Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): A 13- member team of experts from South Africa is due to arrive in Shajapur district shortly to capture black bucks. It is waiting to get the necessary permission for its pilot.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will give the requisite permission for the pilot to fly the Robinson chopper which will be used to capture the black bucks. These black bucks will be translocated to the Kuno National Park of Sheopur and Mandsaur’s Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary.
Once the pilot gets the necessary permission, the South African experts will reach Shajapur to embark on the unique mission which would be the first of its kind in Madhya Pradesh.
A senior forest officer in the know of the project said that so far, the pilot of the South African team had not received the requisite permission to fly the helicopter (Robinson) in India. Madhya Pradesh forest officials were in touch with the DGCA and making efforts for permission at the earliest.
“As soon as the permission (for the pilot) is received from the DGCA, we will invite the South African experts,” additional chief conservator of forests, wildlife, L Krishnamurthy, told the Free Press.
The forest department is planning to capture and translocate black bucks from Shajapur in October. By October, Kharif crops are harvested and the fields are left bare. It is easy to chase the black bucks in the open fields.
A senior forest officer said that some time back, a policy was drafted to hire the Robinson helicopter and was sent to the forest headquarters. Now it was up to the principal chief conservator of forests, wildlife to decide when to hire the Robinson Helicopter and capture the black bucks.
Notably, Shajapur farmers have been facing the black buck problem for years. The herds of black bucks enter the fields and damage crops in a short time.
The process
The South African pilot is skilled to fly the Robinson helicopter at lower altitude. Black bucks will be chased and taken inside the makeshift enclosure.
Later on, the captured black bucks will be translocated to the Kuno National Park of Sheopur and Mandsaur’s Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary. They will form part of the prey base of cheetahs.
