Blackbuck carcass found near Bhetanai

Berhampur: Forest officials on Wednesday recovered the carcass of a blackbuck, an endangered species, near Bhetanai under Aska forest range in Ganjam district. Forest officials said the blackbuck, a five-year-old male, died due to road accident when a car ran over it. After postmortem by the local veterinary doctor, its carcass was buried as per protocol, said range officer, Aska, Pramod Kumar Panda.

Blackbuck is included in Schedule-1 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act-1972, while the species is listed as near threatened in IUCN Red list category, and is only sighted in certain pockets of Ganjam district in the state. “Due to surge in its population, road accident was one of the threats for this animal,” said Amulya Upadhyaya, president of the blackbuck protection committee.


Panda said they have installed speed breakers and created road humps in vulnerable areas. Apart from these, the signage was installed and advised the drivers to reduce the speed limit of vehicles in the blackbuck habitats to safeguard the animal.