Investigation into blackbuck deaths

[Mrudul Godbole]

It is really a sad news that 20-30 blackbucks were killed in translocation and even there is an investigation will that lead to anything.

Investigation into blackbuck deaths
Dec 11, 2011, 09.18AM IST

BHOPAL: Apparently unhappy over high mortality in translocation of blackbucks, experts have demanded a high-level inquiry to get to the bottom of factors responsible for the mess up and fixing of responsibility. Unofficial sources put the death toll at a little less than twice the official figure.

Chief wildlife warden HS Pabla told TOI, "The mortality is more." He said, "We would review the whole issue and we would get it investigated in phased manner by our technical committee, including veterinarians."

Pabla admitted that 20 blackbucks have died so far in Kanha National Park. However, sources in Kanha tiger reserve claimed that the number of deaths could be anywhere between 28 and 35. Even Pabla also admitted "these blackbucks died of capture myopathy and the toll would go up in the coming days."

Capture myopathy is a stressed-induced syndrome where muscles of animal collapse leading to death. PK Sen, former director, Project Tiger, questioned translocation of antelope. "What was the need of translocation," he said.

"There should be an inquiry into the incident. More important is the question who would hold the inquiry," he told the TOI. When all tigers had vanished from Panna tiger reserve from 2003 to 2008, the union ministry of environment and forest sent Sen for an inquiry to find out reasons for vanishing of 35-odd tigers. He had recommended "action against guilty officers" and said "people should be held accountable for the disaster."

Raghu Chundawat, wildlife expert, who first raised the issue of tiger poaching in Panna National Park also demand an inquiry into high mortality of blackbucks in Kanha. He reminded that Bollywood actor Salman Khan had to go to jail for blackbuck poaching.

He said, "Bucks were relocated from unprotected forest area without realising that they would have spread some disease in Kanha."

Sources in the union ministry of environment and forest claimed that "After the MP forest department insisted on relocating black bucks, permission was granted on certain conditions. However, the wildlife department complied with none of the conditions."

"These conditions include habitat viability analysis or relocation site for translocation. They were asked to come up with appropriate methodology for translocation. Consulting wildlife institute of India at the time of drawing up action plan and its execution was another condition. But it was ignored," sources said.

[Saktipada Panigrahi]

Manmade massacre.On 28-08-2011 I posted a photograph of blackbuck of Kanha(I have a few others) taken in March 1975 and wrote about my experience of Kanha in May 2005.On 16-9-2011 I wrote a small piece of write-up in Natural History column titled- "Blackbucks of Kanha T.R".Shri Sabyasachi and Lakshinarayanan Nataraja bhai made their valuable insights on 28-08-2011 and 11-08-2011 respectively.
I was literally shivering from the day I read that about 50 blackbucks are being translocated to Kanha.
When role and responsibilities of Wild life,Forest, Environment and Police departments are not clearly defined,in my view, and/or effective co-ordination is lagging,I do not know....What is next?Which one is next? Bandhavgarh!
Grateful to Madam Mrudul for the piece of information,however sad it may be.

SaktiWild
P.S:Blackbucks are very delicate animals,have been poached using giant fish-hook and ripe bael fruit as bait.

[Saktipada Panigrahi]

Correction:
'On 14-09-2011 I posted a photograph of a blackbuck of Kanha.......'

'On 10-08-2011 I wrote a small piece of write-up in "Conservation" Column'...

I sincerely regret.
SaktiWild