3 days ago
Bisons thrive in Ganjam reserve forest
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Berhampur: After Debrigarh and Mahanadi wildlife sanctuaries, a sizeable population of the endangered Indian bison is found in Malati reserve forest under Ghumusar North division in Ganjam district.
Also called gaur, their number is estimated to be around 70 to 80 in the area, forest officials said. The animal is also found in Chandragiri and Ambajhari forests under Tarsingi range but their number is less than in Malati, they said.
"If one visits Malati reserve forest, one can witness the herds of the huge and strong animals roaming freely," said Himansu Sekhar Mohanty, DFO of Ghumusar North. "Though no census has been conducted, their population has been increasing," he said.
Mohanty said they have proposed the govt to conduct a bison census in the division and to set up a watchtower for visitors.
"Conservation measures taken up by the forest department and protection by locals are some of the reasons for the rise in gaur population. The animals had destroyed standing crops but farmers did not harm them," he further said.
"We have provided compensation for crop loss to the farmers immediately. In 2024-25, we provided a compensation Rs 27,590 to nine farmers for destruction of standing crops," the DFO said. "We have created a water body and renovated another at Rs 7.5 lakh and Rs 2 lakh, respectively," he added.
Meadow development programmes for increasing food, water and safety of the animals have been taken up under the Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats (IDWH) scheme, officials said.
