BHUBANESWAR: The wildlife wing of the Forest department has released 13 more blackbucks in Balukhand-Konark Wildlife Sanctuary as part of the second phase translocation of the Indian antelope under the species recovery programme. The blackbucks were shifted from the surplus population in Nandankanan Zoological Park.
With this a total 23 blackbucks have now been released in the Balukhand sanctuary. In the first phase, 10 blackbuckswere released in the sanctuary from zoo in June.
The wildlife wing has received approval from the government for relocation of 25 blackbucks to Balukhand from Nandankanan. This apart the government had also planned to bring in eight from Ganjam. However, locals in the district have opposed the idea.
Sources said blackbucks used to be present in Balukhand-Konark sanctuary till 2012 but vanished completely thereafter, mostly due to habitat loss, natural calamities and growing human interference. The Bhetnoi landscape in Ganjam district is the only place in the state at present that holds the single largest population of the majestic antelopes, given protection as a schedule-I species under the Wildlife Protection Act.