BHUBANESWAR: The wildlife wing will use drones to track movement and monitor health condition of deer and other wild animals at Balukhand sanctuary in Puri where massive damage has been caused by cyclone Fani.Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) (Wildlife) Ajay Mohapatra said, “We are employing various methods to detect casualty and assess health condition of deer and other wild animals in the sanctuary. Use of drones will help us collect more information about the wildlife in the cyclone-hit sanctuary. It will also help us know the zones where deer have concentrated in large numbers after Fani.” Foot patrolling by wildlife teams has already been started in the sanctuary, he said.
Balukhand sanctuary, which sustained severe damage in the cyclone, is home to spotted deer, black bucks, antelopes and jackals besides trees such as casuarina, anacardium, karanja, neem and various plants. “So far, we have found only two carcasses, one of a deer and the other of a jackal. However, there has been no major loss to the wildlife in the cyclone,” Mohapatra said. The sanctuary has around 4,000 spotted deer and other wild animals.
The PCCF said clearing of uprooted trees and debris in the sanctuary is underway. The Forest department will now work towards creating new water bodies to support the wildlife in the sanctuary.