Bhetnoi

Head to Bhetnoi, a small village in Ganjam district of Odisha and watch herds of the endangered black bucks (Antelope cervicapra) grazing playfully in verdant surroundings here. Every villager here lives with a purpose—conservation of black bucks. Hunting of black bucks is considered a crime and villagers have been protecting these beautiful creatures for over a century now, a practice that holds similarity with the Bishnoi community of Rajasthan.

The animals live in proximity with the human beings and villagers do not harm them even if they graze on the crops; for there is a socio-religious belief behind the conservation norm. Locals say Bhetnoi suffered from a long spell of drought several years ago. One day, villagers sighted a small herd of black bucks following which, the village got rain. Since then, they believe that the animals are harbingers of rain and bring prosperity to the village. Visitors can interact with members of the Black Bucks Protection Committee and know more about the conservation of these animals. Bhetnoi village is 71 km from Berhampur and 165 km south of Bhubaneswar. Visitors can hire a car from Berhampur to visit the village for a one-day tour. Accommodation options are available at Berhampur.