MAHENDRANAGAR, July 10

As a part of the government decision, a dozen black bucks have been transferred to Kanchanpur’s Shuklaphanta Wildlife Reserve from Bardiya’s Khairapur area in past one week.

The government had taken a decision to this effect in the second week of May.

“We plan to bring 15 of them here. So far 12 have been brought. A decision regarding when to bring the rest of black bucks in such adverse weather will be taken later,” said Chief Conservation Officer Bed Kumar Dhakal. Eight of the relocated black bucks are female.

Earlier, 28 black bucks — 22 from a zoo in Nepalgunj of Banke and six from the Sadar Chidiyakhana in Lalitpur — had been transferred to the reserve three years ago. The number of black bucks in the reserve now has reached 36.

Black buck is the second wildlife species shifted to the wildlife reserve. In 2001, four rhinos were shifted here from Chitwan National Park. According to Hemanta Kumar Yadav, chief of Shuklaphanta office of the National Trust for Nature Conservation, 19 baby black bucks were born in the reserve. “Nine, including five babies, had died natural death,” informed Yadav, adding, “The relocation was done considering the fact that Shuklaphanta is suitable place for the endangered species.” “Though they were kept in a seven-hectare area in the beginning, the area has been expanded to 17 hectares by now, and we are considering further expansion,” said Yadav. The wildlife species, listed as an endangered species as per the National Park and Wildlife Conservation Act 2029, is found in the highest number (300) in Khairapur.