Prelims Focus – 20th May 2024

Nor’westers 

In News: India aims to launch its first research testbed dedicated to studying Nor’westers (aka Kalbaisakhi).

• The proposed studies testbed facility, mutually developed by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (Pune), and National Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting (Delhi).
• It aims to cover a large vicinity adjoining West Bengal, Odisha, and Jharkhand, with the control centre at Chandbali in the Bhadrak district of Odisha.
• The facility might be equipped with drones, cellular vans, and high-stop gadgets.
• The big data generated from the capacity are anticipated to make well timed thunderstorm predictions, difficulty nowcast warnings (an occasion in less than 3 hours), and in the long run keep lives.

Iberian lynx

In News: The number of endangered Iberian lynx in the wild in Spain and Portugal has nearly doubled since 2020 to surpass 2,000 last year.

• • Scientific name: Lynx pardinus
  • Characteristics: The Iberian lynx is a medium-sized nocturnal cat with a short tail, a brief frame, lengthy legs, tufted ears, and a pretty small head.
    • It has vivid yellowish to tawny coloured spotted fur. 
  • Distribution: Once disbursed at some stage in the Iberian Peninsula, the species is now carefully dispensed in Spain and Portugal.
  • Threats: It is threatened by way of habitat loss, street accidents, and unlawful hunting. In 2007, numerous people died of pussycat leukemia.

• Conservation Status

• • IUCN status: Endangered
  • It is  blanketed beneath appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

Iberian lynx

In News: The Spanish government announced that the population of endangered Iberian lynx in the wild in Spain and Portugal has almost doubled since last year.

• The Iberian lynx is one of two carnivore species native to Europe and is the most endangered. 
• It is known for its distinctive appearance and is sexually dimorphic, with males being larger than females. 
• The lynx is nocturnal and closely follows the activity patterns of its main prey, the rabbit. 
• Its habitat consists of varied terrain with a mix of shrubland and grassland.
•  Once found throughout the Iberian Peninsula, the lynx is now only sparsely distributed in Spain and Portugal due to threats such as poaching and habitat destruction. 
• It is classified as endangered on the IUCN Red list and listed on CITES Appendix II.

National Endangered Species Day

In News: The global celebration of National Endangered Species Day took place recently.

• National Endangered Species Day is observed every year in May to raise awareness about the impact of human activities on endangered species. 
• The day was established in 2006 by David Robinson and the Endangered Species Coalition to encourage people to take action to protect endangered species. 
• The theme for 2024 is “Celebrate Saving Species,” highlighting the importance of conservation efforts and promoting activities that help protect endangered species, such as habitat restoration and advocating for stronger environmental policies.

Download as PDF