Mammals in the News for UPSC: Tiger, Lion, Cheetah, Elephant, Snow Leopard, River Dolphin and Other Species Cards
How UPSC Tests Mammals in the News
🎯 Exam priority: Tier-1 (species-in-the-news is the fastest-growing part of the Environment paper). The 2023 paper asked which of three animals is nocturnal, whether Indian squirrels burrow, which animal makes a tool from a stick and the Statement-I/II question on marsupials; 2024 asked big-cat behaviour (lions have no breeding season, cheetahs cannot roar) and three country-animal pairs; 2026 asked about the Western hoolock gibbon. The questions are about the animal, not the policy: where it lives, what it does, how it differs from a relative.
Use this article in three passes. First the official numbers for the flagship programmes (the ones that recur in current affairs). Then the species cards: status and the one fact that identifies each animal. Last the behaviour traps that the last three papers used.
A note on statuses. IUCN categories below are as listed in the IUCN Red List's 2023-1 update, compiled from a secondary list; they are re-assessed periodically, so for a species in a fresh news story, check the latest category before relying on it. The population numbers come from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change's Annual Report 2025-26, or are web-verified where marked.
Flagship Programmes and Their Numbers: Tiger, Lion, Cheetah, Elephant, Snow Leopard and Dolphin
The flagship programmes and their numbers
Species / programme | What the 2025-26 reports say | Status and law |
Tiger (Project Tiger, 1973) | Population rose about 6 per cent a year from 1,411 in 2006 to 3,682 in 2022; India holds about 70 per cent of the world's wild tigers. Project Tiger supports 58 tiger reserves in 18 range States, covering nearly 2.5 per cent of India's area | IUCN: Endangered |
International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) | 19 countries have joined; the headquarters agreement was signed with India in April 2025 | Covers tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, puma, jaguar and cheetah |
Asiatic lion (Project Lion) | The 16th population estimate in 2025 counted 891 lions in Gujarat, 32.19 per cent more than in June 2020 | IUCN: Endangered; the only wild population is in Gujarat |
Cheetah (Project Cheetah) | Reintroduction began with 20 cheetahs (8 from Namibia, 12 from South Africa); by December 2025 there were 30 including 19 cubs born in India; Botswana handed over 8 more | IUCN: Vulnerable (species); the India population is a reintroduced one |
Asian elephant (Project Elephant, 1992) | India has more than 60 per cent of the wild Asian elephant population among 13 range countries. A DNA-based all-India estimate published by the Wildlife Institute of India in October 2025 put the number at about 22,446 (web-verified) | IUCN: Endangered; Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 |
Snow leopard (Project Snow Leopard) | The first nationwide assessment (SPAI, 2019-23) estimated 718: Ladakh 477, Uttarakhand 124, Himachal Pradesh 51, Arunachal Pradesh 36, Sikkim 21 and Jammu and Kashmir 9 (web-verified) | IUCN: Vulnerable (down-listed from Endangered in 2017) |
River dolphin (Project Dolphin) | The first river-dolphin population estimate reported 6,327 riverine dolphins across 28 rivers in eight States, over more than 8,500 km; Uttar Pradesh had the most, followed by Bihar, West Bengal and Assam | IUCN: Ganges river dolphin Endangered |
Two exam habits: quote the year with the number (tigers 2022, lions 2025, snow leopards 2019-23, elephants 2021-25), because the census cycles differ, and know which survey method each uses (camera traps and capture-recapture for tigers; direct counts for lions; DNA mark-recapture for the 2025 elephant estimate).
Species Cards: IUCN Status and the One Identifying Fact
Species cards: the one fact that identifies each animal
Statuses are from the IUCN Red List (2023-1 listing). Learn the 'identity fact' with the status; UPSC often builds a 'which of the following is correct' from exactly that pair.
