Deer population in the Dangs (img: Envato)

The forest department’s unique initiative has yielded successful results in the Dangs, where deer, which were completely absent from the Dang forests for years, have re-emerged in the lands. This  has been possible due to the efforts of the forest department  after a deer breeding centre was established in 2011.

As a result of the deer breeding centre, the number of recently released 50 deer in the Purna Sanctuary has increased to 64 as the ecosystem moulds into a compatible habitat for herbivores.

50 deer turned 64 in 12 years

50 deer were released from the breeding centre into the natural area of the Purna wildlife sanctuary, which was established in Dang in 1977 on the recommendation of the Gujarat wildlife advisory board.

37 chitals out of the 50 were allocated from Sakkarbaug Zoo, Junagadh, while 12 were gifted by the king of Vansda, Jaivirendrasinh Solanki, to the deer breeding centre in Dang. The healthy chitals have been released along with their cubs in their natural habitat of Purna Sanctuary, which will soon become a tourist attraction in Dang.

The number of these deer has increased to 64 from 50, and currently, 11 more deer are being sheltered at the deer breeding centre.

Ecosystem established to spike numbers of herbivores in the area

A deer breeding centre was established in 2011 at Chikhla in the Kalibel range area by the Northern Dang forest division to increase the deer-chital population in Gujarat. The breeding centre aimed to increase the number of herbivores in the forest area and reduce human-animal conflicts, which seems likely to have been achieved.

For more such updates and news on the go, follow us on

Instagram | YouTube | Facebook