D N Singh
Just disturb them and one can see them running towards the human habitations for safety.
Rare example of symbiosis that is in Odisha's games reserve in Ganjam.
Because, perhaps, they Black bucks know that only people can protect them. Such a strong bond is the bonding between the Blackbucks and villagers.
Here we are talking about the ‘Krusnasara Mruga’or Black Bucks in Odisha, a few of the wildlife species that has shown a remarkable leaning to have coexisted with humans in Odishas’Buguda block in Ganjam district for over a millennia.
It is a different matter that these animals are also viewed as having origins in Hindu Mythology, yet for years they have been hunted for various reasons that can be described as amorous and cruel.
When this reporter visited the core area over a decade back where the animals inhabit, Betanoi, near Buguda’the sight was disappointing. It was only some villagers who tried to play protectors to an extent yet that was not enough against the unholy elements who also kill them for venison also.
The population of blackbucks suffered a decline and that was really pathetic. So they were categorized as the most endangered species in Odisha and in Rajasthan)
When we went to the area again just a week back, some respite was there as an individual effort paid dividends as the animals appeared flitting around the Balipadar-Betnoi region and their population has increased to over seven thousand plus.
It is nothing less than a Santa role played by one individual Amulya Uapadhyay, who has dedicated his life for the last fifteen years for the conservation of the species bringing all the villagers under one canopy to somehow protect the Blackbucks, come what may.
Upadhyay who has quit lucrative job offers and took up the new role to conserve the species. He was also a former ‘Sarpanch; of Betanoi that helped him a lot in motivating people.
As blackbucks grazed on the fields in their village like other cattle without fear, he was delighted as a child anytime he would accompany his relatives to see the picturesque frame of blackbucks in the lush green fields, recalls Upadhyay while talking to this author.
No wonder that the blackbucks grazed in the green pastures along with other cattle in the villages and even the presence of shepherds hardly scared them now.
“Our village is well-known for blackbucks. We have a mystical bond with blackbuck stems back to a time when our town was hit by severe drought and starvation. The villagers’ lives were being impacted by dried wells and desolate farmlands.
Then, one day, rain arrived with a few blackbucks to our village, and everything transformed” recalls Harekrushna Das, a septuagenarian resident of Betanoi.
Since then, our village people have revered Blackbucks as a sign of good fortune and as holy as Gods. The blackbuck population gradually reciprocated. However, their increased number had an influence on villagers’ agriculture, causing a few to become hostile to them. They began to harm them, while poachers were on a prowl to make the situation more difficult” said Upadhyay.
Amulya was in a moral compulsion to take a position for these helpless animals and ensure their protection. However, without local monitoring and cooperation with forest officials, the situation would not improve. So, in 1997, he founded the ‘Blackbuck Conservation Society’ to carry out awareness initiatives that encouraged native to fight for species protection on a personal basis. One member from each village in the region joined his society and took on the job of protecting blackbucks for his village.
Indeed the forest department of the area played a good role in helping Upadhyay who subsequently founded the ‘Blackbuck Conservation Society’ in 1997 to carry out awareness initiatives that encouraged native to fight for species protection on a personal basis. One member from each village in the region joined his society and took on the job of protecting blackbucks for his village, Upadhyay told this reporter.
Upadhyay said “We have set a monetary reward of Rs 200 for the first person to report the birth of a blackbuck’s fawn and a monetary prize of Rs 1000 for the first person to report the poaching of a blackbuck while maintaining anonymity. All of this information is being disseminated in the local community via Dhindora in order to encourage participation and awareness. The collective effort of villagers has resulted in a spike in blackbuck count of more than 800 in his village alone.”
Upadhyay even turned down well-paying job offers from distant companies in order to devote his life to the safety of blackbucks. Although officials from the forest department have expressed their ardent support for his preservation plan, complete government assistance remains a faraway goal for him.
In an encouraging note Upadhyay said that, “I am hopeful that the state government will extend a helping hand to our committee one day and support our mission to provide a safe habitat for these nearly extinct species. Because blackbucks are unique to our district, their abundance encourages tourism and helps to establish our district’s identity around the world.”
Upadhyay who has dedicated his entire life to the protection and expansion of blackbuck’s population in the region, for which he has been recognized by the forest department on numerous occasions. The increased strength of this rare species is a symbol of his unselfish efforts, and we hope that more people will join his cause and become the guardians of this rare yet fascinating species.
Disclaimer: This is the personal opinion of the author. The views expressed in this write-up have nothing to do with www.prameyanews.com.
