Sanctuary that lost all blackbucks 5 decades ago prepares to welcome 50 new arrivals in Chhattisgarh

Gomarda Wildlife Sanctuary in Sarangarh-Bilaigarh district is preparing to welcome 50 blackbucks. This is a major conservation effort because the species disappeared from the region that is now Chhattisgarh by the 1970s. The animals will arrive gradually over the next week. Their return aims to rebuild a local population in a suitable habitat.

All 50 blackbucks will come from Barnawapara Wildlife Sanctuary in Chhattisgarh. Barnawapara received 77 blackbucks in 2017-2018, including 50 from the National Zoological Park in New Delhi and 27 from Kanan Pendari Zoological Garden in Bilaspur. The animals were first kept in enclosures and released gradually as they adapted.

Barnawapara now has more than 150 blackbucks. Officials believe Gomarda offers similar conditions because the sanctuaries are about 70 kilometres apart and share the same landscape. Gomarda has reliable water and grasslands. The project may also support wildlife tourism and employment for nearby communities.

Barnawapara Wildlife Sanctuary received 77 blackbucks during 2017-2018. This was the starting point for an ambitious revival plan by the Chhattisgarh State Wildlife Board. The move mattered because blackbucks had declined sharply across the region and had disappeared locally from parts of present-day Chhattisgarh.

The original group included 50 blackbucks from the National Zoological Park in New Delhi and 27 from Kanan Pendari Zoological Garden in Bilaspur. They were not released immediately. Officials kept them in enclosures first, allowing them time to adapt before gradually releasing them into open areas. Some remain in reserve.

Barnawapara’s population has now grown to over 150 blackbucks. This increase is why officials are using the sanctuary as the source for Gomarda’s new arrivals. Some animals will be released in the wild as the population continues to increase. The result also provides confidence for possible future translocations to other sanctuaries.

The blackbuck is an antelope native to the wildlife landscapes discussed in the article. It is important in this story because conservationists are trying to restore it after local extinction in the region that is now Chhattisgarh. The species is classified as endangered, indicating that its survival requires strong protection and active recovery efforts.

In India, the blackbuck is listed under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. The article places it in this category alongside 11 other animals. Schedule 1 protection gives the species the highest legal protection under that law. The article connects the blackbuck’s decline with hunting, poaching, encroachment and development work.

The legal status supports conservation measures such as carefully moving blackbucks between sanctuaries. Chhattisgarh’s wildlife authorities moved 77 animals to Barnawapara in 2017-2018. Their population later exceeded 150, enabling another planned move of 50 animals to Gomarda. This combines legal protection with habitat restoration and managed translocation.

Blackbucks disappeared from the region that makes up present-day Chhattisgarh by the 1970s. The loss was not linked to one cause alone. A senior official identified hunting, poaching, encroachment and development work as major pressures that steadily reduced the population. These forces made it increasingly difficult for blackbucks to survive in their former range.

Hunting and poaching directly removed animals. Encroachment reduced or disturbed the spaces they used, while development work changed the landscape. Together, these pressures caused the population to deplete until blackbucks vanished completely from the region. Their disappearance lasted for more than 50 years, making the planned return to Gomarda a notable conservation effort.

The Chhattisgarh State Wildlife Board began rebuilding the population by moving 77 blackbucks to Barnawapara in 2017-2018. That group has grown to over 150. The next step is moving 50 animals to Gomarda, where officials hope suitable grasslands and water will support a new population.

Wildlife translocation means moving animals from one protected place to another to rebuild a population. In this case, blackbucks are being transferred from Barnawapara to Gomarda. The process is gradual. This approach matters because simply placing animals in a new landscape may not give them enough time to adjust to unfamiliar surroundings and conditions.

Barnawara’s earlier translocation shows the method clearly. Officials moved 77 blackbucks there in 2017-2018. The animals first stayed in enclosures. According to the sanctuary superintendent, they took time to adapt, so officials gradually released them into open areas over the years. Some animals were kept in reserve while the population increased.

The same careful approach will guide Gomarda’s arrivals. Officials will bring 50 blackbucks from Barnawara over the next week, then release some into the wild as the population grows. Barnawara’s rise to more than 150 animals suggests that patient adaptation and staged release can support successful establishment.

If blackbucks become established at Gomarda, the sanctuary could gain both ecological and economic value. The animals would return to a place where they had been locally extinct for more than 50 years. Their presence would mark progress in Chhattisgarh’s wider effort to restore a protected endangered species.

Officials specifically expect the initiative to promote wildlife tourism at Gomarda. More visitors could increase interest in the sanctuary and its grasslands. The article also says the project could create employment opportunities for local communities. These benefits are linked to the successful establishment of the blackbuck population, rather than guaranteed immediately.

Gomarda is about 70 kilometres from Barnawapara, and both sanctuaries form part of the same landscape. Officials believe Gomarda’s good water availability and grasslands make it suitable. If the translocation succeeds, the plan could later be introduced in other sanctuaries. That would extend the conservation model beyond Gomarda.

Grasslands and reliable water are central to Gomarda’s blackbuck revival plan. Officials describe these features as part of the sanctuary’s natural habitat for the species. Suitable habitat matters because translocation can succeed only if moved animals have conditions that support their survival and population growth.

Gomarda and Barnawapara are about 70 kilometres apart and belong to the same landscape. Barnawapara’s blackbuck population rose from 77 translocated animals to more than 150. Officials credit its steady increase to favourable habitat. They hope Gomarda’s water availability and grasslands will provide a similar foundation for the 50 incoming blackbucks.

The habitat could help the animals adapt after their transfer and support future population growth. Officials plan to release some animals into the wild as numbers increase, while keeping some in reserve. If Gomarda proves successful, it may also become a place for wildlife tourism and a model for other sanctuaries.