Consider the following fauna of India:
- 1.Gharial
- 2.Leatherback turtle
- 3.Swamp deer
Which of the above is/are endangered?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (c) 1, 2 and 3
Answer (c): all three are threatened with extinction. The gharial and the leatherback turtle were in the IUCN's highest threat class, Critically Endangered, at the time. The swamp deer is a globally threatened species (IUCN: Vulnerable). All three are in Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, which gives the highest legal protection.
- ✓ 1. The gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, a status it has held since 2007. It is also a Schedule I species under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
- ✓ 2. The leatherback (leathery) turtle, Dermochelys coriacea, is a Schedule I species in India. It was classed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN before its 2013 global reassessment.
- ✓ 3. The swamp deer (barasingha, Cervus duvaucelii) is listed in Schedule I in India, covering all its sub-species. The IUCN classes it as Vulnerable, a threatened category. UNESCO's Kaziranga World Heritage page lists the eastern swamp deer among the park's globally threatened species.
- • Since then The IUCN's 2013 reassessment moved the leatherback turtle to 'Vulnerable' (criteria A2bd) globally. The gharial remains Critically Endangered.
Remember · Gharial: Critically Endangered (IUCN). Leatherback: Critically Endangered until its 2013 reassessment. Swamp deer: Vulnerable. All three are threatened and in Schedule I in India, so 'endangered' fits each one.
Sources
- IUCN Red List: Gharial, Gavialis gangeticus ↗ “Gavialis gangeticus is listed as Critically Endangered under criteria A2bce.”
- IUCN Red List: Leatherback Turtle, Dermochelys coriacea (2013 assessment) ↗ “Dermochelys coriacea is listed as Vulnerable under criteria A2bd.”
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Kaziranga National Park ↗ “The property also provides habitat for a number of globally threatened species including tiger, Asian elephant, wild water buffalo, gaur, eastern swamp deer, Sambar deer, hog deer”
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Barasingha or Barasinga Swamp deer, Endangered, Kaziranga National Park (photo document, 2008) ↗ “Barasingha or Barasinga Swamp deer, Endangered, Cervus Duvaucelii, Cervidae Family, Artiodactyla order, Kaziranga national park, Assam, India”
- DGFT, Appendix 1: Wild Life entries in Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 (Schedule I reptiles) ↗ “11. Leathery Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) 12. Logger Head Turtle (Caretta caretta) 13. Olive Back Logger Head Turtle (lepidochelys olivacea) … 35. Swamp Deer (All sub-species of Cervus duvauceli) 36. Takin or Mishmi Takin (Budorcus taxicolor) 36-A. Tibetan Antelope or Chiru (Panthelops hodgsoni)”
Question: UPSC Civil Services (Preliminary) 2013, General Studies Paper I. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 25 Oct 2026 (how we verify). ·
