ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF (PhD) · India · NTA for ICAR
Original practice questions written to the published syllabus · not past papersHealth care of zoo and free-ranging wild animals: management and nutrition, chemical immobilisation, the major wildlife diseases, wildlife law and forensics.
In the exams: SAVC wildlife 10; ACZM and ECZM specialist colleges
ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF (PhD) and ASRB NET/ARS (India)
Recall-heavy questions on the curriculum list: zoo breeding, management and nutrition, chemical immobilisation drug groups and antagonists, capture myopathy forms, TB and anthrax in wildlife, KFD (agent, vector, monkey hosts, district of discovery), surra in zoo carnivores, the Wild Life (Protection) Act schedules, the Central Zoo Authority, CITES appendices and wildlife forensic methods.
How our questions for ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF spread across the units of Wildlife, Zoo Animal & Conservation Medicine. Difficulty: 19 easy, 17 medium, 4 hard.
| KFD and surra in wildlife | 10 | |
| Wildlife forensics | 6 | |
| Zoo animal breeding | 5 | |
| Wildlife legislation | 5 | |
| Zoo animal nutrition | 3 | |
| Chemical immobilisation | 3 | |
| Capture myopathy | 3 | |
| Tuberculosis and anthrax in wildlife | 3 | |
| Rabies and FMD in wildlife | 2 |
Choose an answer, then open the working. Each explanation says why the right answer is right and why the others are not.
What is a studbook?
B. A register of the pedigree, births, deaths and transfers of every animal in a managed population
A studbook records the identity, parentage, births, deaths and movements of all animals in a regional or global population; breeding programmes use it to calculate kinship and recommend pairings. It is not a drug register, a permit or an enrichment log.
Further reading: Kleiman, Thompson & Kirk Baer, Wild Mammals in Captivity
Which group of zoo animals needs vitamin C in the diet because it cannot synthesise it?
B. Anthropoid primates such as monkeys and apes
Monkeys and apes, like people and guinea pigs, lack the enzyme to make vitamin C and need it in the diet. Felids, deer, antelope, elephants and rhinoceroses synthesise their own vitamin C.
Further reading: Kleiman, Thompson & Kirk Baer, Wild Mammals in Captivity
At necropsy of an antelope that died of capture myopathy, which kidney lesion is expected?
B. Dark, swollen kidneys with myoglobin casts in the renal tubules
Myoglobin released from damaged muscle is filtered and precipitates in the tubules, giving dark swollen kidneys and myoglobinuric nephrosis. Chronic interstitial nephritis, renal abscesses and visceral gout have other causes.
Further reading: West, Heard & Caulkett, Zoo Animal and Wildlife Immobilization and Anesthesia
What does the M'Fadyean reaction show on a blood smear stained with polychrome methylene blue?
D. Square-ended bacilli in short chains surrounded by a pink capsule
Polychrome methylene blue stains the poly-D-glutamic acid capsule of B. anthracis pink around blue square-ended bacilli in short chains. Acid-fast rods are mycobacteria, bipolar staining suggests Pasteurella or Yersinia, and comma shapes suggest Vibrio.
Further reading: Williams & Barker, Infectious Diseases of Wild Mammals
Wildlife officers want to show, with 95% confidence, that bovine tuberculosis is absent from a large deer population at a design prevalence of 2%, assuming a perfect test. Using n = ln(1 − confidence)/ln(1 − prevalence), about how many deer must be tested?
C. About 149
n = ln(0.05) / ln(0.98) = −2.996 / −0.0202 = 148.3, rounded up to 149. About 298 is the answer for a 1% design prevalence; about 228 is for 99% confidence at 2%; about 50 is far too few. Imperfect sensitivity raises the number needed.
Further reading: Williams & Barker, Infectious Diseases of Wild Mammals
Rabies introduced from domestic dogs has repeatedly killed large proportions of which endangered carnivore in the Bale Mountains?
B. Ethiopian wolf
Ethiopian wolf populations in the Bale Mountains have suffered major losses from rabies spilling over from domestic dogs, prompting dog vaccination and vaccination of the wolves themselves. Snow leopards, Asiatic lions and red pandas do not live there.
Further reading: Williams & Barker, Infectious Diseases of Wild Mammals
Kyasanur Forest disease was first recognised in 1957 in which Indian district?
B. Shimoga (Shivamogga), Karnataka
KFD was identified in the Kyasanur forest of Shimoga district, Karnataka, after monkey deaths in 1957. Wayanad, the Nilgiris and Goa reported cases later as the disease spread.
Further reading: Williams & Barker, Infectious Diseases of Wild Mammals
Which tick is the main vector of Kyasanur Forest disease virus?
C. Haemaphysalis spinigera
Haemaphysalis spinigera, especially its nymphs, transmits KFD virus to monkeys and people. Rhipicephalus microplus transmits babesiosis and anaplasmosis in cattle, Hyalomma anatolicum transmits theileriosis, and Amblyomma variegatum transmits heartwater in Africa.
Further reading: Williams & Barker, Infectious Diseases of Wild Mammals
A forest guard reports a dead langur in a KFD-endemic area. Which response is correct?
A. Sample the carcass with full PPE, collect ticks and treat the area with acaricide
Monkey deaths are the backbone of KFD surveillance: the carcass is sampled with full personal protection, ticks are collected and the area around it is treated with acaricide; a positive result triggers warnings and vaccination. Burying without sampling loses the warning, and an open village necropsy exposes people to a high-containment virus.
Further reading: Williams & Barker, Infectious Diseases of Wild Mammals
Under India's Wild Life (Protection) Act, who may permit the hunting of a Schedule I animal that has become dangerous to human life?
C. The Chief Wild Life Warden of the state
The Act allows the Chief Wild Life Warden to permit hunting of a Schedule I animal that has become dangerous to human life or is disabled or diseased beyond recovery, recording reasons in writing. Veterinarians advise but do not authorise, and collectors and panchayats do not hold this power.
Further reading: Wild Life (Protection) Act 1972, s. 11
Ten here, 40 in the app. The Laisha app has every practice question we have written to ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF in this subject, marked as you go, with timed papers, a jump-to-unanswered list and a certificate when you pass at 70 per cent.
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