Blackbucks released into Gujarat’s Banni Grasslands

The Gujarat Forest Department, in collaboration with the Greens Zoological Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre (GZRRC) and Vantara, has released 20 blackbucks into the Banni Grasslands of Kutch. The release, which included five males and 15 females, took place on India’s 80th Independence Day.

The animals were transferred from Vantara’s facility in Jamnagar following veterinary examinations, health screenings, and approvals from the Chief Wildlife Warden of Gujarat and the Central Zoo Authority. This rewilding initiative aims to restore native herbivore populations and strengthen the ecological balance of the Banni landscape by restoring natural predator-prey dynamics and supporting the grassland food chain.