Question

Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow: (8 MARKS) The Corbett National Park, the Sonanadi Wildlife Sanctuary and the Rajaji National Park together hold the largest known concentration of Asian elephant tuskers in the world. Out of an estimated population of 1000 plus animals here, more than a third are believed to be males, most of them tuskers. Experts believe that the approximate adult male to female ratio in this belt is 1:2 which is the best anywhere in the Asian Elephant’s range. The Asian Elephant’s range extends from India to Indonesia and covers 12 countries in South and South-East Asia, the other 10 countries are Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Mynmar, Thailand, China, Kampuchea, Vietnam and Malaysia. Out of a global population of nearly 45,000 more that 50 % are found in India. The largest Indian populations of Asian elephants are found in the Southern and north-eastern states. However, poaching in these areas is on such a large scale that the male to female ratio has also dropped to almost 1: 25 in certain southern populations. These killings probably represented a dry run, for there came a wave of killings in February 2001. The first eight days of the month alone saw three cases. The first tusker was gunned down on or around February 5 near the southern boundary of the park, again with a muzzle-loading gun and a steel rod as a projectile. The poachers, working through the night, succeeded in removing the tusks. A second tusker was killed – it was found with two wounds – on February 8, near Paterpani in the core area, about 5 km from the reserve’s southern boundary. With nearly 250 wild life guards, aided by the police, combing the forest, the carcass was quickly detected, preventing the poachers from removing the tusks. The terrain is heavily forested, hilly, and crisscrossed by rivulets and dry riverbeds, making combing operations a tough task. On February 10, the carcass of one more tusker, without tusks, was discovered bringing the total to five in as many weeks.

(i) On the basis of your reading of the above passage make notes on it using recognizable abbreviations wherever necessary. Give a suitable title to the notes.
(ii) Write a summary based on the notes you have made in about 80 words.

Answer 1

Answer:

known concentration of Asian elephant tuskers in the world. Out of an estimated population of 1000 plus animals here, more than a third are believed to be males, most of them tuskers. Experts believe that the approximate adult male to female ratio in tends from India to Indonesia and covers 12 countries in South and South-East Asia, the other 10 countries are Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Mynmar, Thailand, China, Kampuchea, Vietnam and Malaysia. Out of a global population of nearly 45,000 more that 50 % are found in India. The largest Indian populations of Asian elephants are found in the Southern and north-eastern states. However, poaching in these areas is lmost 1: 25 in certain southern populations. These