First black buck sighted in state

DEHRADUN: The first ever sighting of female black buck was spotted in camera trap images at Rasiyabad unit of Haridwar forest division quite recently. The wildlife officials are ecstatic about this new guest in the state.

Black buck, Indian antelope, looks more like deer species. However, its horns which do not shed like antlers of deer set it apart. Black buck hogged limelight when actor Salman khan hunted it in Jodhpur along with Chinkara. As blackbuck is continuously declining from various states such as Madhya Pardesh for destruction of its habitat so Indian Council of Conservation of Nature declared it Near-Threatened and and slotted it in schedule one of Wildlife Protection Act, thus banning its hunting.

Principal chief conservator of forests ( wildlife) DVS Khati said, " It seems that this black buck has strayed from UP towards Rasiyabad in search of water as Ganges is flowing adjacent to this unit. As black buck prefers to live in slight grassland, fields and plains so we have that kind of habitat in Rasiyabad. We are expecting a herd to be around so most probably we will get some more images of this species in coming times."


Divisional forest official, HK Singh said, Rasiyabad will prove an apt habitat for the black buck. "We are overjoyed over this new addition in our biodiversity and will ensure its safety from poachers. However, since black buck is food for leopards, besides tigers, we hope for safety of this animal from predators," he said.

It has been almost two and half years ago, the first tiger in Haridwar forest division also chose Rasiyabad to be her home. She lived there for one and half years. The cubs took to their separate territories but mother went missing. It was for this tiger family, the grass land was developed, which now seems to be attracting black buck from Uttar Pardesh.