Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Operation Blackbuck, underway in Shajapur since October 20, will conclude on Tuesday. The 15-member South African team assisting state forest department in capturing the animals will return to their home country thereafter.
The state government will soon decide whether to extend the operation to other districts, where rising blackbuck populations are damaging standing crops.
Talking to Free Press, forest officer Veerendra, who is part of the forest team deployed in Shajapur, said that the operation operation was launched on a pilot basis in the district and has been successful. It has achieved its target and would end on Tuesday, he added.
Te operation helped the forest teams learn the Boma Technique from the South African experts and the department can now deploy the same technique elsewhere whenever needed, said the official.
On Sunday alone, 163 blackbucks were captured across Shajapur, taking the total tally to 664. In addition, 67 blue bulls were also captured. The animals have been relocated to Kuno National Park, Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary, and Nauradehi Sanctuary , with the latter being prepared as the third cheetah habitat in the state.
Why Operation Blackbuck
Operation Blackbuck was started in Shajapur on October 20. The fast-growing population of blackbucks had become a major problem for farmers, as the animals were destroying their crops. It is not only Shajapur district that faces this challenge as many others, including Mandsaur, Dhar, Ratlam, Rajgarh, and some districts in the Bundelkhand belt, are dealing with similar issues.
Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest, Wildlife, L Krishnamurthy told Free Press that the operation will formally conclude on November 4, after which it will be reviewed. Around 50 forest personnel have been trained by the South African experts in the Boma Technique for safely capturing blackbucks, he added.
