Berhampur: In a landscape where golden grasslands meet the rolling blue-green hills of the Eastern Ghats, a silent, graceful dance of conservation is currently unfolding. Ganjam district, the only remaining stronghold for the Indian Antelope in Odisha, has turned into a massive field laboratory today as forest officials and wildlife enthusiasts begin the 2026 annual blackbuck census.
The most recent official data from the 2025 census recorded 8,789 blackbucks in the region, a significant jump from 7,745 in 2023 and nearly double the 4,082 recorded in 2018. This steady climb suggests that the 2026 figures, currently being collected by eighteen dedicated teams across the Ghumusar and Berhampur ranges, are poised to reach a new record high.
The presence of these animals in Ganjam is a story of habitat and heart. Geographically, the district offers the perfect semi-arid ecosystem with open plains and short-grass savannas that blackbucks require to spot predators and utilize their legendary speed. Unlike many other species that retreat into deep jungles, these antelopes thrive in the mosaic of agricultural fields and scrublands found in pockets like Bhetanoi and Balipadar.
However, the primary reason they flourish here is the unique human-wildlife bond. The local communities view the blackbuck, or Krushnasara Mruga, as a sacred messenger of good fortune. Legend suggests that their arrival in the region over a century ago coincided with the end of a long drought, leading villagers to protect them as divine harbingers of rain and prosperity. Today, farmers in Ganjam often allow the animals to graze on their crops without retaliation, creating a rare sanctuary where fences are few and trust is the primary tool for survival.