BHOPAL: As many as 20 endangered black bucks (Antelope Cervicapra) died so far after being attacked by dogs in muddy farm fields of different villages in Ashoknagar. Majority of them have been killed by stray dogs as the endangered antelopes get stuck in the marshy land and are unable to save themselves from the monster dogs Black bucks are an extremely vulnerable species and belong to schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972. Almost every day, one or two deaths of black bucks are reported from the villages of Ashoknagar, especially from those which are located on the border of Guna district, said Suresh Chand, a forest department ranger.Many herds of the antelope are found in Aron, Madhusudangarh and Shadora villages among others. They enter the farm fields and damage the crops leading to man-animal conflict, villagers complained.Threats to them, include hunting, destruction of their forest habitat, climate change and conflict with villagers, experts said. “The farmers in the village actually hate the antelopes because they damage their crops and the farmers hardly get any compensation. When the fields are muddy, their hoofs are almost glued to the mud and they become virtually immovable. The villagers release their dogs and even stray ones bite them”, sources said.Forest department sources said that maximum number of 200 black bucks died in the 2011 monsoon.

Stay updated with all the Bhopal Latest News headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.