India, April 26 -- Chhattisgarh's Barnawapara Wildlife Sanctuary has reported a steady increase in its blackbuck population following a reintroduction programme initiated in 2018, with current estimates placing the number of animals at close to 200.

Located in the Balodabazar-Bhatapara district and spread across approximately 245 square kilometres, the sanctuary had seen a decline in blackbuck numbers in the decades after the 1970s, when habitat degradation and human activity led to their local disappearance.

The reintroduction programme was undertaken after approval at a meeting of the State Wildlife Board in April 2018. Forest officials said the initiative involved scientific planning, habitat preparation, and sustained monitoring to ...