Blackbuck population rises sharply in Odisha's Ganjam

The population of blackbucks in Odishas Ganjam district has risen by 498 in the last one year officials said on Wednesday February 4According to the census conducted by the Forest Department on January 29 the total number of blackbucks in the district stood at 9287The population was estimated at 8789 in 2025 7273 in 2023 7358 in 2021 and 6875 in 2020 officials saidOf the total population recorded this year 5832 were females 2104 males and 1351 juveniles they saidLocally known as Krushnasar Murga the blackbuck is listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act and is categorised as vulnerable in the Red Data BookThe highest number of blackbucks 5972 was sighted in the Ghumusar South forest division while the lowest count of 459 was recorded in Ghumusar North Another 2856 animals were found in the Berhampur forest divisionAround 500 people including wildlife experts activists academicians and college students were involved in the census They were divided into 123 units for the exerciseFor the first time the forest department also undertook experimental dronebased aerial monitoring with AIassisted counting in limited areas said Regional Chief Conservator of Forests Vishwanath NeelannavarImproved habitat conditions protection by local communities and sustained efforts by forest staff have contributed to the steady rise in the blackbuck population said Vipasha Parul the divisional forest officer DFO of Ghumusar SouthLocals believe that the sighting of blackbucks in paddy fields is a good sign said Amulya Upadhyaya president of the Blackbuck Protection Committee GanjamHe said villagers do not harm the animals even when they graze on and damage cropsBlackbucks which were last sighted in the BalukhandKonark Wildlife Sanctuary in Puri district in 201213 have since disappeared from the area The Forest Department has started making efforts to restore its habitat in the sanctuary through translocationDFO of Ghumusar North Himansu Sekhar Mohanty said four blackbucks were translocated from the area to Puri last yearThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever