Abohar Wildlife Sanctuary earned the status of a sanctuary in 1975 and again in 2000 under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972. It is located in the Fazilka district of Punjab and is a private nature reserve. [1] It is known for being a preservation hotspot for Black Buck, which is regarded as a sacred animal by the people of Bishnoi community who are native to the place. [2]
Conservation
The blackbuck deer are at risk of extirpation from the sanctuary due to predation by feral dogs, habitat destruction, and the installation of "cobra wiring" (bladed-edged iron wire mesh) by local farmers. [3] [4] [5] It has been proposed to resettle some of the deer to another site named Sohian Bir. [6] The population of blackbucks in the sanctuary decreased from 3,500 in 2011 to 3,273 in 2017. [4]
Location
The Abohar Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the Fazilka district of Punjab, India. It consists of 13 revenue villages which are inhabited by the people of Bishnoi community. It covers over 18,650 hectares of land. It also consists of 13 farmlands of the Bishnoi people who work towards protecting the Black Buck. [7]
Major attractions
Abohar Wildlife Sanctuary is a major tourist spot. It is home to many different varieties of both flora and fauna. It is most famous for Black Buck deer and Blue bull. Other species of animals and plants like hare, jackal, wild boar, albizia lebbeck, acacia nilotica, azadirachta indica, a. Tortilis, etc., are found here. [8]
References
- ^ Garg, Balwant (2010-09-02). "Asia's Biggest Blackbuck Deer open Wildlife Sanctuary at Abohar in Punjab which is spread in the area of 46513 acre is on the verge of distinction". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2023-03-13.
- ^ "Abohar Wildlife Sanctuary, Ferozepur". www.nativeplanet.com. Retrieved 2021-11-28.
- ^ Vasudeva, Vikas (2020-01-13). "Blackbucks are fighting for survival in Punjab". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2023-03-13.
- ^ a b Gupta, Vivek (2021-08-10). "The 'buck' stops with Punjab govt as stray dogs hunt endangered antelopes – The Leaflet". theleaflet.in. Retrieved 2023-03-13.
- ^ Sadosh, Raj (9 January 2022). "Need efforts to protect blackbuck". The Tribune India.
- ^ Singh, Harmandeep (2022-09-12). "Struggling to survive in Abohar sanctuary, blackbucks may soon gallop in a new home". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 2023-03-13.
- ^ "Black Buck Sanctuary Abohar | District Fazilka, Government of Punjab | India". Retrieved 2021-11-28.
- ^ "The Abohar Wildlife Sanctuary is located in which state - GKToday". www.gktoday.in. Retrieved 2021-11-28.