Indore: 50 Nilgais Rescued from Pithampur Test Track In Major Wildlife Relocation Drive

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Fifty Nilgai (blue bulls) have been rescued from the Netrex high-speed vehicle testing track in Pithampur as part of a renewed wildlife translocation effort launched by Forest Department.

The operation, which began on May 16 and will run through June 1, aims to safely capture and relocate around 100 Nilgai from the facility and its surroundings to protected forest areas.

The large-scale operation is being carried out by a multi-district task force that includes teams from the Ralamandal Wildlife Sanctuary (Indore), Dhar Forest Division, Mandu Range, Satpura Tiger Reserve, and the Rajgarh Forest Division, along with support from Indore, Mandsaur, and Bhopal forest circles.

Among the key personnel involved are Forest Ranger Manish Umat and Forest Guards Natwar Dhapani and Virendra Sisodiya from Rajgarh, a veterinarian from Satpura, and staff from Ralamandal under the supervision of SDO Yohan Katara.

“This is a challenging but well-coordinated rescue. As of now, we’ve successfully translocated 50 Nilgai without incident,” Katara said.

The operation is being conducted under the provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, with updated directives issued on May 13, 2025, by Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Shubhranjan Sen.

Forest authorities have ensured that vehicles used in the translocation are accompanied by guards until each Nilgai is safely released, with the Netrex facility and Dhar forest officials providing critical logistics and infrastructure support.