Odisha’s blackbucks double in 6 years

Jul 06, 2021

Q. What’s in the news?

Odisha’s blackbuck population has doubled in the last six years, according to figures from the latest population census.

Q. What’s about blackbucks in Odisha?

Blackbucks are found only in the Ganjam district in the southern part of the state, which is where the census was carried out.
It is known in Odisha and Ganjam as Krushnasara Mruga.
The people of Ganjam believe the sighting of a blackbuck in a paddy field is a harbinger of luck for them.
It used to be sighted in the Balukhand-Konark Wildlife Sanctuary in Puri district till 2012-13, but now has vanished from the area.
The blackbuck is a Schedule-1 animal according to the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 (amended in 1992) and is considered as ‘Vulnerable’ according to the Red Data Book.

Q. What’s the reasons for their rise?

Improvement of habitats, the protection given by the local people and forest staff were some of the reasons for the increase of the population.
The people of Ganjam had been enthusiastically protecting the animal like the Bishnois of western Rajasthan and the Vala Rajputs of Saurashtra.

Q. What’s about Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972?

WPA provides for the protection of the country’s wild animals, birds, and plant species, in order to ensure environmental and ecological security.
It provides for the protection of a listed species of animals, birds, and plants, and also for the establishment of a network of ecologically important protected areas in the country.
It provides for various types of protected areas such as Wildlife Sanctuaries, National Parks, etc.
There are six schedules provided in the WPA for the protection of wildlife species which can be concisely summarized as under:

Schedule I:	These species need rigorous protection and therefore, the harshest penalties for violation of the law are for species under this Schedule.
Schedule II:	Animals under this list are accorded high protection. They cannot be hunted except under threat to human life.
Schedule III & IV:	This list is for species that are not endangered. This includes protected species but the penalty for any violation is less compared to the first two schedules.
Schedule V:	This schedule contains animals which can be hunted.
Schedule VI:	This list contains plants that are forbidden from cultivation.