PURI/BHUBANESWAR : Death of nine blackbucks, including two fawns, in Balukhand-Konark wildlife sanctuary in the last three months has come as a setback for the species revival programme of the Forest department.
The department had released 29 blackbucks in multiple phases over last seven months as part of the reintroduction programme. However, suspected pneumonia, unknown infections and even dog bite have claimed nine of these endangered species.
The Balukhand-Konark wildlife sanctuary, spread over 87 sq km, once held a decent blackbuck population which was wiped out in 2012 primarily due to habitat loss, natural calamities and growing construction activities in the region.
When the species revival programme was planned, the department brought 25 individuals from Nandankanan Zoo and four from Ghumsur forests and released them in Balukhand--Golara forests located on the sea side of the Puri-Konark marine drive road.
On June 24 last year, the first batch of 10 blackbucks including six females was brought in from Nandankanan. The Indian antelopes were released in a special enclosure in Golora forests for acclimatisation. Their physical parameters were examined before the release. Subsequently, 15 more were translocated from the zoo in two batches. In January this year, four more blackbucks were brought from Ghumsur forests.
Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Puri Wildlife Division Vivek Kumar said after the release, four fawns were born and of them two died within 24 hours after being abandoned by their mothers. One blackbuck fell to dog bite while six died of different infections including suspected pneumonia. The dog attack was so intense that they did not leave even bones, sources said.
The sanctuary houses over 3,000 spotted deer, hyenas, jackals, pythons, mongoose, and many species of birds. It was first notified as a blackbuck sanctuary in 1984. Since all the legal formalities could not be observed in the stipulated time, another notification was issued by the state government in 2017.
The DFO was hopeful that the population of blackbucks would increase further because all steps are being taken by the department to ensure their safety by making provisions for fodder and water. The saline climate was never an issue for their survival as blackbucks live in Rajasthan deserts and other harsh weather conditions, he added.
Locals of Golora village which is located within the sanctuary limits, said there were fights among the males of the group. Gop block veterinary doctor S Garhnaik said after postmortem, vital organs were sent to Odisha University for Agriculture and Technology for further tests. “The exact cause of death could be ascertained after tests,” he added.
In 2019, Cyclone Fani that made a landfall in Puri district damaged Balukhand’s green cover. After revival of the forests, the reintroduction programme was planned because only a single population of blackbucks exists in the state in Ganjam’s Bhetnoi.