With reference to ‘dugong’, a mammal found in India, which of the following statements is/are correct? 1) It is a herbivorous marine animal. 2) It is found along the entire coast of India 3) It is given legal protection under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

The correct answer is C. Statements 1 and 3 are right, and statement 2 is wrong.

• Statement 1 is correct. The dugong is a herbivorous marine mammal that feeds mainly on seagrass beds, which is why its survival depends on healthy seagrass meadows.
• Statement 2 is wrong. Dugongs are not found along the entire coast. Their Indian populations are confined to specific pockets such as the Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay, the Gulf of Kutch, parts of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep. The question tests whether you know that the range is patchy, not continuous.
• Statement 3 is correct. The dugong is listed in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, which gives it the highest level of legal protection. The status has not changed, though the species is classed as Vulnerable by the IUCN.

The core concept here is species protection under the Wildlife (Protection) Act and the link between a species and its habitat. For Mains, this connects to coastal and marine biodiversity conservation, seagrass ecosystem protection, and the role of biosphere reserves such as the Gulf of Mannar.

Trap: Aspirants often accept 'found along the entire coast' because the animal is marine. Always check whether a statement uses a sweeping word like 'entire' before accepting it.