Question

When was the Black Buck National Park established?
A. 1975
B. 1976
C. 1978
D. 1980

Answer 1

Hint: When the park was recognized, the original endangered area measured about 18 sq. km. In 1980, another 16 sq. km was added, expanding the entire area to $34.08$ sq. km. A southern share of the park, which connects the Gulf of Khambhat, is in the Gulf's high tide region and gets swamped with water. Yet, its semi-arid circumstances, together with this flood of seawater during monsoon, make environments appropriate for numerous reliant faunas of the park.

Complete step-by-step solution:
Established in 1976 in the Bhal region of Saurashtra, the park is set about 42 km from the district headquarters city of Bhavnagar. Embracing the shores of the Gulf of Khambhat on the south, it is stretched over an area of $34.08$ sq. km, which was principally a "vidi" (grassland) of the maharaja of the princely state of Bhavnagar for pursuing the blackbucks with his well-known hunting cheetahs. On the northern side, it is encircled by wastelands and agricultural grounds. Apart from this, the national park has also been categorized as 4B Gujarat-Rajwada biotic areas of the semi-arid bio-geographical region. Flatland, dry grasses, and herds of antelope have always fascinated visitors to this park which has a grassland ecosystem. Fruitful preservation agendas for the blackbuck, wolf, and lesser florican (a bustard) are continuing. Measured to be a prevalent Indian species, the lesser florican, which once lived all over the nation, has become endangered in current decades. Local wolf numbers are rising, as are striped hyena, with findings quite common during daylight in winter 2012-2013.

Thus, option (B) is correct.

Note: The fauna population of the park mostly comprises blackbucks, wolves, Macqueen's bustards, hyenas, and lesser floricans, with foxes, jackals, and jungle cats as the key carnivores. Other species comprise wild pigs, hares, and rodents, characteristic of the savannah type prairies and thorn scrubs. Among birds, sandgrouse and larks are seen in fair figures. According to Roger Geoffrey Clarke, the British harrier-expert, the harrier roost discovered at the park is one of the largest in the world.