Overview
- Forest teams, guided by South African experts, herded blackbucks by helicopter into a Boma in Shajapur’s Imlikheda and released all 45 animals safely into Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary.
- Authorities say this marks India’s first use of helicopter-assisted Boma herding for blackbuck capture.
- The Union environment ministry approved the campaign and the state gave in‑principle consent, with plans to capture up to 400 blackbucks and 100 nilgais for relocation.
- District officials have identified six blackbuck and four nilgai capture sites as the broader effort continues, and the operation is set to resume on October 22 after a one‑day Diwali pause.
- Separately, conservation groups and forest officials are debunking viral AI‑generated images of big cats in Maharashtra that triggered public panic.