Blackbucks safe in flood-hit Odisha, says govt

Odisha government today said the endangered blackbuck population in Ganjam district is safe and there has been no casualty of any of such animals in the flood.

Some of the blackbucks were swept away last week but there has been no casualty, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Sandeep Tripathy said.

"There has been no casualty. All the blackbucks are safe and under observation of forest officials. The incident had taken place place and nothing to be worried over their safety," Tripathy told PTI.

The senior forest official's reaction came in wake of a disturbing video showing a group of blackbucks being swept away in floodwaters of Kharkhari river in Ganjam district.

The video was reportedly filmed from the Hume- Purushottampur road near Balia in Ganjam district.

Tripathy said blackbucks are not generally found in the area where it was shown that they were swept away. The endangered animals could have come from nearby Aska forest range.

Inquiry has revealed that the blackbucks were crossing the Kharkhari on July 14, said Berhampur Divisional Forest Officer AK Behera.

"The blackbucks had crossed the river and reached on the other side of it," he said.

The population pf blackbucks was enumerated at 3806 in 2015 as against 2194 in 2011, official sources said.

The enumeration of the animal was conducted in last February, but the number was not declared officially so far, the sources said adding that 25 blackbucks died last year due to various reasons.