Himalayan griffon

Why in news?

• A Himalayan griffon vulture, a migratory bird species native to Himalayas, has been spotted in Point Calimere in Tamil Nadu after a gap of 12 years.

About the bird:

• The Himalayan vulture (Gyps himalayensis) or Himalayan griffon vulture is an Old World vulture and is one of the largest Old World vultures.
• It is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List.
• The Himalayan vulture lives mainly in the higher regions of the Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau at the elevation range of 1,200–5,500 m (3,900–18,000 ft).
• It is distributed from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan to India, Nepal, Bhutan to western China and Mongolia.

Point Calimere wildlife sanctuary

• Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary (PCWBS) is a 21.47-square-kilometre  protected area in Tamil Nadu.
• It is located along the Palk Strait where it meets the Bay of Bengal at Point Calimere at the southeastern tip of Nagapattinam District.
• The sanctuary was created in 1967 for conservation of the least concern blackbuck antelope, an endemic mammal species of India.
• It is famous for large congregations of waterbirds, especially greater flamingos.

Prelims Question

Consider the following statements: 
1.Point Calimere is the southernmost wildlife sanctuary in India.
2.It is the only Ramsar site, as of now in Tamil Nadu. 
Which among the above statements is/are correct?
(a)1 only 
(b)2 only 
(c)Both 1 and 2
(d)Neither 1 nor 2

Answer to prelims question