BHUBANESWAR: Buoyed by the success of Gharial conservation in Mahanadi river under the species recovery programme, the Odisha forest department has now initiated measures to revive the population of another majestic species — the blackbuck. The department released 10 of these Indian antelopes in the Balukhand-Konark wildlife sanctuary in Puri this month. The species had once thrived in the area but became locally extinct due to various factors, including poaching and natural disasters.
However, under the species recovery programme, the wildlife wing of the state Forest, Environment and Climate Change department has rolled out a plan that not only intends to revive the blackbuck population in Balukhand-Konark sanctuary, but also aims to preserve the species in different biomes so that it can be supplemented to other forests when the need arises.
Blackbuck is one of the three species of the antelopes found in Odisha, the other two being Nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus) and the Chowsingha (Tetracercus quadricornis).
Though conservation efforts in the past have helped the state increase the population of the endangered creature, the Bhetnoi landscape in Ganjam district is the only place in Odisha that holds the single population of the schedule-I animal that prefers plain land having ample water sources.
In the last count in 2023, Ganjam district had a blackbuck population of 7,743, almost double the tally eight years ago. Keeping in view the single population, which is vulnerable to multiple threats and can collapse under pressure, the department initiated measures for reintroduction of the species back to Balukhand and was accorded permission from the wildlife division of the forest ministry in February this year.
Officials of the Puri Wildlife Division said blackbucks used to be found in Balukhand-Konark sanctuary till 2012 but vanished completely thereafter, mostly due to habitat loss, natural calamities and growing human interference. Cyclone Fani that ravaged Odisha in May 2019 after its landfall in Puri district, had also caused extensive damage to the Balukhand sanctuary.
The groundwork by the wildlife wing in reviving the Balukhand’s green cover and creating fresh patches of meadow, enabled the forest department to reintroduce the species to the sanctuary. The Puri Wildlife Division has created around 3 hectares of meadow in the sanctuary spread over 87 sq km.
PCCF (Wildlife) and Chief Wildlife Warden Susanta Nanda said around 10 blackbucks, four male and six female, from Nandankanan have been released into the sanctuary. Steps are being taken to bring in more of these antelopes. Officials of the Puri Wildlife Division said a total 33 blackbucks have been planned to be introduced from Nandankanan Zoo and Ganjam.
Apart from the 10 released from Nandankanan, they said, 15 more will be released from the Zoo, while another eight will be translocated from Ganjam in the next two phases. Puri (Wildlife) DFO Vivek Kumar said the next three years will be critical for them in reestablishing the blackbuck population in their natural habitat.
Wildlife conservationist Aditya Chandra Panda lauded the efforts. He hoped due diligence was done to ensure the revival of the blackbuck habitat. “As with any wildlife reintroduction project, this project too shall have inherent risk factors and possibly even mortality. But that is an intrinsic part of wildlife management and should not be allowed to become a roadblock,” he said.