Blackbuck numbers declining even inside Bardiya conservation area

The number of rare blackbuck is declining even within the Blackbuck Conservation Area in Gulariya, Bardiya.

According to the conservation area, about 242 blackbuck recorded at the end of last fiscal year 2082/83 have now dropped to around 210.

The count has fallen by 32 in just three months, and the whereabouts of 20 of them are still unknown.

According to conservation area chief Uttam Kumar Chaudhary, 12 blackbuck have been lost this fiscal year to leopard and dog attacks and natural causes.

Last fiscal year too, about 42 blackbuck were lost to attacks by predators and natural causes.

According to conservation area staff, blackbuck face a higher risk from leopards, jackals and stray dogs during the calving season.