Blackbucks to get rescue centre in Narayanpet

Farmers in different mandals of the district can now heave a sigh of relief as the Forest department is gearing up to set up a rescue centre for capturing and translocating blackbucks and spotted deer to other places.

Farmers in Maganuru, Krishna, Makthal, Utkoor, Narwah, Devarkadra and many other places have been complaining about blackbucks and spotted deer invading their fields frequently. With plenty of water available and input subsidy, farmers since the last few years have been cultivating two crops a year in the region. Earlier, due to lack of sufficient water availability, only one



crop used to be cultivated and in the other season, the fields used to turn into grasslands for blackbucks to feed. Now, with two crops being cultivated and blackbucks invading their fields, farmers are a worried lot.

Since blackbucks are Schedule 1 species, they cannot be harmed or hunted.

“After capturing the blackbucks, they will be placed at the rescue centre. The idea is to translocate them to Amrabad or Kawal Tiger Reserves or Eturnagaram forests. But to take up this exercise, permission will have to be obtained from wildlife authorities,” said an official.