Blackbuck

Why in News?

Blackbucks once extinct in Chhattisgarh since 1927, are steadily reclaiming their habitat following a reintroduction program launched in 2018.

• Common Name – Blackbuck is a Medium-sized antelope native to India and Nepal.
• Scientific Name – Antilope cervicapra.
• Genus – Antilope.
• Kingdom – Animalia.
• Family – Bovidae.
• Habitat – Open grasslands, scrublands, and lightly forested areas.
• Distribution – Indian subcontinent.
• Morphology
  • Males – Distinctive spiraled horns, dark brown to black coat.
  • Females – Fawn‑colored, usually hornless.

• Diet – Herbivorous – Coarse grasses, pods, leaves.
• Reintroduction in Chhattisgarh – Under scientific wildlife management under Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
  • First Release (2018) – 77 blackbucks (50 from Delhi, 27 from Bilaspur Zoo).
  • Current Population (2026) – 190 (130 wild + 60 in enclosures).
• Monitoring – Pan-Tilt-Zoom (PTZ) Infra-Red Cameras, daily patrolling by forest guards.
• Future – Introduction in Gomardha Wildlife Sanctuary, Sarangarh‑Bilaigarh district.
• Conservation Status
  • IUCN Status – Least Concern
  • CITES – Appendix III (India)
  • Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 – Schedule I
• Threats
  • Habitat loss due to agriculture and urbanization.
  • Poaching for meat and horns.
  • Human-wildlife conflict in farming areas.

Reference

TOI | Black Buck