NEWS

• In 2018, officials at Barnawapara Wildlife Sanctuary (Balodabazar district, Chhattisgarh) launched a five-year blackbuck reintroduction project.
• Blackbucks had been locally extinct for 50 years due to poaching, habitat loss, and encroachment.
• Today, the sanctuary hosts ~190 blackbucks, marking a major conservation success.

HIGHLIGHTS

About the Blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra)

• Habitat: Open grasslands and semi-arid regions of India and Nepal.
• Physical Features:
  • Males – dark brown to black coat with corkscrew-shaped horns.
  • Females – light fawn colour, generally hornless.
• Distribution: Found in three main clusters — northern, southern, and eastern India.
• Cultural Significance: Revered and protected by the Bishnoi community in Rajasthan.

Conservation Status

• IUCN Red List: Least Concern (but declining in certain regions).
• Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I species – highest level of protection.
• Poaching Penalty: Non-bailable offence; up to 6 years imprisonment.

Reintroduction Efforts in Chhattisgarh

• 2018–2026 Plan:
  • Translocation of 77 blackbucks (50 from Delhi Zoo, 27 from Bilaspur Zoo).
  • Initial release in controlled enclosures, followed by gradual release into the wild.
• Challenges Faced:
  • Early deaths due to pneumonia outbreak.
  • Habitat management and disease control measures introduced (drainage, sand layering, veterinary care).
• Current Status:
  • 100 blackbucks released in the wild, 90 in enclosures awaiting release.
  • Plans to extend reintroduction to Gomardha Wildlife Sanctuary.