Q.Comment upon ex-situ conservation.

The sacred grove found in Meghalaya is the one located in the Jaintia Hills, making option (A) the correct answer.

Conserving animals in a zoo, away from their natural home, is ex situ conservation, so (b) is correct.

The CBSE/NCERT curriculum recognises two conservation strategies:

• In situ (on-site): protecting species in their natural habitat — national parks, sanctuaries, biosphere reserves, sacred groves. (Options a, c and d all describe this.) …

Sacred groves conserve species within their original natural habitat, making them a traditional example of in-situ conservation, unlike zoos, botanical gardens, or safari parks, which are ex-situ.

Sacred groves are small forest patches, traditionally protected by local communities on religious or cultural grounds (often dedicated to a local deity), and they harbour many rare, endemic, and endangered species within their natural, undisturbed habitat — making them a classic form of in-situ ('on-site') conservation. Zoological parks (b), …

Ex situ (off-site) conservation protects species outside their natural habitats.

Ex situ ("off site") conservation means protecting and breeding threatened species outside their natural habitats, in specially managed places. Examples include zoological parks, botanical gardens, wildlife safari parks, and modern facilities like gene banks, seed banks, and in vitro (tissue culture) and cryopreservation (very low temperature) of gametes/seeds. Endangered animals are also bre …

A sanctuary is a protected area for in-situ conservation of wild animals where hunting is banned but some regulated human activity is permitted.

A wildlife sanctuary is a tract of land reserved by the government for the protection of wild animals and their habitat. Killing, hunting or capturing animals is strictly prohibited. Unlike a national park, certain human activities such as grazing of cattle, collection of firewood/minor forest produce and controlled tourism may be permitted, provided they do not harm the wildlife. Sanctuaries are an example of in-situ conservation (conserving species in t …