- Five female wild buffaloes will be trans-located from Assam to the Udanti Wildlife Sanctuary in Raipur district, to help revive the waning population of Chhattisgarh’s State animal and expand its territory across States.
- These five buffaloes will travel more than 1,500 km crossing five States — the longest such translocation in the country ever.
- The female buffaloes would most likely be brought from Manas National Park in Assam
- travel more than 1,500 km crossing five States — the longest such translocation in the country ever —
- The Udanti Sanctuary has left just nine buffaloes, including three females, their revival across central India, a historical habitat, rests on hassle-free translocation, successful breeding and subsequent restocking of other habitats in the region.
- 20-25 buffaloes of Indravati National Park in Bijapur, Chhattisgarh, also frequently travel to neighbouring Kolamarka Conservation Reserve in Gadchiroli, Maharashtra. There needs to be a landscape approach across the States as corridors cut across them.”
About Wild Buffalo
- The wild buffaloes (Bubalus arnee) is listed under Schedule 1 of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, and classified as endangered in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
- It is a favorite prey for tigers is thought to survive in India, Nepal, Pakistan, Bhutan and Thailand.
- In India, the wild buffaloes are found in Assam and Chhattisgarh. Occasional sightings of the animal – called the Asiatic Water Buffaloes – have also been reported from Meghalaya and Maharashtra.
- The estimated population of in the Northeast is around 3,000-4,000, the largest in the country and accounting for 92% of the world population.
