Q: Which one of the following is the national aquatic animal of India?
a) Saltwater crocodile
b) Olive ridley turtle
c) Gangetic dolphin
d) Gharial
The correct answer is Option 3.
Gangetic Dolphin
- It is the National Aquatic Animal of India. Hence, Option 3 is correct.
- It represents the purity of the river Ganga as it can only survive in pure and fresh water.
- The Ministry of Environment and Forests notified the Ganges River Dolphin as the National Aquatic Animal on 18th May 2010.
- The Scientific name of the Gangetic Dolphin is Platanista gangetica.
- This is one of the five river dolphins found in the world.
- It is locally known as Susu, because of the noise they make while breathing.
- It inhabits parts of the Ganges, Meghna, and Brahmaputra rivers in India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh, and the Karnaphuli River in Bangladesh.
- This is a critically endangered species in India and therefore, has been included in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, of 1972.
- It is listed as Endangered on IUCN red list. The species is listed under Appendix I of CITES.
- To conserve these endangered dolphins by the Wildlife Institute of India. (“Development of conservation action plan for Dolphins” in 2016.
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