KANHA:Its Precious Possession is Lost for Ever

[Saktipada Panigrahi]

PrakticaLTL,IMAGE 200mm,AgfaB/W200ASA,Scanned from Negative Print,Handheld,March1975.

[Roopak Gangadharan]

Nice one sir. Like the play of light here... in sync with the skin tones of the buck.

TFS
Roopak

[Sabyasachi Patra]

Good to see a Black buck image from Kanha. They are no longer there in Kanha meadows. Thanks for reminding us of the treasures that we have lost.

Cheers,
Sabyasachi

[Mrudul Godbole]

A good record image. The light shadow effect looks nice. It points out the changes that have happened in our jungles in just the last few years. Thanks for sharing.

[Lakshminarayanan Nataraja]

Sir, Very good record. Continuous man made fires in the meadows have changed the habitat unfavorably to the black bucks. Besides black bucks have always been much sought after for the pot.

[Saktipada Panigrahi]

Bhai Lakshminarayanan,
I experess my sincere thanks for enlightening us about the main reason for disappearance of Blackbucks.Famous E.P Gee in his Book titled "The Wild Life Of India" wrote in 1964- "Only about Forty to Forty Five still survive.At All costs these must be preserved,......these Forty-odd Antelope are one of the Park's most precious possessions.Long they may continue to flourish.
To see them, especially the Does and Fawns,leap in the Air as they run reminds me of Impala I have seen in Africa."

In March 1975 , I stayed in FRH near the Kanha Meadow(At present Cental Meeting Point) ,I enjoyed the same experience (that time also their numbers were no less than Thirty) and in May,2005 finding not a single one,when I questioned the Forest Officials the reasons for disappearance,same reply came-"A new type of Grass has invaded the Meadow which is not suitable for Blackbucks".
In fact in 1975 Hardground Barasinghas were facing more Danger from the resident Tigers near the Meadows, not the Blackbucks.
Thank you again ,
SPP