The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Operation Blackbuck can be completed in three years: official

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 11, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Operation Blackbuck can be completed in three years: official

Staff Reporter

KURNOOL: The Chief Wildlife Warden, Hitesh Malhotra, said `Operation Blackbuck,' which is currently on in Aluru area of Kurnool district, was aimed at restricting the population of the deer by half. Mr. Malhotra, who observed the progress of capturing the blackbuck in the last two days, told reporters here on Tuesday that the blackbuck population in the nine affected mandals was estimated at 5,000 to 6,000. If the size could be reduced by half the incidence of crop damage could be minimised.

Mr. Malhotra said the operation would be completed in three years if everything went well, much ahead of the scheduled duration of five years. Capturing and translocating of the deer was only a short-term measure.

In the next phase, a habitat would be created for predators like wolf and jackal to multiply their population.

No predators

He said predators vanished from the area because of loss of bushes. In the absence of predators, the project was playing its role until the predator took over the area.

The forest officials felt that lack of fear of predators and availability of food caused an explosion in the blackbuck population in the area.

The stress and fear caused by the present operation could bring down the fertility rate among the blackbuck, the officers observed.

The blackbuck problem existed on 4,000 sq. km area in the district while their concentration was more in some pockets. So far, 161 deer were captured and moved to Prakasam district, while the total number reached 315 at Rollapadu and Aluru area.

Tiger census

Mr. Malhotra said the forest staff would take up tiger census in Gundlabrahmeswaram and Tiger Reserve sanctuaries, while the State-level survey would be taken up in November this year. As per the previous survey, the number of tigers was calculated at 192 and panthers at 505.

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Andhra Pradesh