CM says over 1,200 blackbucks and nilgai safely rescued in Shajapur

Why in the News

Madhya Pradesh has moved from leaving blackbucks and nilgai on farmland in Shajapur district, where they trouble farmers, to capturing them and moving them into forest sanctuaries. The Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister inspected the operation, under which at least 1,236 of the animals have been moved so far with help from South African experts.

What is the Shajapur operation, and why was it launched?

1. What it is: A rescue and translocation operation, meaning wild animals are captured in one place and released in another. The State Forest Department runs it under Project Antelope.
2. Why it was launched: The operation began to deal with the problems that blackbucks and nilgai cause for farmers in Shajapur.
3. The takeaway: The State is easing a farm conflict by moving the animals to protected forests rather than leaving the problem on the fields.

How does the Boma method work?

1. Helicopter drive: Helicopters lure the animals and track them as they move.
2. Capture pen: Teams then herd the animals into a boma, a pen or capture enclosure, from where they are transported to their new forests.

How far has the operation got, and where are the animals going?

1. Timeline: The operation began on October 9 and runs till October 31.
2. Target: The Forest Department aims to relocate 2,000 blackbucks.
3. Destinations: The animals go to designated forest areas in Sheopur, Gandhi Sagar and the Rani Durgavati Forest Sanctuary.
4. Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary: Notified in 1974 across Mandsaur and Neemuch districts along the Chambal, it has open savanna-type grassland.
5. Cheetah habitat: Gandhi Sagar became India’s second cheetah habitat in April 2025.

Challenges

1. Culling as the alternative: The Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 allows hunting of animals declared vermin, and Bihar has allowed nilgai culling, so translocation must prove it works at scale.
2. Capture stress: Antelopes chased by helicopter and penned are prone to capture stress, which can kill animals after release.
3. Recipient habitat: Sanctuaries taking hundreds of antelopes need enough grassland to hold them. Eg. Gandhi Sagar also hosts cheetahs.
4. Herds left behind: Animals not captured can rebuild herds on farmland if crops stay unprotected.

Way Forward

1. Post-release monitoring: The Forest Department should track the survival of moved animals in each sanctuary.
2. Habitat checks before release: Wildlife officials should assess grassland capacity at each destination before adding more animals.
3. Crop protection on farms: The State should pair translocation with fencing support and timely crop-loss compensation in Shajapur.

Conclusion

Madhya Pradesh has chosen to move conflict-prone antelopes into protected areas instead of leaving the problem on farms. Whether the moved animals survive in their new sanctuaries, and whether the remaining herds stop troubling Shajapur’s farmers, is what to watch once the operation closes.

Back2Basics: Blackbuck

1. Species and habitat: The blackbuck (*Antilope cervicapra*) is an antelope native to the Indian subcontinent that lives in open grasslands and scrub.
2. Legal protection: It is listed in Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, the highest level of protection.
3. IUCN status: It is Least Concern on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
4. State animal: It is the State animal of Punjab, Haryana and Andhra Pradesh.

Matching Previous Year Question

“No direct PYQ traced in the provided files. Thematic PYQ: [2024] Consider the following statements: Statement-I: The Indian Flying Fox is placed under the “vermin” category in the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. Statement-II: The Indian Flying Fox feeds on the blood of other animals. Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements? (a) Both statement I and Statement II are correct and statement II explains statement I (b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I (c) Staement- I is correct , but Statement II is incorrect* (d) Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct ANSWER: (c)”