Kaval gets black buck sanctuary tag

As per the Wildlife Protection Act-1972, the State government has officially announced Basur Kaval which is the abode of black bucks as the reserve area of black bucks, informed sources from the Forest Department.

The black bucks which are usually found in plateaus are found in abundance in Basur Kaval.

The black bucks are still found only in Mridanahalli Forest in Tumkur district and plateaus of Ranebennur. The organisations including Wild Cat C, Nature Conservation Guild and Bhadra Wildlife Conservation Trust had urged the government to protect these rarely found black bucks. Even the environmentalists were demanding the government to protect Basur Kaval area, following which the District Forest Department had sent a plea to the State government to announce the region as black buck sanctuary.

The land spreading over 1800 acres is the only Amrutha Mahal Kaval in the district. It is an abode of various species including wolves, leopards, wild bores, peacocks, rabbits and more than 200 varieties of birds. The birds from abroad come to this place for breeding purpose in the winter season. Sandgrose, Indian Courser, Red and Yellow Vatal Lamp Wing, Babler, Red Bulbul are some of the birds found here.

With the measures taken by the Forest Department, the number of black bucks in this area has increased over the years. According to the villagers, the hunting rarely takes place in Kaval in the recent days. If this grassland is preserved properly, no doubt the land would be an abode of black bucks.