Friend or foe, farmers are weary of the blackbucks

As the thick clouds of monsoon settle on the skies of North Karnataka, a sense of uncertainty is descending in the hearts of farmers of the region. They have been bitten by the Hamlet syndrome - to sow or not to sow.

If the uncertainty of rain haunts them the most, there is another reason, according to farmers, which is forcing them not to cultivate this monsoon -- the blackbucks. “A herd of 10-15 blackbucks can clean an entire one-and-a-half acre of groundnut field in a span of half-an-hour,” says Sundaranna, a farmer in Kusgal near Hubballi. “Even I like the blackbucks to jump around and live free, but at the same time I can't see my kids die of hunger. Given a choice between my children’s lives and saving blackbucks, I prefer the children,” he continues.

The blackbucks have become a nightmare to the farmers of different regions: Vijayapura and Bidar in the north, semi-malnad regions of Haveri and small pockets of Tumakuru and Kolar. The herd of blackbucks feed on the tender shoots of groundnut, pigeon pea, green gram, horse gram, sesame and others. These animals ‘attack’ the farms only during sowing or harvesting period resulting in farmers losing heavily. To prevent these farmers from resorting to illegal means like trapping them or killing them using dogs and high-voltage electric wires.

Killing blackbuck attracts severe punishment as they are protected under the Schedule II of Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 but not many cases get reported. Forest Department officials claim that there is a fear among people regarding killing these protected animals but looking at dogs of Sundaranna and the electric wires erected in many areas one wonders if that's true. Experts believe that farmers do not understand the importance of these antelopes. “Blackbucks are actually friends of farmers,” says Hanumanthraj, Assistant Conservator Forests, Ranebennur Black Buck Sanctuary in Haveri, one of the two Blackbuck Sanctuaries in the State. “When a blackbuck graze in the field they only eat the sprouts. This results in branching of crops, helping proper plant gowth."

Environment enthusiast Vallish V Kaushik agrees with Hanumanthraj and adds that excreta of blackbucks acts as a natural manure and can result in high yield and help in pollination. “There is a need for us to create awareness among farmers regarding the importance of these antelopes. We need to understand that it is we who have entered their territory and not them,” he says.

According to a survey conducted in 2006, there were 10,000 to 12,000 blackbucks at the Ranebennur sanctuary.

Experts believe that twice that number of antelopes are wondering in the open fields outside the sanctuary. Vallish states that  most of the predators such as wolves, jackals, and leopards have been wiped out in these regions and their absence has created favourable environment for these animals to flourish.

There are many ways for farmers and blackbucks to coexist, thus benefitting both. These antelopes feed on selected crops and if the farmers can avoid those crops for few years, the chances of their crops ‘being destroyed’ can be avoided. Creating small patches of ‘forest areas’ for these animals in rural areas with all the required facilities like crops, thorny bushes and water resources, thus making them feel at home.

These patches can be solar fenced and protected with proper trenches. Sanctuaries are also trying to retain the blackbucks within their range. “We have created fodder plots in the sanctuary, where we grow only those crops which attracts blackbucks. We have also created many water ponds in the core area,” said Hanumanthraj. The government is also contemplating in providing solar fencing for the farmers on 50:50 sharing basis.

Except for few stray incidents, blackbucks are relatively safe in the state. Still, it is necessary to create awareness among people and take necessary steps to safeguard them.