Five months after the deaths of 12 blackbucks in Barnawapara sanctuary, the state forest department has not been able to come up with the exact numbers of surviving antelope.
According to state forest department, 12 blackbucks (deer) had died within a span of six months in Barnawapara sanctuary.
“We have completed two rounds of counting through different methods. However, due to unavailability of biologist we have not been able to perform the final round of counting which has to be performed by the ‘segregation’ method,” Divisional Forest Officer Baloda Bazar Vishwesh Kumar told The Pioneer.
The officer said that since blackbuck is a very sensitive animal presence of doctor and biologist is required to avert any further death.
As per the forest official, most of the blackbucks had died of pneumonia, while few died of injures sustained during the duel with other black bugs.
Six to seven had died within first week after they were shifted to Barnawapara last year in the month of August, while the last death was recorded on February 2 this year.
Notably, blackbucks have been classified as “near threatened” animals by International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN) since 2003.
Union Minister of Environment and Forest (MoEF) has also declared blackbuck as endangered species.
At Barnawapara for conservation of the species an enclosure spread around 5 hectares was constructed to create a natural habitat for them.