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Caught down the wire: Punjab’s blackbuck fight for existence
Why in news?
- In 2019, so far, as many as eight blackbuck have died in the Abohar Wildlife Sanctuary (AWS).
- Majority of them succumbed to their injuries, caused by barbed wires while trying to escape from stray dogs.
- Other unnatural reasons for blackbuck deaths include road accidents and falling into water storage tanks and concrete drains.
More in the news
Challenges faced:
- Though Blackbuck is Punjab’s State animal faces a severe threat.
From attacks by stray dogs:
- Most of the blackbuck here are dying due to injuries caused by stray dog attacks.
- Dogs target young deer and expecting females.
barbed wires:
- Locals trying to save their crops from stray cattle have put up barbed wires and nets.
- Such fencing of fields restricts the free movement of blackbuck.
- This results in fatal injuries when they are chased by dogs.
- Fencing agricultural fields, especially with cobra wires that have blade-edged iron wire mesh.
- This has been a major cause of worry, and a key reason behind causing fatal injuries to blackbuck during dog attacks.
Abohar Wildlife Sanctuary (AWS):
- AWS is an open sanctuary, spread across private land in 13 villages.
- The blackbuck was notified as the State animal of Punjab in 1989.
- Its presence in the AWS is due to the unique habitat of semi-arid plains consisting of agricultural fields, intermittent fallow-barren lands, scattered sand dunes, sand mounds and ridges.
Local distress:
- Locals are annoyed with the alleged indifference of the State government towards solving the problem of stray cattle.
- They say that if the problem of stray cattle is resolved, then there would be no need for them to fence their farms with barbed wires.
- It’s not by choice but out of compulsion that farmers have fenced their farm with barbed wire.
- Stray cattle will destroy their standing crop if they don’t take precautionary measures.
Source
The Hindu.