
Correct answer: (D) Gharial.
National Chambal Sanctuary is famous for the conservation of the gharial, a critically endangered species protected along the Chambal River.
Explanation
National Chambal Sanctuary is linked with the Chambal River landscape across Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, with Rajasthan locations around Kota, Sawai Madhopur and Dholpur. The official UP Eco-Tourism page states that the sanctuary was notified mainly to protect the fast-dwindling population of the critically endangered gharial, and that the Chambal River running through the sanctuary provides gharial protection in the wild. This is why gharial is the best answer. The wider conservation context also includes freshwater dolphin, turtles, the threatened Gangetic dolphin and other river fauna associated with the sanctuary.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Great Indian Bustard is linked with Desert National Park, not National Chambal Sanctuary.
- (B) Blackbuck is not the species for which National Chambal Sanctuary is famous here; blackbuck is associated with Tal Chhapar.
- (C) Tiger is a Rajasthan wildlife marker for reserves such as Ranthambore and Sariska, not this Chambal riverine sanctuary.
Concept
This tests the Rajasthan geography theme of matching protected areas with flagship species. It recurs in RAS because sanctuary-species pairs are a compact way to test ecological regions, conservation priorities and map awareness.