Regarding the legal protection of Dugong (Sea Cow) in India, consider the following statements:

Question

Regarding the legal protection of Dugong (Sea Cow) in India, consider the following statements:

Statement 1: The Dugong is protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

Statement 2: This classification provides the Dugong with the highest level of legal protection, similar to that of the Tiger. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. A. Neither Statement 1 nor Statement 2
2. B. Only Statement 2
3. C. Only Statement 1
4. D. Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 (Correct answer)

Correct Answer

Option D — Both Statement 1 and Statement 2

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is Both Statement 1 and Statement 2.

Key Points

• Statement 1 is correct. The Dugong, or sea cow, is listed in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, the category carrying the highest level of protection.
• Statement 2 is correct in describing what that classification entails — the strictest penalties and an absolute prohibition on hunting.
• Both being accurate, the answer is the "both" option.

Additional Information

• The Dugong is India's only herbivorous marine mammal, feeding on seagrass, and is found around the Gulf of Mannar, Gulf of Kachchh, Palk Bay and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
• India established its first Dugong Conservation Reserve in Palk Bay, Tamil Nadu, in 2022.
• The species is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, threatened chiefly by seagrass loss and accidental capture in fishing nets.
• Other Schedule I species commonly asked: tiger, Asiatic lion, snow leopard, great Indian bustard, gangetic dolphin, black buck and the one-horned rhinoceros.