: As per the recent census, the number of blackbucks has increased in Ganjam district of Odisha, hinting at the continuing peaceful coexistence of these endangered deer and humans in this region.
Ganjam district is the preferred habitat of endangered blackbucks in Odisha. Villagers of Ganjam district due to their traditional religious belief consider blackbucks as incarnations of Lord Vishnu and harbingers of rain. So, blackbucks are allowed to live near villages and are protected with religious fervour.
Final report of the blackbuck census conducted on March 1 is awaited as according to forest officials, technical verification of this blackbuck census data is on.
But initial data of this blackbuck census hints that population of these endangered deer has increased considerably since the last census in 2011.
The first blackbuck census was conducted in Ganjam district in 1973 and at that time total number of blackbucks in this region was 523. The number of blackbucks in Ganjam during 2013 census was 2,881.
As per the initial raw data of the recent census, the population of blackbucks has augmented much despite increase in human population in the areas where they live.
One of the reasons behind this increase in the number of blackbucks during this recent census is that this time, area of the census had been extended to all the three forest divisions of the district.
In Berhampur forest division, 1,080 blackbucks were found and 1,079 of them were in Khallikote forest range while one was located in Hinjli forest range.
In south-Ghumusar forest division, there were 1,208 blackbucks in Aska forest range, 417 in Polasara range and 1,639 in Buguda forest range.
But the available initial raw data of the census, which is being checked and rectified, hints at ample increase in blackbuck population in Ganjam district.
Blackbucks are now being located in areas where they were not found earlier. The most interesting fact is that at all places in Ganjam district where this census was taken up, female blackbucks outnumbered males.