Species | IUCN status | Identity fact (standard natural history) |
Bengal tiger | Endangered | Top predator; India's national animal; protected through tiger reserves |
Asiatic lion | Endangered | Naturally found only in India (Gir landscape, Gujarat); not found naturally anywhere else |
Leopard | Vulnerable | Most widespread big cat; the cause of many human-wildlife conflict stories |
Snow leopard | Vulnerable | High-altitude Himalayan cat; uses rocky, high mountain habitat above the tree line |
Cheetah | Vulnerable | Fastest land animal; cannot roar (it chirps and purrs); went extinct in India and has been reintroduced |
Clouded leopard | Vulnerable | Forest cat of the North-East and the Himalayan foothills |
Rusty-spotted cat | Vulnerable | One of the world's smallest wild cats; found in India (including the Eastern and Western Ghats) and Sri Lanka |
Asian elephant | Endangered | Cultural and keystone species; Schedule I; Project Elephant targets human-elephant conflict and corridors |
Indian (greater one-horned) rhinoceros | Vulnerable | Found in India and Nepal, not only in India; Kaziranga in Assam is its stronghold |
Ganges river dolphin | Endangered | Freshwater, nearly blind, uses echolocation; India's national aquatic animal |
Irrawaddy dolphin | Endangered | Brackish and freshwater dolphin; Chilika Lake in Odisha is its Indian stronghold (it is not found in the Chambal, as the 2019 pair question tested) |
Dugong | Vulnerable | A herbivorous marine mammal feeding on seagrass (the 'sea cow'); Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay |
Lion-tailed macaque | Endangered | Diurnal rainforest primate of the Western Ghats (2023 PYQ: not nocturnal) |
Western hoolock gibbon | Endangered | India's only ape; a lesser ape adapted to brachiation (swinging through trees); the Gibbon Sanctuary in Assam protects it (2026 PYQ) |
Red panda | Endangered | Eastern Himalaya: Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and nearby |
Indian pangolin | Endangered | Scaly anteater; one of the most trafficked mammals |
Nilgiri tahr | Endangered | A mountain goat of the Western Ghats |
Sangai (brow-antlered deer) | Endangered | Found only at Keibul Lamjao, the floating national park on Loktak Lake in Manipur |
Hangul (Kashmir stag) | Critically Endangered | A red-deer subspecies confined to Dachigam in Kashmir |
Pygmy hog | Endangered | The world's smallest wild pig; restricted to Assam's grasslands |
Barasingha (swamp deer) | Vulnerable | A deer of swamps and grasslands, with distinct sub-populations in Madhya Pradesh and the Brahmaputra floodplains |
Gaur, sloth bear | Vulnerable (both) | Gaur is the largest wild bovine; the sloth bear is a termite-eater |
Dhole (Asiatic wild dog) | Endangered | A pack-hunting canid of forests |
The Hangul, sangai and pygmy hog locations are classic 'where is it found' answers; the single-site species (Asiatic lion, sangai, hangul, pygmy hog) are the ones the paper turns into 'found only in' statements.
Behaviour Traps from the 2023-26 Papers and How UPSC Could Ask Next
The behaviour traps UPSC has used
Nocturnal or not (2023). Of the lion-tailed macaque, Malabar civet and sambar, only the Malabar civet is nocturnal; the macaque is diurnal and the sambar crepuscular. Check each animal's active period, not the habitat.
Squirrels (2023). Indian squirrels nest in trees (and buildings) rather than in ground burrows; they cache food in the ground and are omnivorous. The pattern 'one false, two true' recurs.
Tool use (2023). The orangutan uses a stick to extract insects; the fishing cat, otter and sloth bear are not known for it. Tool use appears across primates, some birds and sea otters.
Big-cat biology (2024). Lions have no fixed breeding season; cheetahs cannot roar; and male leopards do scent-mark territory (so the 'unlike lions' statement is false).
Marsupials (2023). Marsupials are not naturally found in India (Australasia and the Americas), so Statement-I is right, but the claim that they thrive only in montane grasslands is wrong.
Country-animal pairs (2024). The indri belongs to Madagascar, the bonobo to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and elk to the northern hemisphere. 'Native country' statements are favourites: link every unfamiliar animal to its continent.
Gibbons and apes (2026). A gibbon is a lesser ape built light for brachiation; calling it heavily built 'like a gorilla' is the false statement.
How UPSC Could Ask This Next
'Found only in India' / 'naturally found in' lists (Asiatic lion, sangai, hangul, Nilgiri tahr, lion-tailed macaque) and pairs of animal with state or park.
'How many of the above' on a mix of status or schedule (for instance, how many of tiger, snow leopard and cheetah are Endangered).
Programme-and-species matching (Project Lion, Project Dolphin, IBCA) and the latest survey year and method.
