The Balukhand-Konark sanctuary was very much famous for blackbucks right from British regime in India. The animal, also known as Indian antelope, looks very pretty. The average weight of the antelope is 40-45kg and height 32 to 35 inch. Its horns are 18-20 inch. Its striking colour and beautiful spiraled horns are always remarkable to differentiate the buck from other antelopes of Indian genre. Its colour is yellowish, but when it becomes three years’ old, it turns black. This is most beautiful creature among all kinds of deer. The animal always prefers to remain in plains and avoids hills and dense forest areas. The animal prefers to be in herds. A herd always consists of 20-30 members. The species is also found in Rajasthan and Punjab.
The animal always prefers to stay within open plains covered with bushes and shrubs and even in cultivable lands. It also prefers grassy areas, where it can save itself from predators. The main food of the animal is grass and various cereal crops. It takes its food during morning and evening hours. It takes rest in hot hours lying down under bushes. Its sharp eyesight and speed are its assets which give the animal protection from any predators or hunters. When alarmed, the herd moves with leaps and bounds. The old vigilant female leads the herd.
The blackbuck breeds in all seasons, but its main rest period prevails between February and March. The males are very pugnacious during the mating period. The challenging grunts of the buck raising its head slight backward gives sufficient evidence that a herd is nearby. One or two youngs are produced at a time. When the youngs are able to follow mothers in speed, they rejoin a herd.
The unique antelopes are seen apart from the Balukhand — Konark wild life sanctuary, in Ballipadar under Aska revenue sub- division of Ghumsor south forest division. The Balipadar wild life park covers the private land of local people and the locals protect the antelopes. The species is also known as Krushnasar Mruga or Baliharina or Kalabautia. As this animal looks black and prefers to live in sandy habitats, different local names are given to this species. As it is informed in the last census in Balukhand-Konark sanctuary, the population of blackbucks has come down to nil.
The shocking part is hunting and habitat loss have mainly led to the depletion of the cute animal. However, its population is growing very satisfactorily within the non- sanctuary areas of Balipadar due to active participation of local villagers of Ganjam district. Previously, this species was plentily available in Odisha, especially within Satabhaya area of Rajnagar and Dhamara area of Bhadrak district. Due to indiscriminate poaching and loss of habitats, the species was virtually wiped out from these localities.
The Balukhand - Konark sanctuary is spread over 72 sqkm of land area. It is situated along the marine drive road between Puri and Konark town. Although it got status of a sanctuary on April 23, 1984, subsequently it was revised on September 1, 1987 when it got a reserve forest status. The Government took special measures for protection of coastal eco- system and raising casuarinas trees and cashew nut plantations in the area.
These two species are not food species of blackbucks. The casuarinas has light crown, which permits light to come to ground floor for the growth of edible grasses, but cashew nut has bad quality of covering entire ground floor through its branches and branch lets crawling over the ground floor, which do not permit sunrays to touch to soil for the growth edible grasses of blackbuck. Cashew nut plants provide ample space for safety and security of herbivores like blackbuck but do not provide any kind of food stuff.
There are other animals like striped hyena, jungle cat and spotted deer in the Balukhand-Konark sanctuary. The spotted deer is a herbivore like blackbuck. But the habits of these two herbivores are quite different. When spotted deer is an animal of deer family, the blackbuck is strictly an antelope. Both are grass eaters. Grass means salt bearing grasses and other shrubs and herbs. Even big animals like elephant, sambar, nilagai, chausingha, bison etc like salty soil, but blackbuck does not possess such quality of getting salt for its body requirement.
We foresters always create artificially salt licks in forest area for meeting the body requirements of the animals of salt eaters of herbivorous group. The rock salts and common salts are used in salt-lick spots for use of herbivores. Similarly, captive herbivores in forests are always provided raw salts in their food for the biological requirements of these animals. The salty soil is also a reason why the blackbuck does not survive in Puri - Konark coastal sanctuary, but the spotted deer is able to adapt with the ecosystem of casuarinas-cashew forests.
The other main reasons are scarcity of fresh water and too much interference of man within the habitat of these herbivores through the encouragement of eco tourism and hotel industries. Now Puri is becoming highly populated area. Especially, its floating population like tourists, pilgrims and business communities are adding to pollution of the area.
Pollutions like sound and light are common within this land, which keep all the animals of this sanctuary at great unease for continuation of their race. The main water sources of the area is river Kushnabhadra and Nuarai, which cut through the sanctuary but these are all disturbed areas including the marine - drive route. There should be artificial water holes at different locations for easy availability of water to these animals. Besides, edible shrubs should be raised in the sanctuary area for the benefit of herbivores of all types. All the groups of deer and antelopes are very fond of pulses, beans and cowpeas. Such plants should be grown within their habitats with least interference of cattle. There must be people’s participation for protection of the animals.
(The writer is a former senior forest officer and an environmentalist. Tel no 9937460649)