Blackbuck found dead in Aska forest range

Berhampur: Forest officials on Sunday recovered the carcass of a 10-year-old male blackbuck, suspected to be hit by an unknown vehicle, near Bajrakota on Bhetanai-Badakholi road under Ganjam district’s Aska forest range office.

“The carcass was buried after conducting post-mortem,” said Pramod Kumar Panda, range officer, Aska. He said they were trying to identify the vehicle which hit the animal. “The vehicle might have crushed to blackbuck while it crossed the road,” forest officials said.

Balipadara-Bhetanai area near Aska was one of the major habitats of blackbucks in the district, while Ganjam is the only habitat of the animal.

The blackbucks frequently cross the roads in the area in search of water, as the water bodies in the forest area have dried up in the scorching heat and ultimately meet with accidents. “Forest officials need to take immediate steps to prevent such mishaps,” said Amulya Kumar Upadhyaya, president, Ganjam District Blackbuck Protection Committee.