B [Buffalo]
Notes: Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Shri Parshottam Rupala released the Breed-Wise Report of Livestock and Poultry based on 20th Livestock Census. For the first time, breed wise data was collected by using tablet computers.
As per the report, the Exotic and Crossbred animal contribute 26.5% of the total cattle population whereas 73.5% are Indigenous and Non-descript cattle. Crossbred Jersey has the highest share in Exotic/Crossbred cattle. Gir, Lakhimi and Sahiwal breeds are highest in Indigenous Cattle. In Buffalo, the Murrah breed contributes 42.8%. They are commonly found in UP and Rajasthan.

B [Assam]
Notes: Foxtail orchid or Kopou Phool is the State Flower of Assam. Foxtail Orchid (Rhynchostylis retusa) is used in the Bohag Bihu festival of the state.
A private orchid garden is being maintained by a farmer and conservationist of Assam. It includes a number of Foxtail orchids and other orchid breeds like rhynchostlis retusa white, Dendrobium lituiflorum yellow, Vanda ampullaceal among others.

C [Himachal Pradesh]
Notes: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed the Himachal Pradesh Town and Country Planning Department to put on hold the Draft Development Plan, Shimla Planning Area 2041.
The Development Plan was prepared under the AMRUT sub-scheme and it proposes to permit construction of more floors, new constructions in core area as well as constructions in green area. An environmental activist had filed the application in the NGT against the draft development plan.

A [Kolkata]
Notes: Kolkata recently became the first major metropolitan city in India to prepare a detailed register of biodiversity.
The People’s Biodiversity Register (PBR) includes 399 plant and 283 animal species. The Forest Survey of India’s recent report flagged the West Bengal Capital for the least green cover among all metro cities. Chandigarh and Indore have also prepared a similar document.

B [Maharashtra]
Notes: The Maharashtra State Board for Wildlife (MSBWL) has approved 12 new conservation reserves and three wildlife sanctuaries.
The new sanctuaries are the extension of the Lonar wildlife sanctuary, Kolamarka sanctuary and Muktai Bhawani sanctuary. These protected areas (PAs) will have an area of 1,000 sq km which is twice the size of Mumbai city. Maharashtra has 6 national parks, 50 sanctuaries, 15 conservation reserves and six tiger projects.

B [Tortoise]
Notes: Chelonoidis phantasticus meaning ‘fantastic giant tortoise’ has been recently confirmed to belong to a Galápagos species which was believed extinct.
The giant tortoise ‘Fernanda’, which was found alive in 2019, was named after ‘Fernandina Island’, where she was found in. The tortoise is the first of her species, Chelonoidis phantasticus, to be identified in more than a century.

C [Andhra Pradesh]
Notes: The Andhra Pradesh State Wildlife Department has commenced the first-ever survey of blackbucks along a stretch of islands in the Godavari between Dowleswaram and Yanam.
The survey aims of drawing up a conservation plan to protect the endangered species.

A [Tamil Nadu]
Notes: India has designated five new wetlands of International importance, as the Ramsar sites in the country have been increased from 49 to 54. The new sites include three wetlands (Karikili Bird Sanctuary, Pallikaranai Marsh Reserve Forest and Pichavaram Mangrove) in Tamil Nadu, one (Pala wetland) in Mizoram and one wetland (Sakhya Sagar) in Madhya Pradesh.

B [China]
Notes: Scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences have discovered a new species of venomous snake, belonging to the pit viper genus Gloydius. It is a genus of venomous, small-bodied snakes endemic to Asia. The newly-identified species, Gloydius lateralis, occurs in the Jiuzhaigou National Nature Reserve, a world heritage site located in China.

C [Assam]
Notes: As per the data presented by the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, around 0.34 million hectares (mha) crop area has been damaged due to natural calamities in just the first four months of 2022-23.
The highest damage of 0.24 mha was seen in Assam, which was hit by heavy floods. Over 59,000 livestock have also died during this time. In 2021-22, 0.34 mha crop area was damaged in the whole year.