Blackbucks of Kanha TR

Shri Sabyasaschi and some of my Member-Friends of the Forum may be aware that once Blackbucks roamed freely in the Kanha Meadow.When we visited Kanha TR for the first time towards the March End,1975 and stayed in FRH near the Meadow (now Central Point where Tourists are asked to report at 9 A.M for News about sighting of Tigers and proceeding for TIGER SHOW), we used to hire an Elephant in the afternoon and move freely in the meadow and the forest.
We used to see Blackbucks roaming freely,the Male ,many a time moving alone and Females used to walk forming a line one after another just like a drill.I took photographs (B&W) of both a Solitary Male and a group of Females in a Parade.
During my next visit to Kanha TR in May 2005 I could not see any Blackbuck. On my query, the forest dept officials told me that due to invasion(/planting! )of a new variety of grass which grows fast,the grass which Blackbucks used to graze upon is no longer there and thus Blackbuck became Extinct in Kanha.
The Fox,Jackle and Wild Dog were only Predators of Fawns of Blackbucks that time.
Then exactly what happened ?

It is widely believed that the blackbuck became extinct locally in Kanha due to hunting and poaching coupled with habitat loss & habitat degradation. When the wildlife populations get miserably low (to few individuals), the chances of recovery are bleak and they get locally extinct however resilient as a species they may be quotes some studies including John Seidensticker's on Sumatran Tigers.

The habitat degradation due to plantations and proliferation of invasive have also bothered black bucks largely in many of their range.

Perhaps the only place in India where black buck and tiger are found together at present is Sathyamangalam (not sure about black buck status in Nagarjuna Sagar Srisailam TR).

Thanks for sharing your valuable insight gained out of rich experience.

I am quoting George Schaller from his book The Deer & The Tiger, page 153:

"The blackbuck population in Kanha Park has probably never exceeded 200 individuals. Brander (1953) after a visit to the area in 1928 reported "two good herds", and a census in 1938 gave a count of 168 animals. Since 1955, when 88 were tallied, the population has declined quite steadily, with only 30 reported in June, 1963, all on the Kanha meadow. By January, 1964, the herd had dwindled to 12 individuals, but from then on it increased, reaching 20 or possibly 21 by June, 1965."

In page 155 in the section Mortality, Dr. Schaller writes:
"One fawn, about four months old, disappeared from the Kanha herd in January, 1964, apparently having been taken by a predator. From then until March, 1965, a period of fourteen months, there were no further deaths, perhaps indicating that the predators find it difficult to stalk the animals successfully on the meadow. The steady decline in the population prior to 1964 was probably due largely to poaching."