Sight of a group of ‘Van bhainsa’ (wild buffaloes) majestically wandering in Indrawati Tiger Reserve after a gap of years has filled ecstatic enthusiasm among nature and environment lovers in the area. Due to heavy rains, these animals were perhaps forced to come out of the jungle in search of safe place.
Notably, shining black horns on its head and white hairy skin up to knee have made this species of ‘Van Bhainsa’ an exquisite animal but equally exposed them to the greed of hunters as well who kill them for their horns which is used in art work and skin.
Jungles of Bijapur and Kutru have been the natural habitat of ‘Van Bhainsa’ in Chhattisgarh but due to rising insurgency and rampant hunting by poachers not only brought the number of them drastically down but also forced them to migrate to neighbouring Maharashtra which offered better pastures.
Due to drastic reduction in its population, Chhattisgarh has accorded ‘Van Bhainsa’ the status of State animal and also trying to increase the number through cloning system even if environmentalists of Bastar like Sharad Verma and Subhash Pandey advocated for natural breeding for preserving the species.
According to Forest department officials, in two separate groups, about 15 Van Bhainsa have been spotted in Sendra area of the Indrawati Tiger Reserve. Earlier, in 2010 also some Van Bhainsa were seen in the same Sendra area. The department is giving full attention towards providing fodder and water to the animals, sources said.