Abohar,March 3-A two-day census carried out by the state Wildlife Department authorities in Asia’s biggest open black buck sanctuary in the subdivision, concluded here this evening. The census has produced encouraging results for those who are involved in the conservation of wildlife and the environment.The census result has revealed that the population of black bucks, which was given the honour of the state animal in 1989 and which is the only antelope confined to the Indian subcontinent, has increased manifold in the past about 12 years and thus there is no threat to its existence.
Official sources said the census had revealed that the population of black bucks had gone up to 4,300 as compared to 3,000 counted in this sanctuary in the census carried out in 1998.
Sources said that the census had counted 1,812 black bucks (male), 2,120 (female) and 368 offspring in the sanctuary area spread over Raipur, Dutara Wali, Sardarpur, Khairpur, Sukhchain, Seeto Guno, Mehrana, Bazidpur, Himmatpura, Bishanpura, Rampur, Narainpura and Rajan Wali villages of Abohar subdivision. Sanjeev Tiwari, district forest officer (wildlife), Ferozepur, who supervised the census operations, said that 5,557 blue bulls, another protected animal, were also counted during the census in the sanctuary area. As many as 121 peacocks were also counted during the census.
“Other protected animals, including jackals, black partridges and hare, were also found in large numbers in the sanctuary area,” he said, adding that 428 black bucks, 454 blue bulls and seven peacocks of both sexes were found in Gumjal, Panniwala Haripura and Diwan Khera villages of the subdivision, where the Punjab Government had planned to set up two community reserves for black bucks