Behaviour and diet statements in the 2023-24 style.
Further Reading
NCERT Biology (Class 12) and Geography textbooks, the India State of Forest Report, the MoEFCC Annual Report, the Economic Survey and the official lists cited in this note — the primary sources behind every figure above.
Test Yourself: Practice Questions and PYQs
Twelve practice questions on India's flagship mammals, their numbers, status and behaviour, followed by the real UPSC Prelims questions.
Practice Questions
Q1. According to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change's Annual Report 2025-26, India's tiger population rose from 1,411 in 2006 to which figure in 2022?
(a) 4,105
(b) 2,967
(c) 5,010
(d) 3,682
Show answer
Answer: (d) — The report gives 3,682 tigers in 2022 and says India holds about 70 per cent of the world's wild tigers.
Q2. The 2025 population estimation of the Asiatic lion recorded how many lions in Gujarat?
(a) 523
(b) 674
(c) 1,200
(d) 891
Show answer
Answer: (d) — The 16th estimate (2025) recorded 891 lions, up 32.19 per cent over the June 2020 estimate.
Q3. Consider the following statements about Asiatic lions:
1. They are naturally found in the wild only in India.
2. They have no fixed breeding season.
3. In the 2025 estimate their population was more than 32 per cent higher than in 2020.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1, 2 and 3
(b) 1 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 2 only
(d) 2 and 3 only
Show answer
Answer: (a) — All three hold: the only wild population is in Gujarat, lions are non-seasonal breeders, and the count rose 32.19 per cent.
Q4. Which one of the following is a feature of cheetahs, as opposed to other big cats?
(a) They are nocturnal hunters only
(b) They cannot roar
(c) They are the heaviest big cat
(d) They always live in forests
Show answer
Answer: (b) — The cheetah's voice box lets it chirp and purr but not roar; it hunts by day and is the fastest land animal.
Q5. Project Cheetah in India began with 20 cheetahs from two countries. Which of the following pairs gives those countries and numbers?
(a) South Africa 20
(b) Namibia 8 and South Africa 12
(c) Kenya 10 and Botswana 10
(d) Namibia 12 and South Africa 8
Show answer
Answer: (b) — Eight came from Namibia and twelve from South Africa; Botswana later handed over eight more.
Q6. In the first all-India river-dolphin estimate reported in the Annual Report 2025-26, which State recorded the highest dolphin population?
(a) Assam
(b) Uttar Pradesh
(c) Bihar
(d) West Bengal
Show answer
Answer: (b) — Uttar Pradesh recorded the most, followed by Bihar, West Bengal and Assam; the survey covered 28 rivers in eight States and reported 6,327 dolphins.
Q7. Consider the following statements about the Asian elephant:
1. India has more than 60 per cent of the wild Asian elephant population.
2. It is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
3. It is protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
(a) All three
(b) Only one
(c) Only two
(d) None
Show answer
Answer: (a) — All three are in the Ministry's report.
Q8. Which one of the following animals is naturally found only in India among the options?
(a) Greater one-horned rhinoceros
(b) Snow leopard
(c) Asiatic lion
(d) Bactrian (double-humped) camel
Show answer
Answer: (c) — The greater one-horned rhino also lives in Nepal, the Bactrian camel in Central Asia and the snow leopard across the high mountains of Asia. Only the Asiatic lion is naturally restricted to India.
Q9. Consider the following pairs:
Animal : Place it is associated with
1. Sangai : Keibul Lamjao National Park, Manipur
2. Hangul : Dachigam, Jammu and Kashmir
3. Pygmy hog : Western Ghats of Kerala
How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
(a) All three
(b) None
(c) Only one
(d) Only two
Show answer
Answer: (d) — The sangai (Loktak's floating park) and the hangul (Dachigam) are right. The pygmy hog is a grassland species of Assam, not the Western Ghats.
Q10. Which of the following is a lesser ape that moves by brachiation and is found in the forests of North-East India?
(a) Gorilla
(b) Lion-tailed macaque
(c) Orangutan
(d) Western hoolock gibbon
Show answer
Answer: (d) — The hoolock gibbon is India's only ape; the gorilla and orangutan are not found in India, and the lion-tailed macaque is a monkey of the Western Ghats.
Q11. Statement-I: The Ganges river dolphin is an indicator of the health of river ecosystems.
Statement-II: It lives only in the freshwater of large rivers and relies on echolocation because it is nearly blind.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
(a) Both statements are correct but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I
(b) Both statements are correct and Statement-II explains why it is a useful indicator
(c) Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct
(d) Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect
Show answer
Answer: (b) — As a top freshwater predator that needs deep, clean, free-flowing river stretches, its presence reflects river health. Both statements are standard and II gives the reason.
Q12. Which one of the following is the largest wild bovine in India and is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN?
(a) Gaur
(b) Wild water buffalo
(c) Banteng
(d) Yak
Show answer
Answer: (a) — The gaur is the largest wild bovine and is Vulnerable; the wild water buffalo and banteng are Endangered.
UPSC Previous Year Questions (PYQs)
Real UPSC Prelims questions, checked against the official paper and answer key (the 2026 question uses UPSC's provisional key).
Q1. (2023) Consider the following fauna:
1. Lion-tailed Macaque
2. Malabar Civet
3. Sambar Deer
How many of the above are generally nocturnal or most active after sunset?
(a) Only one
(b) None
(c) All three
(d) Only two
Show answer
Answer: (a) — The lion-tailed macaque is diurnal and the sambar is crepuscular (active at dawn and dusk); only the elusive Malabar civet is nocturnal. So only one of the three.
Q2. (2023) Consider the following statements regarding the Indian squirrels:
1. They build nests by making burrows in the ground.
2. They store their food materials like nuts and seeds in the ground.
3. They are omnivorous.
How many of the above statements are correct?
(a) Only two
(b) Only one
(c) None
(d) All three
Show answer
Answer: (a) — Indian squirrels nest in trees (and buildings), not in ground burrows, so 1 is wrong. They cache nuts and seeds in the soil and eat insects and eggs as well as nuts and fruit, so 2 and 3 are right.
Q3. (2023) Which one of the following makes a tool with a stick to scrap insects from a hole in a tree or a log of wood?
(a) Otter
(b) Fishing cat
(c) Sloth bear
(d) Orangutan
Show answer
Answer: (d) — Orangutans are known for using sticks as tools to extract insects from holes in wood. A fishing cat, an otter and a sloth bear are not known for this.
Q4. (2024) Consider the following statements :
1. Lions do not have a particular breeding season.
2. Unlike most other big cats, cheetahs do not roar.
3. Unlike male lions, male leopards do not proclaim their territory by scent marking.
Which of the statements given above are correct ?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 1 and 3 only
(c) 1, 2 and 3
(d) 2 and 3 only
Show answer
Answer: (a) — Lions have no fixed breeding season, and cheetahs cannot roar because of the structure of their voice box (they chirp and purr). Leopards do mark their territory with scent, so 3 is wrong.
Q5. (2026, provisional key) With respect to the Western Hoolock Gibbons, which of the following statements is/are correct ?
1. A Sanctuary in North-east India is home to this ape species listed as Endangered in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
2. They have specialized brachiation and can easily swing between trees.
3. They possess a strong and heavy build like gorillas, yet are remarkably agile tree climbers.
(a) 3 only
(b) 1 only
(c) 2 and 3
(d) 1 and 2
Show answer
Answer: (d) — The Western hoolock gibbon, Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary in Assam protects it, is a lesser ape built light for brachiation, swinging arm over arm between branches. It is not heavily built like a gorilla, so 3 is wrong.
Mains Practice Questions
Use these to frame full-length answers. You don't have to answer one exactly — they show the angles UPSC tests, so let them guide which points you cover.
What are the conservation successes and the remaining challenges of Project Tiger, Project Lion and Project Cheetah? Discuss with the latest numbers.
Human-wildlife conflict is rising in India. Using the elephant, leopard and tiger as examples, discuss the causes and the measures that work.
Why are the Ganges river dolphin and the snow leopard called indicator species of river and mountain ecosystems? Discuss the threats and conservation programmes.
Evaluate the case for and against reintroducing the cheetah to India. What lessons does the early record of Project Cheetah offer?
What is the significance of the International Big Cat Alliance for India's wildlife diplomacy?
UPSC Mains — Previous Years’ Questions on this topic (last 10 years)
No direct GS Mains question has been asked specifically on this topic in the last decade — it is primarily a Prelims area. Use the practice prompts above to stay exam-ready.